Lexical Summary niqpah: Frost, congealed substance Original Word: נִקְפָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance rent From naqaph; probably a rope (as encircling) -- rent. see HEBREW naqaph NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom naqaph Definition an encircling rope NASB Translation rope (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs נִקְמָּה noun feminine encircling rope (of captive), תַּחַת חֲגוֺרָה נִקְמָּה Isaiah 3:24. נקק (√ of following compare Ethiopic Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery נִקְפָה (niqpah) evokes the idea of a scab, welt, or brand left by a burn or blow—an ugly, permanent mark that contrasts sharply with healthy skin. Its presence conjures the shame of visible disfigurement, the pain of a healing wound, and the public declaration that something has gone terribly wrong. In the world of ancient Israel such marks could signal disease, slavery, criminal punishment, or divine curse. Thus the term carries overtones of humiliation, loss of honor, and social exclusion. Sole Biblical Occurrence: Isaiah 3:24 Isaiah’s oracle against the proud “daughters of Zion” climaxes with a five-fold reversal of feminine adornment: “Instead of fragrance there will be a stench, instead of a belt, a rope, instead of well-set hair, baldness, instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.” (Isaiah 3:24) Here niqpah stands as the final blow in a chain of degradations. What begins with the removal of pleasant scent ends with the affliction of the skin itself. Beauty, once displayed for admiration, is supplanted by a scar that cannot be hidden. The women’s external splendor, achieved through luxury and pride, is stripped away by the LORD in covenant judgment. Historical Setting Eighth-century Jerusalem enjoyed periods of prosperity that fueled extravagant fashion and self-indulgence among its elite. Jewelry, perfumes, and elaborate hairstyles signaled wealth and status (compare Isaiah 3:16–23). Yet the Mosaic covenant warned that arrogance would summon curses such as sickness, captivity, and public disgrace (Deuteronomy 28:27, 28:37). Isaiah’s single use of niqpah embodies those covenant sanctions: the city that refused to humble itself would bear physical and social scars when foreign armies besieged it and led survivors away in chains. Theological Themes 1. Reversal of Fortunes. Niqpah illustrates the prophetic theme that God overturns human pride (Proverbs 16:18; James 4:6). Ministry Application • Call to Humility. Christian discipleship rejects ostentation, remembering that unchecked vanity invites ruin (1 Timothy 2:9–10). Redemptive Echoes Isaiah later announces a Servant who will be “marred beyond human likeness” (Isaiah 52:14) so that God’s people may be healed (Isaiah 53:5). The shameful niqpah borne by Zion prefigures the wounds borne by Jesus Christ, whose scars secure everlasting beauty for His bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:25–27). Related Biblical Concepts Scab (Leviticus 13:2), boils (Deuteronomy 28:27), branding of slaves (Exodus 21:6), the mark of Cain (Genesis 4:15), the sign of ownership in Christ (Revelation 22:4). Forms and Transliterations נִקְפָּה֙ נקפה nikPah niq·pāh niqpāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 3:24 HEB: וְתַ֨חַת חֲגוֹרָ֤ה נִקְפָּה֙ וְתַ֨חַת מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה NAS: of a belt, a rope; Instead KJV: and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set INT: Instead of a belt A rope Instead set 1 Occurrence |
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rima, fissura Di645; Late Hebrew נָקִיק (rare) cleft of rock).