55. abak

Lexicon

abak: To wrestle, to grapple

Original Word: אָבַךְ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: abak
Pronunciation: ah-BAHK
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-bak')
Definition: To wrestle, to grapple
Meaning: to coil upward

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

mount up

A primitive root; probably to coil upward -- mount up.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to turn
NASB Translation
roll upward (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[אָבַךְ] verb turn (?) (compare Assyrian Abâku Dl^w = הָפַךְ; Thes MV and others compare בוך)

Hithpa`el וַיִּתְאַבְכוּ Isaiah 9:17; roll, roll up, as volume of smoke (of Israel under figure of thickets of forest) see De & compare הִתִהַמֵּךְ Judges 7:3.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: This Hebrew verb is a primitive root.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There is no direct Greek equivalent in the Strong's Concordance that matches the specific imagery of coiling upward as described by אָבַךְ. However, Greek terms related to smoke or vapor, such as καπνός (kapnos, Strong's Greek 2586), which means "smoke," may be used in similar contexts within the Septuagint or New Testament to convey related imagery.

Usage: The verb אָבַךְ is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe the action of smoke or vapor as it ascends, creating a visual of coiling or swirling upward.

Context: The Hebrew verb אָבַךְ (avak) is a vivid term used to describe the motion of smoke or vapor as it rises and coils upward. This imagery is often associated with the presence of fire or incense, where the smoke is seen curling and twisting as it ascends into the air. The term captures the dynamic and somewhat unpredictable nature of smoke, which can be both mesmerizing and indicative of underlying activity, such as burning or combustion.

In the context of the Hebrew Bible, the use of אָבַךְ can be symbolic, representing the transient and ephemeral nature of life or the divine presence, as smoke often signifies the presence of God in biblical narratives. The coiling motion can also suggest a sense of mystery or the unseen, as smoke obscures and reveals simultaneously.

The term is not frequently used in the biblical text, which may indicate its specific and evocative nature, reserved for particular descriptions where the imagery of rising smoke is especially poignant or meaningful.

Forms and Transliterations

וַיִּֽתְאַבְּכ֖וּ ויתאבכו vaiyitabbeChu way·yiṯ·’ab·bə·ḵū wayyiṯ’abbəḵū

Englishman's Concordance

Isaiah 9:18
HEB: בְּסִֽבְכֵ֣י הַיַּ֔עַר וַיִּֽתְאַבְּכ֖וּ גֵּא֥וּת עָשָֽׁן׃
NAS: aflame And they roll upward in a column
KJV: of the forest, and they shall mount up [like] the lifting up
INT: the thickets of the forest roll A column of smoke

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 55
1 Occurrence

way·yiṯ·’ab·bə·ḵū — 1 Occ.