Lexical Summary uq: To totter, to be unstable, to be weak Original Word: עוּק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be pressed A primitive root; to pack -- be pressed. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition perhaps to totter, cause tottering NASB Translation weighted down (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [עוּק] verb dubious (if correct, Aramaic form (compare עוּק,  ) for צוּק press, so Thes and others); — only Hiph`il Imperfect3feminine singular תָּעִיק Amos 2:13, Participle מֵעִיק vAmos 2:13; but read probably תָּפוּק, מֵפִיק totter, cause tottering Hi We Now Dr. Topical Lexicon Overview The Hebrew verb עוּק (Strong’s 5781) portrays the action of severe compression, as when a heavy load bears down and forces what is underneath to give way. The image communicates an unrelenting weight that cannot be escaped, bringing inevitable collapse or crushing. Occurrences and Immediate Context Both appearances occur in Amos 2:13, spoken by the prophet against the northern kingdom of Israel. After cataloguing Judah’s and Israel’s covenant breaches—idolatry, injustice, immorality—Amos delivers the climactic warning: “Behold, I will crush you in your place as a cart full of sheaves crushes grain.” (Amos 2:13) The double use of עוּק intensifies the picture: the loaded wagon does not merely bend the ground; it grinds what lies beneath it. So will the Lord press upon His people for their persistent sin. Imagery of the Loaded Wagon 1. Agricultural familiarity: Farmers in the eighth century B.C. knew the sight of an overfilled cart creaking under harvest weight. What promised prosperity also threatened collapse if overloaded. Prophetic and Theological Themes • Covenant justice. The crushing weight corresponds to the moral weight of Israel’s transgressions (Amos 2:6-8). God’s response is measured, not capricious; He presses only after repeated warnings. Connections with Broader Scripture • Leviticus 26:18-20 presents covenant curses where strength is “spent in vain,” conceptually parallel to being pressed down under futility. Christological Perspective At the cross the full “weight” of sin is transferred to the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus is “crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5), satisfying justice so that those who trust Him are spared the crushing promised in Amos. The verb עוּק thus foreshadows the redemptive exchange where judgment falls on the Lamb instead of the covenant-breakers who repent and believe. Pastoral and Ministry Implications 1. Preaching against complacency. As Israel presumed on its elect status, congregations can presume on grace while harboring unrepentant sin. The vividness of עוּק warns that divine patience has limits. Summary עוּק encapsulates the certainty, severity, and righteousness of God’s judgment when covenant privilege is abused. Yet within that warning lies a gospel trajectory: the crushing weight can be borne by a Substitute, freeing repentant sinners to walk in obedience and joy. Forms and Transliterations מֵעִ֖יק מעיק תָּעִיק֙ תעיק mê‘îq mê·‘îq meIk tā‘îq tā·‘îq taIkLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Amos 2:13 HEB: הִנֵּ֛ה אָנֹכִ֥י מֵעִ֖יק תַּחְתֵּיכֶ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר NAS: Behold, I am weighted down beneath KJV: Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart INT: Behold I am weighted beneath after Amos 2:13 2 Occurrences |
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