H2614 H2614
strangle, hang oneself; choke or throttle
This verb denotes strangling or choking. In 2 Samuel 17:23, Ahithophel hangs himself (literally 'strangled himself') after his counsel is rejected. In Nahum 2:12, the prophet uses the image of a lion strangling prey for its cubs—a vivid metaphor for Assyrian conquest. The root appears across Semitic languages with consistent meaning of constriction and suffocation.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The Niphal form describes Ahithophel's suicide in 2 Samuel 17:23, while the Piel participle in Nahum 2:12 depicts the lion's predatory strangling. Spanish 'se ahorcó' (hanged himself) and 'estrangulaba' (was strangling) capture both the reflexive and transitive uses. The German and French glosses show the morphological forms being transliterated. 2×
AR["وَ-اخْتَنَقَ", "وَخَنَقَ"]·ben["এবং-গলা-টিপছিল", "এবং-গলায়-ফাঁস-দিলেন"]·DE["[ומחנק]", "und-strangled-sich-selbst"]·EN["and-strangled-himself", "and-strangling"]·FR["et-strangled-lui-même", "et-suffisance"]·heb["ו-יחנק", "ו-מחנק"]·HI["और-गला-घोंट-लिया", "और-गला-घोंटने-वाला"]·ID["dan-dia-menggantung-diri", "dan-mencekik"]·IT["[ומחנק]", "e-strangled-sé-stesso"]·jav["lan-nyekik", "lan-nyubled"]·KO["그리고-목-조르며", "그리고-목을-매었다"]·PT["e-enforcou-se", "e-estrangulava"]·RU["и-удавился", "и-удушающий"]·ES["y-estrangulaba", "y-se-ahorcó"]·SW["na-akajinyonga", "na-alikaba"]·TR["ve-boğan", "ve-boğdu-kendini"]·urd["اور-گلا-گھونٹا", "اور-گلا-گھونٹتا-تھا"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [חָנַק] vb. strangle (NH id., Aramaic חֲנַק, ܚܢܰܩ; Arabic خَنَقَ );— Niph. Impf. וַיֵּחָנַ֑ק 2 S 17:23 strangled himself (+ וַיָּ֫מָת). Pi. Pt. מְחַנֵּק Na 2:13 strangle, of lion strangling prey, fig. of Ninevitish king (object not expressed).