H5009 H5009
neaqah — groaning, sighing of the oppressed or wounded
This feminine noun denotes groaning or sighing—the audible expression of suffering, oppression, or anguish. The term appears in contexts of severe distress: Israel's bondage in Egypt, their suffering under the Judges, and the groan of a mortally wounded warrior. Significantly, it's used to describe the sound that moves God to action—He hears the groaning of His oppressed people and responds with deliverance. The word captures the inarticulate cry of suffering that precedes articulate prayer, the groan that rises from unbearable circumstances.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Groaning, the sound of deep suffering or oppression. Exodus 2:24 is pivotal: 'God heard their groaning (neaqatam), and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob'—Israel's groaning in Egyptian slavery moved God to initiate the exodus. Exodus 6:5 repeats this: 'I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel (neaqat).' Judges 2:18 explains God's pattern of sending deliverers: 'YHWH was moved to pity by their groaning (minnaqatam) because of those who oppressed and afflicted them.' Ezekiel 30:24 shifts to judgment imagery: Pharaoh will 'groan the groanings of a mortally wounded man (neaqot chalal).' The term thus captures suffering's vocal expression—the cry that moves divine compassion. 4×
AR["أَنِينَ", "أَنِينَهُمْ", "مِنْ-أَنينِهِمْ"]·ben["কাতরানি", "গুঙিয়ে-ওঠা", "তাদের-কাতরানি", "তাদের-গোঙানি-থেকে"]·DE["[נאקות]", "groaning-von", "ihr-groaning", "von-ihr-groaning"]·EN["from-their-groaning", "groaning-of", "groanings-of-", "their-groaning"]·FR["de-leur-groaning", "gémissant-de", "gémissement", "leur-gémissant"]·heb["מ-נאקתם", "נאקות", "נאקת", "נאקתם"]·HI["उनकी-कराहट-से", "करहने-उनकी", "कराहटें", "कराहने"]·ID["erangan", "karena-keluh-kesah-mereka", "keluhan", "keluhan-mereka"]·IT["[נאקות]", "da-loro-groaning", "groaning-di", "loro-groaning"]·jav["keluhan", "saking-pangresahipun", "sambatipun", "sesambat"]·KO["그리고-기억하셨다", "신음들을-", "신음을", "에게서-그들의-탄식"]·PT["de-seu-gemido", "gemido-de", "gemido-deles", "gemidos-de"]·RU["от-стенания-их", "стенание", "стенание-их", "стонами"]·ES["de-su-gemido", "gemido-de", "gemidos-de", "su-gemido"]·SW["kilio-cha", "kulia-kwao", "kutokana-na-kuugua-kwao", "kuugua"]·TR["den-iniltisinden", "iniltilerini", "iniltisini", "inlemeleri"]·urd["اُن-کی-آہوں-سے", "کراہ", "کراہنے-", "کراہٹ-اُن-کی"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [נְאָקָה] n.f. groan, groaning;—cstr. נַאֲקַת Ex 6:5; sf. נַאֲקָתָם Ex 2:24 Ju 2:18; pl. cstr. נַאֲקוֹת Ez 30:24;—groaning of oppressed people Ex 2:24; 6:5 Ju 2:18; of a wounded man Ez 30:24; (𝔊 Co וּבָזַז בִּוָּה for MT וְנָאַק נַאֲקוֹת, but cf. Berthol).