H5226 H5226
in front of, opposite to; directly before
This substantive functions prepositionally to mean 'in front of' or 'opposite to.' It describes spatial positioning—being directly before something or someone. The two occurrences with the third masculine suffix mean 'opposite it' or 'in front of it.' Exodus 14:2 commands Israel to camp 'opposite it' (Pi-hahiroth). Ezekiel 46:9 describes worshipers exiting 'straight ahead' (opposite himself, i.e., going out the way opposite to entry). The root relates to 'neged' (before, in front of) and can also have the figurative sense of 'in the sight of.'
Senses
1. sense 1 — Both uses involve precise positioning. In Exodus 14:2, God directs Moses: 'Tell the people of Israel to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall camp facing it (nikho), by the sea.' This positioning is strategic—it makes Israel look trapped to Pharaoh. Ezekiel 46:9 describes temple traffic flow during festivals: those entering by the north gate exit by the south, and vice versa—'he who enters by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way opposite it (nikho).' This prevents congestion. Both contexts use 'nikho' for direct spatial orientation—'opposite it, facing it, straight ahead from it.' Spanish 'frente a' and French 'en face' capture this frontal positioning. 2×
AR["تُجَاهَهُ", "قُبَالَهُ"]·ben["তার-সামনে"]·DE["[נכחו]", "opposite-es"]·EN["opposite-it"]·FR["en-face", "en-face-cela"]·heb["נוכחו", "נכחו"]·HI["उसके-सामने", "सामने-उसके"]·ID["berhadapan-dengannya", "di-depan"]·IT["[נכחו]", "opposite-esso"]·jav["lurus", "ngadhepi"]·KO["그것의-맞은편에", "그의-앞으로"]·PT["defronte-dele", "em-frente-dele"]·RU["напротив-него"]·ES["de-frente-a-él", "frente-a-él"]·SW["mkabala-nayo", "moja-kwa-moja-na-hilo"]·TR["karşısında", "karşısından"]·urd["سامنے-اس-کے", "سامنے-اُس-کے"]
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
† נֹ֫כַח subst. front, always in prep. or adv. phrases, with sf. נִכְחוֹ Ex 14:2; Ez 46:9:— 1. as adv. acc. in front of, opposite to, Ex 14:2 נִכְחוֹ תַּחֲנוּ, 26:35 the candlestick נֹכַח הַשֻּׁלְחָן, 40:24, Jos 18:17 (in the ‖ 15:7, נֹכַח לְ: v. לְ 5 c), 1 K 20:29 וַיַּחֲנוּ אֵלֶּה נֹכַח אֵלֶּה, 22:35 (= 2 Ch 18:34), Est 5:1(×2); Ez 46:9 Qr כִּי נִכְחוֹ יֵצֵא shall go out in front of himself,…