H5344a H5344a
To pierce or bore through; to designate or specify by name; to curse or blaspheme, especially the divine Name.
Naqav holds together three seemingly distant meanings through one governing image: penetration. To bore a hole in a reed (2 Kgs 18:21), to single out a person by name from a crowd (Num 1:17), and to pierce the sacred boundary of God's Name with a curse (Lev 24:11) all share the notion of pointed, decisive action. Arabic naqaba ('perforate, scrutinize') preserves both the physical and investigative dimensions. The Leviticus 24 narrative, where a man 'pierces' (blasphemes) the Name, may reflect an ancient understanding of cursing as verbally boring into sacred space.
Senses
1. designate or specify by name — To designate, specify, or single out by name, often in an official or formal capacity. Numbers 1:17 records that certain men were 'designated by name' for the census, and 1 Chronicles 12:32 and 16:41 use it for named appointees to service. Genesis 30:28 has Laban telling Jacob to 'specify' his wages. The underlying metaphor may be 'piercing' or marking someone out from the group. Spanish 'designados' and French 'nommer' capture this formal naming function. 9×
AR["المُسَمَّوْنَ", "سُمُّوا", "سُمِّيَتْ", "سُمِّيُوا", "عَيِّنْ", "عُيِّنُوا", "يُعَيِّنُهُ"]·ben["উল্লেখ-করা-হয়েছিল", "নাম-ধরে-চিহ্নিত-হয়েছিল", "নাম-ধরে-ডাকা-হয়েছিল", "নাম-ধরে-ডাকা-হল", "নির্দিষ্ট-হয়েছিলেন", "নির্ধারণ-কর", "নির্ধারণ-করবেন", "বিখ্যাত-জন", "মনোনীত-হয়েছিল"]·DE["[יקבנו]", "[נקבו]", "[נקבי]", "bestimme", "waren-designated"]·EN["designated", "distinguished-ones-of-", "shall-designate", "specify", "were-designated"]·FR["[יקבנו]", "[נקבו]", "percer", "specify", "étaient-designated"]·heb["יקבנו", "נקבה-ה", "נקבו", "נקובי"]·HI["ठहराएगा", "नाम-लिए-गए", "नाम-लेकर-ठहराए-गए", "नाम-से-बुलाए-गए", "नामों-से-बुलाए-गए", "नामों-से-बुलाए-गए-थे", "नियुक्त-थे", "निर्धारित-कर", "प्रसिद्ध"]·ID["akan-menamakannya", "disebutkan", "ditunjuk", "orang-orang-terkemuka", "tentukanlah"]·IT["[נקבו]", "forare", "furono-designated", "perforare", "specify"]·jav["Sebutna", "badhe-namakaken", "dipun-sebat", "kacathet", "kang-dipun-wastani", "kasebat", "kasebut"]·KO["명명한-자들이여", "정하라", "정하실-것이다", "지명되었다"]·PT["designará", "especifica", "foram-designados", "foram-nomeados", "notáveis-de"]·RU["были-названы", "знатным", "названы", "назначены", "назначь", "нарекут"]·ES["determinará", "fueron-designados", "los-notables-de", "señala"]·SW["nikּbwּ", "taja", "utateua", "waliitwa", "waliowekwa-alama", "walitajwa", "waliteuliwa"]·TR["Belirle", "adlılar", "belirlendi", "belirlendiler", "belirlenmişlerdi", "belirleyecek-onu", "belirtildiler", "belirtilmişti", "kaydedilmis"]·urd["-ممتاز", "ذکر-ہوئے", "مقرر-کر", "مقرر-کرے-گا", "مقرر-کیے-گئے", "میں-ناموں", "نام-لیے-گئے"]
2. pierce or bore through — To physically pierce, bore, or perforate an object with a tool or weapon. In 2 Kings 12:9 the priest bores a hole in the lid of a chest, and 2 Kings 18:21 warns that leaning on Egypt is like leaning on a reed that pierces the hand. Job 40:24 and 41:2 ask whether one can pierce Leviathan's nose or jaw. This is the concrete, literal core of the verb, shared with Arabic naqaba and Aramaic neqav. 7×
AR["تَثْقُبُ", "طَعَنْتَ", "فَثَقَبَ", "مَثْقُوبٍ", "وَ-يَثْقُبُهَا", "وَيَثْقُبُهَا", "يَثْقُبُ-"]·ben["এবং-ছিদ্র-করলেন", "এবং-বিদ্ধ-করবে-তা", "ও-তাকে-বিদ্ধ-করবে", "কেউ-কি-ফুটো-করবে-", "তুমি-ফুটো-করবে", "তুমি-বিদ্ধ-করেছিলে", "ফুটো"]·DE["[ונקבה]", "[ינקב]", "[נקבת]", "[נקוב]", "[תקוב]", "und-er-bored", "und-es-pierces-es"]·EN["and-he-bored", "and-it-pierces-it", "and-pierces-it", "can-one-pierce-", "pierce", "pierced", "you-pierced"]·FR["[ונקבה]", "et-cela-pierces-cela", "et-il-bored", "percer"]·heb["ו-יקוב", "ו-נקבה", "יינקב", "נקבת", "נקוב", "תנקוב"]·HI["और-छेदा", "और-छेदेगा", "और-छेदेगा-उसे", "क्या-कोई-छेदेगा", "क्या-तू-छेदेगा", "छेद-वाली।", "तूने-छेदा"]·ID["Engkau-menembus", "berlubang", "dan-dia-melubangi", "dan-menembus", "dan-menembusnya", "engkau tindik", "menembus-"]·IT["e-egli-bored", "e-esso-pierces-esso", "e-perforare", "forare", "maledire"]·jav["Panjenengan-bolong", "Panjenengan-nembus", "bolong", "ing-tangan-piyambakipun", "lan-nebus", "lan-piyambakipun-damel-bolongan", "saged-dipunbolong-"]·KO["구멍-난", "그리고-꾫는다-그것을", "그리고-꾫뚫는다", "그리고-뚫었다", "꼿겠느냐", "네가-븾겠느냐", "찔렀도다"]·PT["e-furar-lhe-á", "e-furou", "e-perfurar-la-á", "furada", "furará-", "furarás", "traspassaste"]·RU["дырявый", "и-пробуравил", "и-проколет-её", "проколешь", "проколют-", "пронзил-Ты"]·ES["Traspasaste", "agujereada", "perforarán-", "perforarás", "y-la-atravesará", "y-perforó"]·SW["atamtoboa", "na-akatoboa", "na-kuutoboa", "ulitoboa", "utautoboa", "wenye-mashimo"]·TR["Deldin", "delecek-mi-", "delersin", "delikli", "ve-deldi", "ve-deler-onu"]·urd["اور-سوراخ-کیا", "اور-چھید-دے-گا", "اور-چھیدے-گا-اُسے", "تُو-نے-چھیدا", "چھیدی-ہوئی", "کوئی-چھیدے-گا", "کیا-تو-چھیدے-گا"]
3. curse or blaspheme — To curse, revile, or blaspheme, especially used of pronouncing imprecations against a person or blaspheming the divine Name. Leviticus 24:11 narrates the foundational case: a man 'pierced' (cursed) the Name and was stoned. Numbers 23:8 and 23:25 use it of Balaam's inability to curse Israel. Job 3:8 and Proverbs 11:26 extend the usage to malediction in general. The semantic link to 'piercing' suggests cursing was understood as a verbal penetration of sacred or social boundaries. 6×
AR["أَلْعَنُ", "تَلْعَنُهُ", "تَلْعَنْهُ", "لِيَلْعَنْهُ", "وَثَقَبَ", "يَلْعَنُهُ"]·ben["অভিশাপ-দিও-তাদের", "অভিশাপ-দিক-তাকে", "অভিশাপ-দেব", "অভিশাপ-দেয়-তাকে", "এবং-নিন্দা-করল", "তাকে-অভিশাপ-দেবে"]·DE["[יקבהו]", "du-soll-verfluchen-ihn", "kann-ich-verfluchen", "und-pierced"]·EN["and-pierced", "can-I-curse", "let-curse-it", "will-curse-him", "you-shall-curse-him"]·FR["et-pierced", "percer-lui", "peut-je-malédiction", "tu-devra-malédiction-lui"]·heb["אקב", "ו-יקב", "יקבוהו", "תקבנו"]·HI["और-छेदा", "शाप-दूँ", "शाप-दे-उसे", "शाप-देंगे-उसे", "शाप-देते-हैं-उसे", "शापें-उसको"]·ID["Biarlah-mengutukinya", "Dan-menghujat", "akan-kukutuk", "akan-mengutuknya", "bangsa-akan-mengutuknya", "boleh-kamu-mengutuknya"]·IT["e-pierced", "maledire-suo", "puo-io-maledire", "tu-dovra-maledire-lui"]·jav["Lan-nyebut", "badé-dipunsupata", "dipun-laknat", "kula-badhe-nyupata", "mugi-nyupaosi-piyambakipun", "panjenengan-nyupataa-piyambakipun"]·KO["그-를-저주한다", "그리고-저주했다", "내가-저주하리요", "네가-저주할지니라-그를", "저주하기를-그것을", "저주하리라-그를"]·PT["E-perfurou", "amaldiçoarei", "amaldiçoarão-o", "amaldiçoem-a", "o-amaldiçoes", "o-povo-o-amaldiçoa"]·RU["да-проклянут-её", "и-проколол", "проклинай-его", "проклинают-его", "прокляну", "проклянут-его"]·ES["Maldíganla", "Y-blasfemó", "lo-maldecirá", "lo-maldecirán", "lo-maldecirás", "maldeciré"]·SW["Na-akakufuru", "kumlaani", "na-waulaani", "watamlaani", "watu-watamulaani"]·TR["lanetler-ona", "lanetlesinler-onu", "lanetleyeceksin-onu", "lanetleyeyim", "ve-küfretti"]·urd["اور-کفر-بکا", "لعنت-کر-اُسے", "لعنت-کروں", "لعنت-کریں-اُسے", "لعنت-کریں-گی-اُسے", "لعنت-کرے-گی-اُسے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. [נָקַב] vb. pierce (NH id.; SI 1.1.4 הנקבה the piercing, boring through; Aramaic נְקַב, ܢܩܰܒ id.; נֶקְבָּא hole, etc.; Sinait. n.pr.m. נקבו Eut 441, 2, נקיבו Eut 99, 2; 153, 2 (Lzb 325.326 Cook 83); Assyrian naḳbu, depth, spring of water; Arabic نَقَبَ perforate, pierce, scrutinize, etc., نَقِيبَةٌ sagacity, etc., نَقِيبٌ leader, chief (one who scrutinizes));— Qal Pf. 3 fs. sf. נְקָבָהּ 2 K…