H6012 H6012
deep, unfathomable; unintelligible or obscure, used of incomprehensible speech
An adjective meaning deep or unfathomable, used exclusively for incomprehensible speech in Isaiah and Ezekiel. Isaiah 33:19 describes a fierce people of 'deep speech'—so obscure you cannot understand them, likely referring to the Assyrians' foreign tongue. Ezekiel twice contrasts Israel's mission with that to peoples of 'deep speech and difficult language' (3:5-6), emphasizing that Israel's own language makes their prophetic responsibility greater. The term evokes not just foreign language but speech so profound or obscure as to be impenetrable. Multilingual glosses (Spanish 'profundo,' French 'profond') preserve the depth metaphor.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Deep or incomprehensible speech, language too obscure to understand. Isaiah 33:19 uses it for a foreign people whose speech is unintelligible. Ezekiel 3:5-6 contrasts 'deep of speech' peoples (whom the prophet is NOT sent to) with Israel who speaks comprehensible Hebrew. Proverbs 9:18 may use a related form for 'depths' of Sheol. The consistent application to incomprehensible language suggests depth as obscurity or impenetrability. 4×
AR["عَميقي", "عَمِيقَ", "فِي-أَعْمَاقِ"]·ben["গভীর", "গভীর-", "গভীরে"]·DE["[בעמקי]", "[עמקי]"]·EN["deep-of", "in-the-depths-of", "speech"]·FR["[עמקי]", "dans-בעמקי", "profond"]·heb["ב-עמקי", "עמוקי"]·HI["गहराइयों-में", "गहरे"]·ID["di-kedalaman", "yang-dalam", "yang-dalam-bibir"]·IT["[עמקי]", "in-in-il-depths-di"]·jav["ing-jero-saking", "jero", "jero-ing"]·KO["깊은", "깊은-", "깊은-곳-들-에"]·PT["nas-profundezas-de", "profundeza-de", "profundos-de"]·RU["в-глубинах", "глубоким", "глубокого-", "глубокому"]·ES["de-profundo", "en-profundidades-de", "profundos-de"]·SW["katika-vilindi-vya", "wa-kina-cha", "wa-lugha-ngumu", "ya-kina-cha"]·TR["derin", "derinliklerinde"]·urd["گہرائیوں-میں", "گہری", "گہرے"]
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
† [עָמֵק] adj. deep, unfathomable;—pl. cstr. עִמְקֵי שָׂפָה (Ges§ 93 ii) i.e. unintelligible of speech Is 33:19; Ez 3:5, 6.—Pr 9:18 v. עֹמֶק.