H6119 H6119
The heel of the foot; by extension a footprint, track, or hoof; figuratively the rear guard of an army
Beginning with the literal heel — the body part Jacob famously grasped at birth (Gen 25:26) — this word extends naturally into the marks a heel leaves behind: footprints and tracks. The psalmist marvels that God's footsteps (ʿiqqĕvôt) through the sea left no trace (Ps 77:19), while the beloved in Song of Songs is told to follow the tracks of the flock (1:8). Spanish 'talón/calcáñar' preserves the anatomical sense, while 'huellas/pisadas' captures the metaphorical footprint meaning. One military usage in Joshua 8:13 denotes the rear guard of Israel's ambush force.
Senses
1. heel (body part) — The literal heel of a human foot. Genesis 25:26 describes Jacob's hand gripping Esau's heel at birth — the very act that gave him his name. In Genesis 3:15, the serpent strikes at the woman's seed's heel, and in Job 18:9 a trap seizes the wicked by the heel. German 'an der Ferse' and Spanish 'calcáñar/talón' both denote the anatomical heel specifically. 8×
AR["بِ-عَقِبِهِ", "بِعَقِبِ", "عَقِبًا", "عَقِبَهُ", "عَقِبَيَّ", "عَقِبَيْ-", "عَقِبَيْكِ"]·ben["-গোড়ালিতে", "আমার-পদচিহ্ন", "গোড়ালি", "গোড়ালি-", "গোড়ালি-তোমার", "গোড়ালিতে"]·DE["[בעקב]", "[עקביך]", "an-der-Ferse", "der-heel", "die-Ferse", "die-Fersen", "mein-heels"]·EN["by-the-heel", "heel", "heels-of-", "my-heels", "on-the-heel-of", "the-heel", "your-heels"]·FR["[עקביך]", "dans-trace", "heels-de-", "sur-le-talon-de", "talon"]·heb["ב-עקב", "עקב", "עקבי", "עקבי-", "עקביך"]·HI["एड़ी", "एड़ी-पर", "एड़ी-में", "को-एड़ियों-", "तेरी-एड़ियां", "मेरे-कदमों-को"]·ID["tumit", "tumit-kakimu", "tumitnya"]·IT["[עקביך]", "heel", "heels-di-", "in-da-il-heel", "su-il-heel-di", "tallone"]·jav["ing-tumit", "ing-tungkakipun", "sami-nggrisakaken", "tungkak", "tungkak-nipun", "tungkak-panjenengan"]·KO["나-의-발꼈치-들-을", "네-발꾼치가", "발꼼치-를", "발꾸치", "발꾼치들을-", "발꾼치를", "발꾼치에", "에-발꾸치"]·PT["calcanhar", "calcanhares-de", "em-calcanhar-de", "meus-passos", "o-calcanhar", "pelo-calcanhar", "teus-calcanhares."]·RU["за-пяту", "на-пятку", "пятки-", "пяту", "пяты-мои", "пяты-твои"]·ES["calcáñar", "en-talón-de", "mis-talones", "por-el-talón", "talones-de", "talones-tuyos", "talón"]·SW["kamba-yake", "kisigino", "kisigino-chake", "nyayo-zangu", "tumbo-lako", "visigino-vyako"]·TR["Esav'ın", "adımlarımı", "topuk", "topukların", "topuklarına", "topuklarını-", "topukta", "topukunu"]·urd["ایڑی", "ایڑی-میں", "ایڑی-پر", "ایڑیوں", "تیری-ایڑیاں", "قَدم-میرے"]
2. footprint, track, footstep — A metaphorical extension from the heel to the impression it leaves: footprints, tracks, or traces. Psalm 77:19 celebrates that God's footsteps through the Red Sea were unknowable, while Psalm 89:51 speaks of enemies mocking the footsteps of God's anointed. Spanish 'huellas' (traces) and 'pisadas' (footsteps) and French 'traces' all confirm this figurative reading. 3×
AR["آثَارَ", "بِ-عِقْبَي", "وَآثَارُكَ"]·ben["-পদচিহ্নে", "এবং-তোমার-পদচিহ্নগুলি", "পদচিহ্নগুলি"]·DE["[בעקבי]", "der-footsteps-von", "und-dein-footprints"]·EN["and-Your-footprints", "in-tracks-of", "the-footsteps-of"]·FR["et-talon", "sur-les-traces", "talon"]·heb["ב-עקבי", "ו-עיקבותיך", "עקבות"]·HI["पदचिह्नों", "पदचिह्नों-पर", "वे-इक्केवोतेखा"]·ID["dan-jejak-jejak-Mu", "langkah-langkah", "mengikuti-jejak"]·IT["e-tallone", "in-in-tracks-of", "tallone"]·jav["ing-tapaking-suku", "lampah-lampahipun", "saha-tapak-Panjenengan"]·KO["당신-의-발자취들-이", "발자국들-에서", "발자취들-을"]·PT["e-tuas-pegadas", "os-passos-de", "pelos-rastros-de"]·RU["и-следы-Твои", "по-следам", "следы"]·ES["en-las-huellas-de", "pisadas-de", "y-huellas-de-ti"]·SW["na-nyayo-zako", "nyayo", "nyayo-za"]·TR["adımlarına", "izlerinde", "ve-ayak-izlerin"]·urd["اور-تیرے-نقشِ-قدم", "قدموں", "قدموں-پر"]
3. hoof (of animal) — Applied to animal anatomy — the hooves of horses thundering in battle. Judges 5:22 uses the plural to describe galloping hoofbeats ('then the horse-hoofs pounded'). Spanish 'cascos' (hooves) precisely matches this zoological extension from human heel to equine hoof. 1×
AR["حَوافِرُ-"]·ben["খুরগুলি-"]·DE["-der-hoofs-von-"]·EN["-the-hoofs-of-"]·FR["-le-hoofs-de-"]·heb["עקבי"]·HI["खुरों"]·ID["telapak-kaki"]·IT["-il-hoofs-di-"]·jav["tracak"]·KO["발굽들-"]·PT["cascos-de-"]·RU["копыта-"]·ES["cascos-de"]·SW["kwato-za-"]·TR["toynak-"]·urd["کھر"]
4. rear guard, rear portion — A figurative military usage in Joshua 8:13 denoting the rear guard or hindmost portion of an army formation — the 'heel' of the marching column. Spanish 'retaguardia' (rear guard) and English 'rear guard' make the spatial-military metaphor explicit: the last part of the body becomes the last part of the army. 1×
AR["عَقِبِهِ"]·ben["তার-পেছনের-সৈন্য"]·DE["sein-rear-bewachen"]·EN["its-rear-guard"]·FR["son-rear-garder"]·heb["עקבו"]·HI["पिछले-भाग-को-उसके"]·ID["pengawalnya"]·IT["suo-rear-guard"]·jav["buntut-ipun"]·KO["그-뒤쪽을"]·PT["sua-retaguarda"]·RU["арьергард-его"]·ES["su-retaguardia"]·SW["walinzi-wake"]·TR["artçısını"]·urd["پچھیل-اُس-کے"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)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×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. עָקֵב n.m. heel, footprint, hinderpart (Arabic عَقِبٌ heel, fig. end (of a month), عِقْبَةٌ mark, sign, trace; Aramaic עִקְבָּא, ܥܩܶܒ heel, footprint, fig. trace, mark (cf. Wsd 2:4 𝔖, Ecclus 13:26 ℌ 𝔖), also end, extremity);—ע׳ abs. Gn 3:15 +, cstr. עֲקֵב 25:26, pl. cstr. עִקְבֵי Ct 1:8, עִקְּבֵי Gn 49:17; Ju 5:22, עִקְּבוֹת ψ 77:20; 89:52, etc.;— a. heel, of man, Gn 25:26 וְיָדוֹ אֹחֶזֶת…