אָפִיק (a.phiq)
a.phiq
channel
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 8 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun aphiq refers to a channel, ravine, or dry riverbed that carries water only during rains. In the poetic books where it appears most often, such as Job and Psalms, it evokes the sudden, powerful rush of water through arid landscapes. This imagery captures both the beauty of natural provision and the unpredictability of life’s circumstances.
Lexical sources note a figurative use for "hollow bones," suggesting a structural emptiness or cavity that holds something. This physical detail enriches the metaphor: just as a wadi channels water, certain vessels in Scripture are described as holding God’s presence or wisdom. The word grounds abstract spiritual concepts in tangible geography.
Translators typically render aphiq as "stream," "channel," or "ravine" depending on context. In Job 40:23, it describes the mighty river that does not tremble before the behemoth, emphasizing stability amidst chaos. The term reminds readers that even in dry places, channels exist to direct life-giving flow.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word aphiq describes a dry riverbed or channel that only flows when rain arrives. In the arid landscapes of the ancient Near East, these valleys lay silent and empty for long seasons, waiting for the sky to open. This imagery offers a quiet comfort: even when life feels barren or stagnant, the capacity for renewal remains built into the landscape itself.
Scripture uses this physical reality to describe spiritual truths. In Job, friends are compared to these deceptive channels that vanish when thirst is greatest. Yet in other places, the same word points to God’s power to restore what was dried up. The channel does not create the water; it simply directs the flow that comes from above.
When you face seasons of waiting, remember that dryness is not always absence. It can be a period of preparation. The earth holds the promise of rain even when the sky is clear. Trust that the same God who controls the storms also knows where the water will go when it comes.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 8 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] channels of2×
- strong people1×
- like/ stream-beds1×
- like/ a stream-bed of1×
- channels/ its1×
- channels of1×
- [are] tubes of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֲפִ֣יקֵי2×
- כַּ/אֲפִיקִ֥ים1×
- כַּ/אֲפִ֖יק1×
- אֲפִיקָ֔י/ו1×
- אֲפִיקֵ֣י1×
- אֲפִיקִ֣ים1×
- אֲפִ֣קֵי1×
Key Verses
-
Job 6:15
My brothers have dealt deceitfully as a brook, as the channel of brooks that pass away;
This verse contrasts faithful endurance with false friends who appear helpful like a seasonal stream but disappear exactly when they are needed most.
-
Psalms 126:4
Restore our fortunes again, Yahweh, like the streams in the Negev.
The psalmist uses the image of streams filling dry channels to pray for a sudden and abundant restoration of joy after a time of sorrow.
-
Isaiah 8:7
now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them the mighty flood waters of the River: the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks.
Here the word describes how invading forces will overflow every channel, showing that human plans cannot contain the judgment God sends like a flood.