זָעַךְ (za.akh)
za.akh
to extinguish
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb zaakh means to go out or be extinguished, describing the final end of a light or flame. In Scripture, it appears only once, in Job 17:1, where Job laments that his eyes are dim and his thoughts are darkened like a lamp running out of oil.
This single occurrence carries heavy emotional weight. Job uses the image not just to describe physical weakness, but to express the feeling of being completely cut off from hope and divine presence. The word captures the quiet, inevitable fading of life’s energy when suffering becomes overwhelming.
Because it is so rare, zaakh does not have a broad range of meanings in biblical theology. It stands as a stark, poetic marker for total depletion. Translators often render it as "extinguished" or "gone out," preserving the sense of something vital that has simply ceased to burn.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When life feels like a lamp running out of oil, you are not alone in that darkness. The word zaakh describes this quiet fading, where strength and hope seem to vanish without warning. Job used it to express his deepest despair, feeling cut off from light and divine presence. It is a honest way to name the exhaustion that comes with prolonged suffering.
This rare Hebrew verb reminds us that even in our weakest moments, our feelings are valid before God. He does not ask you to pretend you are strong when you feel extinguished. Instead, He invites you to bring your dimmed spirit to Him. Your weariness is seen, and your pain is known.
There is hope in the fact that this darkness is not the final word. While the flame may seem gone, God’s light does not depend on our own energy. We can rest in the promise that He sustains us even when we have nothing left to give. May you find peace in knowing you are held, even in the dark.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they are extinguished1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נִזְעָ֗כוּ1×
Key Verses
-
Job 17:1
“My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct and the grave is ready for me.
This verse uses zaakh to describe Job's spirit as consumed and days as extinct, capturing the total depletion of hope and vitality he experienced.