יָקַע (ya.qa)
ya.qa
to dislocate/hang
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb yaqaa primarily describes a physical dislocation or being torn away from one’s normal place. In its most famous instance, it appears in Genesis 32:25 when Jacob’s hip socket is injured during his struggle with the angel, leaving him limping for the rest of his life. This concrete image of bodily disruption underpins the word’s broader sense of alienation or separation.
In later biblical usage, particularly in Samuel and Jeremiah, the term shifts to describe a specific form of execution. The sources indicate it refers to hanging bodies on poles or stakes, often as a public display of shame or divine judgment. This method of slow exposure served as a severe deterrent, marking the individual as cut off from the community and the land.
The connection between physical injury and social exclusion is significant here. Just as Jacob’s dislocated hip marked him physically, the act of hanging in these legal contexts marked someone socially and spiritually alienated. Translators typically render this as "hang" or "impale," capturing the finality of a body removed from the earth and left exposed.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When Jacob wrestled with God in Genesis 32, his hip was dislocated. This injury marked him for life, yet it also marked a turning point where he became Israel. The Hebrew word yaqaa captures this physical breaking that leads to spiritual transformation. It reminds us that our weaknesses are not failures but places where we meet the divine.
In other parts of Scripture, the same word describes hanging bodies as a sign of shame or judgment. This stark image shows how separation from God affects our standing in the community. Yet even here, the text points to the seriousness of sin and the cost of reconciliation. We see that being cut off is not the final word for those who seek God.
For your faith, this word invites honesty about your struggles. Whether you feel physically broken or socially alienated, God sees you. The same God who touched Jacob’s hip can restore your spirit. You are never beyond the reach of grace, even when life leaves you limping.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ impaled [men]1×
- it should be alienated1×
- and/ we will impale/ them1×
- and/ they impaled/ them1×
- and/ impale1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תֵּקַ֥ע1×
- וַ/יֹּקִיעֻ֤/ם1×
- וְ/הוֹקַֽעֲנוּ/ם֙1×
- וְ/הוֹקַ֥ע1×
- הַ/מּוּקָעִֽים\׃1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 21:9
He delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites; and they hanged them on the mountain before Yahweh, and all seven of them fell together. They were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.
Here the word describes the execution of Saul’s sons, illustrating its use for public shame and divine judgment on the land.
-
Jeremiah 6:8
Be instructed, Jerusalem, lest my soul be alienated from you, lest I make you a desolation, an uninhabited land.”
Jeremiah uses a related form to express God’s soul being alienated from Jerusalem, linking physical hanging to spiritual separation.