מַעֲקָשׁ (ma.a.qash)
ma.a.qash
crooked place
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun ma‘aqash refers to a twisted or crooked place. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Isaiah 42:16. The prophet uses this rare word to describe difficult terrain that is not straight or easy to navigate.
Its root suggests twisting or bending. In Isaiah’s vision, God promises to lead blind people along paths they cannot see. He will turn dark places into light and rough ground into level land. This specific term highlights the obstacle itself—the twisted path that seems impassable.
Translators often render it as "crooked places" or "twisted paths." The image is concrete: a road that winds, kinks, or breaks apart. Isaiah uses it to show that God’s guidance does not just remove obstacles but transforms the very nature of the journey. What looks like a dead end becomes a way forward.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Life often feels like a path that twists in unexpected directions. We plan our steps carefully, yet sudden turns or steep inclines can leave us feeling lost and unsure of what lies ahead. The Hebrew word ma‘aqash describes exactly this kind of terrain—a place that is crooked, twisted, or difficult to navigate. It captures the frustration of trying to move forward when the way seems blocked or confusing.
Isaiah 42:16 offers a profound promise for those moments. God does not simply remove the obstacles; He transforms the very nature of the journey. What appears to be an impassable crooked place becomes straight ground under His guidance. This means that even when you cannot see the end of your struggle, You are leading you through it with purpose.
This assurance brings deep comfort. You do not need to have perfect vision or a clear map to trust this promise. The same God who turns darkness into light is present in the twists and turns of your life. He does not forsake you when the path gets rough; instead, He makes a way where there seems to be none.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ rough places1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/מַֽעֲקַשִּׁים֙1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 42:16
I will bring the blind by a way that they don’t know. I will lead them in paths that they don’t know. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. I will do these things, and I will not forsake them.
This verse uniquely uses ma‘aqash to show God actively transforming difficult terrain into straight paths for those who are blind or lost.