נָהַק (na.haq)
na.haq
to bray
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb nahaq describes the loud, harsh cry of a donkey. It is not a gentle sound but a distinct call used for communication or distress. In the Bible, this word appears only twice, both in the book of Job, where it serves as a vivid image rather than a literal description of animal husbandry.
Job uses this term to illustrate the nature of wild creatures and their relationship with God’s provision. He asks if the wild donkey will cry out (nahaq) when it finds good pasture, implying that such animals do not respond to human commands or kindness in the way domesticated ones do. The word captures a raw, untamed voice that belongs to the wilderness.
This rare usage highlights the contrast between the controlled world of humans and the free, unpredictable world of nature. By choosing this specific sound, Job emphasizes that even the wildest parts of creation operate under God’s sovereignty, yet remain beyond human control. The bray stands as a symbol of independence and wildness in a text deeply concerned with order and chaos.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word nahaq describes the harsh, loud cry of a donkey. It is not a gentle sound but a distinct call used for communication or distress. In the Bible, this word appears only twice, both in the book of Job, where it serves as a vivid image rather than a literal description of animal husbandry.
Job uses this term to illustrate the nature of wild creatures and their relationship with God’s provision. He asks if the wild donkey will cry out when it finds good pasture, implying that such animals do not respond to human commands or kindness in the way domesticated ones do. The word captures a raw, untamed voice that belongs to the wilderness.
This rare usage highlights the contrast between the controlled world of humans and the free, unpredictable world of nature. By choosing this specific sound, Job emphasizes that even the wildest parts of creation operate under God’s sovereignty, yet remain beyond human control. The bray stands as a symbol of independence and wildness in a text deeply concerned with order and chaos.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- ¿/ does it bray1×
- they bray1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יִנְהָ֑קוּ1×
- הֲ/יִֽנְהַק\־1×
Key Verses
-
Job 6:5
Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?
This verse uses the word to argue that wild donkeys do not cry out for help when they have sufficient food, illustrating Job's point that his suffering is not a natural reaction to lack but a divine trial.
-
Job 30:7
They bray among the bushes. They are gathered together under the nettles.
Here the term describes the outcasts who hide among bushes and nettles, using the harsh cry of the donkey to depict their desperate, marginalized state in contrast to Job's former honor.