נָכֵה (na.kheh)
na.kheh
crippled
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew adjective nākeh describes someone who is crippled or maimed, specifically resulting from being struck or smitten. It appears in only three verses, primarily in II Samuel and Isaiah, where it characterizes individuals whose physical wholeness has been compromised by violence or injury.
Its root meaning relates to the act of striking, so the word carries the weight of cause alongside effect. In Isaiah 35:6, for instance, it is used in a promise that the lame will leap like a deer, highlighting a dramatic reversal where what was once broken becomes strong and mobile. The term does not merely denote a static condition of disability but implies a history of impact.
Translators often render nākeh as "crippled" or "lame," though these English words can sometimes feel clinical. The Hebrew original keeps the connection to the striking force visible, reminding readers that the state of being maimed is tied to an event of violence. This linguistic link adds depth to passages where healing is promised, as restoration means undoing the effects of that strike.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word nākeh describes a person who is crippled or maimed, often carrying the implicit memory of the strike that caused the injury. In the biblical narrative, this term appears in the story of Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, whose legs were injured during a chaotic flight from battle. This detail grounds the text in human vulnerability, showing how sudden violence can leave lasting physical marks on individuals and families.
Yet the scriptural trajectory does not end with the injury. In Isaiah 35:6, the prophet promises that the lame will leap like a deer, signaling a divine reversal where brokenness is transformed into strength. This progression from injury to restoration offers a profound hope: God sees the person behind the limitation and is committed to healing what was broken by the world’s violence.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- stricken of2×
- and/ a [person] stricken of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נְכֵ֥ה1×
- נְכֵ֣ה1×
- וּ/נְכֵה\־1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 4:4
Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news came about Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel; and his nurse picked him up and fled. As she hurried to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
This verse establishes the origin of Mephibosheth’s condition, linking his lameness directly to a traumatic event during flight.
-
II Samuel 9:3
The king said, “Is there not yet any of Saul’s house, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “Jonathan still has a son, who is lame in his feet.”
Here the word identifies Mephibosheth as a potential recipient of royal kindness, highlighting how physical disability intersected with political memory.
-
Isaiah 66:2
For my hand has made all these things, and so all these things came to be,” says Yahweh: “but I will look to this man, even to he who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.
While this verse does not use the specific word nākeh, it pairs the concept of being 'poor' and 'contrite' with divine favor, echoing the theme of God’s attention to those who are broken.