נָקִיק (na.qiq)
na.qiq
cleft
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun naqiq describes a narrow opening or fissure in solid stone, specifically a cleft or crevice. It appears only three times in the Old Testament, with two occurrences in Jeremiah and one in Isaiah. The word paints a vivid picture of natural rock formations where hard surfaces are split apart.
In these biblical contexts, naqiq serves as a place of refuge. When prophets describe people hiding in the clefts of rocks, they depict a desperate attempt to find shelter from danger or divine judgment. This usage highlights the vulnerability of human beings seeking protection in physical places rather than in God.
The term underscores the contrast between the permanence of stone and the fragility of human safety. While rock offers a tangible hiding spot, the biblical narrative often suggests that true security is found elsewhere. The word itself remains simple and concrete, referring strictly to the geological feature without additional metaphorical layers.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word naqiq refers to a narrow fissure or crevice in solid rock. In the Old Testament, it appears only three times, always describing a place where people hide from danger. These clefts represent desperate attempts to find shelter when all other options have failed. The imagery is stark and concrete, highlighting human vulnerability against overwhelming threats.
When prophets describe hiding in these rocky gaps, they show the limits of physical safety. Stone offers no real protection from divine judgment or impending disaster. The Bible uses this picture to point toward a deeper truth: true security cannot be found in fragile earthly refuges. Instead, it invites us to trust in God alone, who provides lasting peace beyond any temporary hiding place.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in/ [the] cleft of1×
- and/ in/ [the] clefts of1×
- and/ from/ [the] clefts of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/מִ/נְּקִיקֵ֖י1×
- וּ/בִ/נְקִיקֵ֖י1×
- בִּ/נְקִ֥יק1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 13:4
“Take the belt that you have bought, which is on your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.”
This verse commands hiding the belt in a cleft of the rock, using the physical crevice as part of a prophetic sign about Judah's pride becoming useless.
-
Jeremiah 16:16
“Behold, I will send for many fishermen,” says Yahweh, “and they will fish them up. Afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain, from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.
Here, hunters are sent to drag people out from every cleft of the rocks, showing that no hidden place can escape God’s judgment.
-
Isaiah 7:19
They shall come, and shall all rest in the desolate valleys, in the clefts of the rocks, on all thorn hedges, and on all pastures.
The clefts of the rocks are listed among desolate valleys where invaders will rest, illustrating the complete devastation and lack of safe refuge for the land.