נָקַף (na.qaph)
na.qaph
to strike; to surround
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 16 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb naqaph carries two distinct meanings that depend on its grammatical form. In the Piel stem, it means to strike or cut off, specifically referring to skin. This usage appears in Job 19:20, where Job describes his physical suffering by saying his bone clings to his skin and flesh, which has been struck away.
In the Qal and Hiphil stems, the word shifts to spatial movement, meaning to go around, surround, or encompass. This sense is prominent in Joshua 6:3-4, where the Israelites are commanded to march around the city of Jericho once a day for six days. It can also describe completing a circuit or making something round, as seen in Isaiah 40:22, which depicts God sitting above the circle of the earth.
These meanings likely stem from a common root idea of striking against a boundary or moving along an edge. The connection between striking off skin and surrounding a city lies in the concept of defining limits—one by removing what is outside, the other by enclosing what is inside. Translators usually render the first sense as "stripped" or "cut off," and the second as "surround" or "go around."
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
This word carries two distinct images that help us understand how God interacts with our lives. In one sense, it describes moving around something, like a perimeter. We see this in Joshua when Israel marches around Jericho. It reminds us that God often works through patient, repeated actions rather than sudden force. He surrounds His people with protection and His purposes unfold over time.
In another sense, the word refers to striking or cutting off, as Job describes his suffering. Here, it highlights the raw reality of pain when our skin is stripped away. Yet even in this harsh imagery, there is a promise. Job looks past the physical destruction to see God. This duality shows that whether we are being surrounded by grace or struck by hardship, God is present in both.
Understanding these meanings can bring comfort. When life feels like it is closing in, remember that God’s surrounding presence is often an act of care, not just confinement. And when pain feels sharp and stripping, look for the hope that lies beyond the immediate suffering, just as Job did.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 16 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you will round off1×
- you will encircle1×
- they surround1×
- they had gone round1×
- surrounding1×
- people have struck off1×
- let them go around1×
- it has gone around1×
- it encircled [it]1×
- he has closed1×
- and/ you will surround1×
- and/ they will surround1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תַקִּ֔פוּ1×
- נִקְּפוּ\־1×
- מַקִּפִ֥ים1×
- מַקִּיפִ֥ים1×
- יַקִּ֥יפוּ1×
- יִנְקֹֽפוּ\׃1×
- וַ/יַּקַּ֖ף1×
- וַ/יַּקִּ֖פוּ1×
- וְ/נִקַּ֛ף1×
- וְ/הִקַּפְתֶּ֨ם1×
- וְ/הִקִּיפוּ֩1×
- הַקֵּ֥יף1×
Key Verses
-
Joshua 6:3
All of your men of war shall march around the city, going around the city once. You shall do this six days.
This verse establishes the spatial meaning of the word, showing how obedience to a specific pattern of movement leads to divine intervention.
-
Psalms 17:9
from the wicked who oppress me, my deadly enemies, who surround me.
The psalmist uses this term to describe enemies surrounding him, illustrating how the word can denote both threat and the need for divine protection.
-
Leviticus 19:27
“‘You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your head or clip off the edge of your beard.
This verse uses the word in the context of cutting off hair, linking the idea of striking or removing to specific cultural and religious boundaries.