עָמֹק (a.moq)
a.moq
deep
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 14 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew word amoq describes something profound, vast, or hidden from view. It appears fourteen times in the Old Testament, primarily in poetic books like Job and Proverbs, to convey a sense of depth that is difficult to measure or understand. Rather than referring only to physical water, it often points to abstract qualities such as wisdom, suffering, or the nature of God.
Its range extends from literal depths to metaphorical mystery. In Proverbs 30:18-19, for example, the text lists things too deep to comprehend, including the way a man with a maiden behaves. This usage highlights how amoq captures ideas that are unsearchable or beyond human grasp, emphasizing limits in human understanding.
The word’s etymology suggests a root meaning "to be deep," which reinforces its theological weight. Translators often render it as "deep" or "profound," depending on context. Its frequent appearance in wisdom literature underscores a recurring biblical theme: some realities of life and faith remain mysterious, inviting humility rather than full comprehension.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word amoq describes something profound, vast, or hidden from view. It appears fourteen times in the Old Testament, primarily in poetic books like Job and Proverbs, to convey a sense of depth that is difficult to measure or understand. Rather than referring only to physical water, it often points to abstract qualities such as wisdom, suffering, or the nature of God.
In Proverbs 30:18-19, for example, the text lists things too deep to comprehend, including the way a man with a maiden behaves. This usage highlights how amoq captures ideas that are unsearchable or beyond human grasp, emphasizing limits in human understanding. The word’s etymology suggests a root meaning "to be deep," which reinforces its theological weight.
Translators often render it as "deep" or "profound," depending on context. Its frequent appearance in wisdom literature underscores a recurring biblical theme: some realities of life and faith remain mysterious, inviting humility rather than full comprehension.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 14 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- deep6×
- [is] deep6×
- unfathomable [things]1×
- and/ deep1×
- and/ [is] deep1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עָמֹ֣ק3×
- עָמֹ֖ק3×
- עֲ֭מֻקִּים2×
- עָמֹק֙1×
- עֲמֻקָּ֥ה1×
- עֲמֻקָּ֣ה1×
- עֲ֭מֻקוֹת1×
- עֲ֭מֻקָּה1×
- וְ/עָמֹק֙1×
- וְ/עָמֹ֥ק\׀1×
Key Verses
-
Job 11:8
They are high as heaven. What can you do? They are deeper than Sheol. What can you know?
This verse uses the word to describe God's wisdom as deeper than Sheol, highlighting human inability to fully comprehend divine knowledge.
-
Proverbs 20:5
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
Here, counsel in the heart is compared to deep water, illustrating that true insight requires effort and discernment to access.
-
Ecclesiastes 7:24
That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
The Preacher describes reality as exceedingly deep, reinforcing the theme that human understanding has inherent limits.
-
Proverbs 18:4
The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
Words are likened to deep waters, suggesting that speech can contain profound wisdom or hidden depths.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word amoq mean?
How is amoq different from other words for depth?
Where does amoq appear in the Bible?
Every Occurrence (14 verses across 4 books)
Leviticus 7 verses
The priest shall examine the plague in the skin of the body. If the hair in the plague has turned white, and the…
Leviticus 13:4If the bright spot is white in the skin of his body, and its appearance isn’t deeper than the skin, and its hair hasn’t…
Leviticus 13:25then the priest shall examine it; and behold, if the hair in the bright spot has turned white, and its appearance is…
Leviticus 13:30then the priest shall examine the plague; and behold, if its appearance is deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is…
Leviticus 13:31If the priest examines the plague of itching, and behold, its appearance isn’t deeper than the skin, and there is no…
Leviticus 13:32On the seventh day the priest shall examine the plague; and behold, if the itch hasn’t spread, and there is no yellow…
Leviticus 13:34On the seventh day, the priest shall examine the itch; and behold, if the itch hasn’t spread in the skin, and its…