עָקַל (a.qal)
a.qal
to twist
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb a.qal carries the basic sense of bending or twisting something out of its natural shape. In the Bible, it appears only once, in Habakkuk 1:4, where it describes a legal system that has become distorted. The text uses the passive form to say that justice is "twisted" or "crooked," suggesting that the law itself has been warped by those who administer it.
This single usage gives the word significant weight. It does not describe minor errors but a fundamental bending of integrity. When Habakkuk laments that the law is paralyzed and justice never goes forth, he uses this verb to show how fairness has been physically manipulated, like a straight rod bent into a curve. The image is one of structural failure rather than simple mistake.
Translators typically render this as "twisted" or "perverted," capturing the idea that what should be straight and true has been forced into an unnatural position. The word reminds readers that justice requires a firm, unbending standard, and when that standard is bent by human power, the result is chaos.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word עָקַל describes a twisting of what was originally straight. In Habakkuk 1:4, it paints a picture of justice being bent by human hands until it no longer serves the people it should protect. This is not a small error but a deep distortion of integrity. When we see fairness manipulated for power or personal gain, the result is confusion and pain for everyone involved.
It is easy to feel discouraged when systems seem broken or when truth appears warped by those in charge. Yet this word reminds us that justice has a standard that should remain firm and unbending. Even when circumstances look dark, we can trust that God sees the distortion and cares about fairness. We are invited to seek integrity in our own lives, standing for what is right even when it is hard.
This single usage carries great weight because it shows how serious bending the truth really is. It calls us to value honesty and to reject shortcuts that compromise our values. In a world where fairness can feel distant, we find hope in knowing that God upholds justice. May we walk in integrity, trusting in His perfect standard.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- perverted1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מְעֻקָּֽל\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Habakkuk 1:4
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice comes out perverted.
This verse uses the passive form to show that justice has been actively bent by human hands, resulting in a system where the wicked surround the righteous.