עָקַר (a.qar)
a.qar
to uproot; to hamstring
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The verb `aqar` describes the violent removal of something from its foundation. In its basic Qal form, it means to pluck up or root out, evoking the image of tearing a plant from the soil so completely that no part remains to regrow. This sense of total eradication appears in Ecclesiastes 3:2, where "tearing down" is paired with planting, highlighting destruction as the opposite of construction.
A more specific and striking usage occurs in the Piel stem, meaning to hamstring. Here, the action targets an animal’s sinew to disable it permanently. This physical crippling appears in Joshua 11:6 and 9, where God commands Israel to hamstring enemy horses, stripping them of their mobility and power. The word thus shifts from removing a plant to neutralizing a war machine.
The theological weight of `aqar` lies in its finality. Whether applied to vegetation in Zephaniah 2:4 or military strength in Samuel, the result is absolute helplessness. Translators often render it as "uproot" or "cut off," but the Hebrew carries a visceral sense of severing the source of life or motion. It is not merely displacement; it is the removal of capacity.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word aqar paints a vivid picture of total removal. In its most common sense, it describes pulling a plant from the ground so completely that no roots remain to grow again. This imagery appears in Ecclesiastes 3:2, where tearing down is paired with planting. It reminds us that life has seasons of building and seasons of ending. What is uprooted here does not simply move; it ceases to function as it once did.
Sometimes this word carries a harsher meaning. In Joshua 11, God commands the Israelites to hamstring enemy horses. This was not just defeat; it was the permanent disabling of their power. By cutting the sinews, the horses could no longer run or fight. The message is clear: human strength can be stripped away so that only God remains in control. When our own foundations feel shaken, we can trust that God knows how to remove what hinders us.
This finality offers comfort. We do not need to worry about maintaining power or status when God holds the plow. He removes what is harmful and preserves what is good. Whether it is a bad habit or a source of pride, God’s work in our lives is thorough. He does not just trim the branches; He deals with the roots. This gives us peace, knowing that true stability comes from Him alone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ he hamstrung2×
- you will hamstring1×
- to/ pluck up1×
- they hamstrung1×
- it will be plucked up1×
- he hamstrung1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וַ/יְעַקֵּ֤ר2×
- תֵּעָקֵֽר\׃\ \ס1×
- תְּעַקֵּ֔ר1×
- עִקֵּ֔ר1×
- עִקְּרוּ\־1×
- לַ/עֲק֥וֹר1×
Key Verses
-
Ecclesiastes 3:2
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
This verse pairs plucking up with planting to show that destruction is a necessary part of God's appointed seasons for life.
-
Joshua 11:6
Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid because of them; for tomorrow at this time, I will deliver them up all slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”
Here the word shifts from agriculture to warfare, showing how God disables enemy strength to ensure Israel relies on Him rather than military power.
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Genesis 49:6
My soul, don’t come into their council. My glory, don’t be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.
Jacob uses this term to condemn the violent cruelty of his sons, who hamstrung cattle in their anger, highlighting the sin of wanton destruction.