תָּקַע (ta.qa)
ta.qa
to blow
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 56 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb taqa means to strike, thrust, or sound with force. Its core image is the sharp impact of one object against another, whether that is a hand clapping, a nail being driven into wood, or air rushing through a horn. In the Old Testament, this word captures both physical violence and ceremonial signaling, linking the act of striking with the resulting noise.
Its usage ranges widely depending on context. It describes Gideon’s soldiers blowing trumpets to signal attack (Judges 7:20) and Sisera’s mother hearing the "sound" of chariots as a signal of impending return (Judges 5:9). Conversely, it depicts Jael driving a tent peg into Sisera’s temple (Judges 4:21) or Joab striking down Abner with a spear (2 Samuel 3:27). The word also appears in legal contexts where one claps hands to pledge surety for another (Proverbs 6:3).
A notable feature of taqa is its connection to communal identity through sound. When trumpets are blown, the noise serves as a divine alarm or a call to assembly. This sonic function contrasts with its physical use in driving nails or thrusting weapons, yet both rely on the same root concept of forceful impact. The word reminds readers that in ancient Israel, sound was often the direct result of decisive action.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word taqa describes a forceful impact that creates sound or movement. It covers actions as different as driving a tent peg into wood and blowing a ram’s horn to signal an army. In ancient Israel, this sharp noise was not just background noise; it was a command. When priests blew the trumpets at Jericho, the sound marked God’s decisive intervention in history.
For your faith, this word reminds us that God often speaks through clear, unmistakable signals. Whether He is calling His people to gather for worship or to move forward into battle, His voice carries authority. We can trust that when He calls, He provides the strength to respond. The same power that shook the walls of Jericho is available to those who listen.
This concept invites us to pay attention to the rhythms of our spiritual lives. Just as the trumpets marked specific moments for assembly or action, we are called to be attentive to God’s leading. His calls are never ambiguous, and they always point toward His purposes for His people.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 56 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ they gave a blast7×
- and/ he gave a blast6×
- and/ you will give a blast5×
- they will give a blast4×
- blow4×
- they fixed2×
- give a blast on2×
- and/ giving blasts2×
- and/ [was] giving a blast2×
- you will give a blast1×
- you have struck1×
- will he strike himself1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יִתְקְע֖וּ3×
- וַֽ/יִּתְקְעוּ֙3×
- וְ/תָקְע֖וּ3×
- תִּקְע֨וּ2×
- תִּקְע֥וּ2×
- וַ/יִּתְקַע֙2×
- וַ/יִּתְקַ֤ע2×
- וְ/תָק֥וֹעַ2×
- תּוֹקֵ֣עַ1×
- תֹּקְעֵ֖י1×
- תָּקַ֨ע1×
- תָּקַ֥ע1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 10:3
When they blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
This verse establishes the primary function of blowing the trumpet as a signal for the entire congregation to gather at the Tent of Meeting.
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Joshua 6:20
So the people shouted and the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city.
Here the blowing of trumpets accompanies the shout that causes the walls of Jericho to fall, showing the word’s link to divine victory.
-
Judges 7:20
The three companies blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow; and they shouted, “The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon!”
Gideon’s soldiers blow trumpets as part of a strategic attack, demonstrating how the sound serves as a call to military action.
-
Judges 4:21
Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground, for he was in a deep sleep; so he fainted and died.
This rare physical usage describes Jael striking a tent peg with a hammer, highlighting the word’s root meaning of forceful impact.