Lexical Definition

‎נָקָה‎ nâqâh (naw-kaw') to clear ^H:V
a primitive root

acquit [idiom] at all, [idiom] altogether, be blameless, cleanse, (be) clear(-ing), cut off, be desolate, be free, be (hold) guiltless, be (hold) innocent, [idiom] by no means, be quit, be (leave) unpunished, [idiom] utterly, [idiom] wholly.

• to be (or make) clean (literally or figuratively)
• by implication (in an adverse sense) to be bare, i.e. extirpated

1) to be empty, be clear, be pure, be free, be innocent, be desolate, be cut off
1a) (Qal) to be empty, be clean, be pure
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be cleaned out, be purged out
1b2) to be clean, be free from guilt, be innocent
1b3) to be free, be exempt from punishment
1b4) to be free, be exempt from obligation
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to hold innocent, acquit
1c2) to leave unpunished

See Greek: ἄθωος · ἄθωος · ἐάω · ἐκζητέω · καθαρίζω · καθαρισμός · καθαρός · καταλείπω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[‎נָקָה‎] verb be empty(?), clean ( Niph`al Imperfect ‎ינקה‎ be unpunished, so Eccl 40:15; Eccl 31:5 = Prov 28:20 Late Hebrew Pi`el = Biblical Hebrew; Aramaic ‎נְקָא‎ Pa`el = Biblical Hebrew, adjective ‎נְקֵא‎ clean; Phoenician ‎נקי‎ adjective pure; Palmyrene ‎נקא‎ be clean (perhaps) in proper name Sachau<sup>ZMG xxxv (1881), 735</sup> Lzb<sup>325</sup>; Assyrian nâkû, pour out, pour libation, make offering, nikû, libation, offering; Old Aramaic ‎נקיה‎ perhaps = ‎נוּקָיָה‎ libation (Lzb<sup>326</sup>), compare Syriac Cook<sup>83</sup>; Syriac Pa`el pour out, make a libation; on the other hand, Arabic purus, mundus fuit Kam Frey; II. cleanse, etc., Lane³⁰³⁷. — Original meaning probably empty out, hence pour and be empty, clean); **‎ᵑ7‎ ‎נְקָא‎ Pa`el = cleanse (with lye) Isa 1:25 adjective ‎נְקֵא‎ clean of bread or fruit Gen 40:16 ‎ᵑ7‎^{J i}, Deut 6:3 ‎ᵑ7‎^{J ii}, = exempt (Biblical Hebrew ‎נָקִי‎) 1Kgs 15:22. —

Qal Infinitive absolute ‎נָקֹה‎ Jer 49:12 (‎נָקֹה תִּנָּקֶה‎, probably error for ‎׳‎‎הנקה ת‎, compare Jer 25:29).

Niph`al Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎נִקָּה‎ Zech 5:3 + 5 t.; feminine ‎נִקְּתָה‎ Num 5:28 ‎נִקָּ֑תָה‎ Isa 3:26 2 masculine singular ‎נִקֵּיתָ‎ Gen 24:8 1 singular ‎נִקֵּיתִי‎ Judg 15:3 + 2 t.; Imperfect ‎יִנָקֶה‎ Prov 6:29 + 6 t.; 2 masculine singular ‎תִּנָּקֶה‎ Gen 24:41 + 2 t.; plural ‎תִּנָּקוּ‎ Jer 25:29 (twice in verse); Imperative ‎הִנָּקֹי‎ Num 5:19 Infinitive ‎הִנָּקִה‎ Jer 25:29 —

1. be cleaned out, of a plundered city Isa 3:26 purged out, of liars and perjurers Zech 5:3 (twice in verse).

2. be clean, free from guilt, innocent, Jer 2:35 with ‎מִן‎, ‎מִפֶּשַׁע‎ Ps 19:14* ‎מֵעָוֺן‎ Num 5:31(P); ‎מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים‎ from (at the hands of) the Philistines Judg 15:3.

3. be free, exempt from punishment, absolute Exod 21:19 (E) Num 5:28 (P) 1Sam 26:9 ‎לֹא יִנָּקֶה‎ Prov 6:29; Prov 11:21; Prov 16:5; Prov 17:5; Prov 19:5; Prov 19:9; Prov 28:20; Jer 25:29 (3 t. in verse); Jer 49:12 b, ‎נָקֹה תִּנָּקֶה‎ vJer 49:12 a.

4. free, exempt from obligation, with ‎מִן‎, from oaths Gen 24:8; Gen 24:41 (J); ‎מִמֵּי הַמָּרִים‎ from effects of drinking the bitter water Num 5:19 (P).

Piel Perfect 1 singular ‎נִקֵּיתִי‎ Josh 4:21 (ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ‎נִקַּמְתִּי‎; so Now SS Buhl); Imperfect 3 masculine singular ‎יְנַקֶּה‎ Exod 20:7 + 2 t.; ‎יְנַקֵּ֑ה‎ Num 14:18; Nah 1:3 2 masculine singular suffix ‎תְּנַקֵּנִי‎ Job 9:28; Job 10:14 ‎תְּנַקֵּהוּ‎ 1Kgs 2:9 1 singular suffix ‎אֲנַקֶּ֑ךָּ‎ Jer 30:11; Jer 46:28 Imperative suffix ‎נַקֵּנִי‎ Ps 19:13* Infinitive absolute ‎נַקֵּה‎ Exod 34:7 + 4 t.; —

1.. hold innocent, acquit, Job 9:28 ‎מֵעֲוֺנִי‎ Job 10:4 ‎מִנִּסְתּרוֺת‎ Ps 19:13*.

2. leave unpunished: of man, with accusative 1Kgs 2:9 elsewhere of God: absolute ‎נַקֵּה לאֹ יְנַקֶּה‎ Exod 34:7 (twice in verse) = Num 14:18 (twice in verse) (all J) = Nah 1:3 (twice in verse); with accusative ‎לאֹ יְנַקֶּה‎ Exod 20:7 = Deut 5:11 ‎נַקֵּה לאֹ אֲנַקֶּךָּ‎ Jer 30:11 (twice in verse) = Jer 46:28 (twice in verse), compare Joel 4:21* (twice in verse) (but see above).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References