עָקֹב
(transitive) fraudulent or (intransitive) tracked
Definition
The Hebrew word עָקֹב (ʻâqôb) carries two primary meanings in the Old Testament. In its literal sense, it describes something physically uneven or rough, like a rugged, hilly landscape, as seen in Isaiah 40:4 where every 'crooked' place is made straight. In its figurative and more common sense, it describes moral and spiritual crookedness, specifically deceit, treachery, and moral pollution. This is powerfully applied to the human heart in Jeremiah 17:9, which declares it 'deceitful above all things,' and to a city's actions in Hosea 6:8, where Gilead is called a 'city of evildoers, tracked with blood.'
Biblical Usage
This noun appears only three times, but in significant contexts across prophetic literature. It is used to describe physical topography (Isaiah 40:4), the profound moral corruption of the human heart (Jeremiah 17:9), and the bloody, treacherous actions of a community (Hosea 6:8). Its usage consistently points to a deviation from what is right, straight, or pure, whether in the natural world or in human character and society.
Etymology
Derived from the root עָקַב (ʻāqav, H6117), which means 'to seize by the heel,' 'to supplant,' or 'to circumvent.' This root gives us the name Jacob (Yaʻaqov), who grasped his brother's heel at birth. The noun עָקֹב develops from this core idea of tripping up or deception, extending to mean 'crookedness' in a physical or moral sense. It denotes a state of being uneven, treacherous, or polluted.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it provides a profound diagnosis of the human condition. In Jeremiah 17:9, it encapsulates the Bible's teaching on the deceitfulness and deep corruption of the human heart apart from God's grace. Its use in Isaiah 40:4 also connects human moral crookedness to a broken creation, both of which are promised to be made straight in God's redemptive work. Understanding this term enriches the reading of these prophecies, highlighting the comprehensive nature of sin and the comprehensive scope of God's salvation.
In an ancient Near Eastern context, a 'crooked' or rugged path was not merely inconvenient but dangerous, associated with ambushes and hardship. Describing a person or city as 'crooked' (ʻâqôb) evoked strong imagery of unreliability and active treachery, akin to someone lying in wait to trip another. This contrasts with modern, softer uses of 'crooked' and points to a more active and malicious form of deceit.
עַוְלָה (ʻavlâ, H5766) — injustice, unrighteousness; focuses on perverting justice. רְמִיָּה (remiyyâ, H7423) — deceit, treachery; emphasizes slackness and guile. עִקֵּשׁ (ʻiqqêsh, H6141) — perverse, crooked; describes a twisted or distorted character.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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