Language Studies

Hebrew Thoughts

nâqâm - נָקָם (Strong's #5359)
Vengeance

The word נָקָם nâqâm (Strong's #5359, x17) is almost universally translated as "vengeance" in the NAS apart from the odd "quarrel" or "avenge" in the KJV. It is nice to have such a consistently translatable word, but does the Hebrew fully correspond to the not so nice English word "vengeance". The English word comes from the 13th century Old French vengier "take revenge" in turn the from the Latin vindicare "to set free, avenge" from which we also get "vindicate". This variant word is significant for it hints at an idea away from gratuitious revenge and towards legal justification.

Indeed, the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, rightly points out that, "it expresses a truth that is theologically important, but greatly misunderstood. Vengeance and revenge are ideas that would appear to have no good ethical validity whether coming from God or man. But such is not the case when the use of this root is properly understood in its OT setting and NT application.".

The Hebrew word derives from the verb נָקַם nâqam (Strong's #5358, x35) and first occurs in the Genesis 4:15 story of Cain's murder of Abel and subsequent fear that he would be sought out and killed himself. The root verb is almost invariably translated by "avenge, revenge" and twice by "punish" as in its doubled emphatic use in Exodus 21:20 "if a man beats his male or female servant with a rod, so that he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished".

The first use of the noun, rather than the verb, is later in Leviticus 26:25, "And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant", according to the the NKJ version; this is where the original KJ version had the curious "quarrel of my covenant". Rather than a quarrel, the idea is of the "terms of the agreement", the 14th-16th century usage of the word quarrel includes "complaint, contention, objection", suggesting a legal rather than violent revenge interpretation.

The well known phrase "Vengeance is Mine" first appears in the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32:35 accompanied by שִׁלֵּם shillêm (Strong's #8005, x1) "and recompense" from שָׁלַּם shâlam (Strong's #7999, x116) "to be complete", the root of the more famous word שָׁלּוּם shâlôwm (Strong's #7965, x236) "peace". A few verses later, Deuteronomy 32:41, has, "I will render vengeance to My enemies, And repay those who hate Me", where "repay" is in parallel to vengeance and is the verb שָׁלַּם shâlam again. Finally, in Deuteronomy 32:43, we have, "render vengeance" paired with "provide atonement for His land and His people" using the theologically charged term כָּפַר kâphar (Strong's #3722, x102) "to cover".

The idea of revenge or justice is seen in Samson's desire to take as many Philistines with him in his death for having taken out his eyes (Judges 16:28), certainly going beyond the levitical legal limit of "an eye for an eye" (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20).

God, particularly in Isaiah (34:8; 35:4; 47:3; 59:17), is the avenger; the one who comes to execute justice and recompense for unrighteousness. One of the results of this "day of vengeance of our God", can be interpreted in the subsequent phrase, "to comfort all who mourn" (Isaiah 61:2). Revenge may initially appear sweet to the perpetrator but can corrupt the avenger, only the incorruptible God is therefore able to righteously avenge and bring comfort and closure.

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