nakam · avenge

What it means

nakam (נָקַם) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “avenge”.

Make someone pay for the wrong done; take vengeance.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To make someone pay for a wrong.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• take vengeance ×4
• avenge itself ×3
• avenged ×3
• avenging ×3
• I will avenge ×2
• avenge me ×2
• he shall surely be avenged ×2
• take ×2
• took vengeance ×2
• who takes vengeance ×2
• others ×10

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×2
• Exodus×3
• Leviticus×2
• Numbers×1
• Deuteronomy×1
• Joshua×1
• Judges×2
• 1 Samuel×3
• 2 Kings×1
• Esther×1
• Psalms×3
• Isaiah×1
• Jeremiah×7
• Ezekiel×4
• Nahum×3

• Genesis 4:15

  And YHWH said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And YHWH put a sign on Cain, so that no one who found him would strike him.

• Genesis 4:24

  If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy and seven fold.”

• Exodus 21:20

  When a man strikes his male slave or his female slave with the rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall surely be avenged.

• Exodus 21:21

  But if he survives a day or two days, he shall not be avenged, for he is his property.

• Leviticus 19:18

  You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.

• Leviticus 26:25

  And I will bring on you a sword that avenges the vengeance of the covenant; and when you gather into your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you will be given into the hand of the enemy.

• Numbers 31:2

  “Execute the vengeance of the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

• Deuteronomy 32:43

  Acclaim, nations, his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and he will return vengeance to his adversaries, and make expiation for his land, his people.”

• Joshua 10:13

  And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Is it not written in the book of the Upright? The sun stopped in the middle of the heavens and did not hurry to go down for about a whole day.

• Judges 15:7

  And Samson said to them, “If you act like this, surely I will take vengeance on you, and after that I will cease.”

• Judges 16:28

  And Samson called to YHWH and said, “Adonai YHWH, remember me, please, and strengthen me, please, only this time, O Elohim, that I may take one vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes.”

• 1 Samuel 14:24

  The men of Israel were hard pressed on that day, and Saul put the people under an imprecation, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats bread until the evening, and until I have avenged myself on my enemies.” And none of the people tasted bread.

• 1 Samuel 18:25

  Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king has no delight in a bride-price, but in a hundred foreskins of Philistines, to take vengeance on the enemies of the king.’” And Saul planned to bring down David by the hand of the Philistines.

• 1 Samuel 24:12

  May YHWH judge between me and you, and may YHWH avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you.

• 2 Kings 9:7

  You will strike the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of YHWH at the hand of Jezebel.

• Esther 8:13

  A copy of the writing, to be given as law in every province, was published to all the peoples, and that the Jews should be ready for this day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

• Psalms 8:2

  From the mouth of children and of nursing infants you have founded strength because of your adversaries, to put an end to the enemy and the one who takes vengeance.

• Psalms 44:16

  at the voice of the one who reproaches and reviles, because of the enemy and the one who takes revenge.

• Psalms 99:8

  YHWH our Elohim, you answered them; an El who forgives you were to them, and who takes vengeance on their deeds.

• Isaiah 1:24

  Therefore declares the Lord, YHWH Tsevaot, the Mighty One of Israel: Woe! I will find comfort over my adversaries, and avenge myself on my enemies.

• Jeremiah 5:9

  Shall I not punish for these things? declares YHWH, And on a nation such as this shall my soul not avenge itself?

• Jeremiah 5:29

  Shall I not punish for these things? declares YHWH. On a nation such as this shall my soul not avenge itself?

• Jeremiah 9:9

  Shall I not punish them for these things? declares YHWH. On a nation such as this shall my soul not avenge itself?

• Jeremiah 15:15

  You know, YHWH; remember me and visit me, and avenge me on my persecutors; in the slowness of your anger do not take me away; know that for your sake I bear reproach.

• Jeremiah 46:10

  And that day belongs to Adonai YHWH Tsevaot, a day of vengeance, to avenge himself on his adversaries; and the sword will devour and be sated and drink its fill of their blood; for Adonai YHWH Tsevaot has a sacrifice in the land of the north by the river Euphrates.

• Jeremiah 50:15

  Raise a shout against her all around; she has given her hand; her bulwarks have fallen, her walls are torn down; for it is the vengeance of YHWH: take vengeance on her; as she has done, do to her.

• Jeremiah 51:36

  Therefore thus says YHWH: Look, I am pleading your cause, and I will avenge your vengeance; and I will dry up her sea, and make dry her spring.

• Ezekiel 24:8

  To bring up fury, to take vengeance, I have put her blood on the bare rock, so that it may not be covered.

• Ezekiel 25:12

  Thus says Adonai YHWH: Because Edom acted by taking vengeance on the house of Judah, and they became very guilty and took vengeance on them,

• Ezekiel 25:15

  Thus says Adonai YHWH: Because the Philistines acted with vengeance and took vengeance with contempt of soul to destroy, with eternal enmity,

• Nahum 1:2

  A jealous and avenging El is YHWH; avenging is YHWH and a master of fury; avenging is YHWH on his adversaries, and he holds it against his enemies.

And 4 more times.