WG: Vengeance / Retribution¶
Overview¶
The vengeance concept spans both Testaments through a tight word family. Hebrew has the root n-q-m producing a verb (H5358), a masculine noun (H5359), and a feminine noun (H5360) — together appearing in 70 distinct verses. The LXX translators rendered this family primarily through the ekdik- group (G1557, G1556), rooted in dikē (G1349, "justice"), framing vengeance as the execution of justice rather than mere retaliation.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H5358 | נָקַם | naqam | verb | 31 | The action (to avenge, take vengeance) | H5358 |
| H5359 | נָקָם | naqam | noun-m | 17 | The retribution itself (vengeance as event/entity) | H5359 |
| H5360 | נְקָמָה | neqamah | noun-f | 22 | The act or passion of avenging | TODO(need H5360 study) |
| G1557 | ἐκδίκησις | ekdikesis | noun-f | 9 | NT counterpart: vindication, retribution | G1557 |
| G1556 | ἐκδικέω | ekdikeō | verb | 6 | NT action: to vindicate, avenge | G1556 |
| G1349 | δίκη | dikē | noun-f | 4 | The underlying principle: justice, penalty | G1349 |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- Hebrew n-q-m family: naqam verb (H5358), naqam noun (H5359), neqamah (H5360) — all from the same primitive root
- Greek ekdik- family: ekdikesis (G1557), ekdikeō (G1556) — both from ek + dikē (G1349, "out of justice")
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| H5359 naqam (n.) | H5358 naqam (v.) | 6x | Cognate pairing: "avenge... vengeance" (Lev 26:25; Deu 32:41, 43; Eze 25:12, 15) |
| H5358 naqam (v.) | H5360 neqamah | 5x | Verb + feminine noun: "avenge the vengeance" (Num 31:2-3; Jer 50:15; 51:36) |
| H5359 naqam (n.) | H5360 neqamah | 1x | Both nouns in one verse (Eze 25:15) |
| G1557 ekdikesis | G1556 ekdikeō | 1x | Rom 12:19: "avenge not... vengeance is mine" |
LXX Overlaps (Hebrew → Greek bridges)¶
| Hebrew Members | Shared Greek | Co-occurrences | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| H5360 neqamah | G1557 ekdikesis | 19x | Strongest bridge — feminine noun to feminine noun |
| H5358 naqam (v.) | G1556 ekdikeō | 22x | Verb to verb — the primary action bridge |
| H5358 naqam (v.) | G1557 ekdikesis | 9x | Hebrew verb → Greek noun |
| H5359 naqam (n.) | G1557 ekdikesis | 7x | Masculine noun → feminine noun |
The LXX consistently channeled the entire n-q-m word family through the ekdik- group, grounding the concept in dikē ("justice"). This semantic shift is significant: where Hebrew n-q-m emphasizes the act of retribution, the Greek ekdik- compounds frame it as the outworking of justice.
Roles in the Concept¶
- Action: H5358 naqam (verb) — the act of avenging; broadest member (31 verses, 15 books)
- Entity/Event: H5359 naqam (masc. noun) — vengeance as a thing ("day of vengeance," "garments of vengeance"); concentrated in prophetic formulae
- Act/Passion: H5360 neqamah (fem. noun) — the act or passion of avenging; more narrative/concrete
- NT Counterpart (noun): G1557 ekdikesis — vindication/retribution; judicial frame
- NT Counterpart (verb): G1556 ekdikeō — to vindicate, avenge
- Foundation: G1349 dikē — justice/penalty; the root concept underlying the Greek equivalents
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Eze 25:15 — [H5359 + H5358 + H5360] "The Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart" — all three Hebrew members in one verse
- Lev 26:25 — [H5359 + H5358] "A sword... that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant"
- Deu 32:41-43 — [H5359 + H5358] Verb and noun used across the Song of Moses climax
- Rom 12:19 — [G1557 + G1556] "Avenge not yourselves... Vengeance is mine; I will repay" — quoting Deu 32:35
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py Last updated: 2026-05-18