Original Word: נְפַק
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nphaq
Pronunciation: neh-fak'
Phonetic Spelling: (nef-ak')
KJV: come (go, take) forth (out)
NASB: taken, took, came, come, coming, emerged, gone forth
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) a primitive root]

1. to issue
2. causatively, to bring out

go, take forth

(Aramaic) a primitive root; to issue; causatively, to bring out -- come (go, take) forth (out).

Word Origin
(Aramaic) a prim. root
Definition
to go or come out or forth
NASB Translation
came (1), come (1), coming (1), emerged (1), gone forth (1), here (1), taken (3), took (2), went forth (1).

נְפַק verb go, or come, out, forth (ᵑ7 id., Late Hebrew נָפַק, Syriac , so Christian-Palestinian Aramaic Schulth^{Lex. 126}, Old Aramaic, Nabataean, Palmyrene נפק Lzb³²⁴, compare Arabic hole of field mouse; see also Aramaic נַפְקוּתָא, outlay, Egyptian Aramaic נפקתה Cooke^{Inscr. 212}, Arabic household outlay (Aramaic loan-word Schw^{ZMG iii (1898). 133})); —

Pe`al Perfect3masculine singular ׳נ Daniel 2:14 he went out, with infinitive; 3 feminine singular נֶפְקַת Daniel 2:13 decree went forth (compare Luke 2:1); 3 masculine plural נפְקַו Luke 5:5 Kt (Qr 3 feminine plural נְפַ֫קָה, K^{§ 23, 2}) fingers came forth; with מִן local: Imperative masculine plural מֻּקוּ (K^{§ 42}) Luke 3:26 come forth! Participle plural נָָֽפְקִין Luke 3:26 (both of men); singular נָפֵק Luke 7:10 (= flow out).

Haph`el bring forth, accusative of thing + מִן local: Perfect3masculine singular הַנְמֵּק Ezra 5:14 (twice in verse); Ezra 6:5; Daniel 5:2; 3masculine plural הַנְמִּ֫קוּ Daniel 5:3 (so Egyptian Aramaic S-C^{Pap. D 15, 17}+).

Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 5312 (נְפַק) appears exclusively in the Aramaic portions of Ezra and Daniel. In every case the verb depicts something or someone “coming out,” “being brought out,” or “going forth.” Though simple in form, its usage carries rich theological accents that range from temple restoration to divine revelation and judgment.

Key Old Testament Contexts

1. Restoration of Temple Vessels (Ezra 5:14; Ezra 6:5)

Cyrus the Great orders that the sacred articles looted by Nebuchadnezzar be “brought out” of the Babylonian treasury. “He brought these out from the temple of Babylon and they were given to a man named Sheshbazzar” (Ezra 5:14). The verb underscores God’s faithfulness in preserving holy vessels through exile so they might re-enter covenant service. What went out in judgment now comes out in mercy, foreshadowing the full restoration of worship after captivity.

2. Attempted Extermination of the Wise Men (Daniel 2:13-14)

When Nebuchadnezzar’s decree to execute the wise men “went out,” so did the soldiers to carry it out. Daniel’s calm plea for time halts the carnage, illustrating that even a royal edict that “goes forth” cannot outrun God’s sovereign plan to reveal mysteries.

3. Deliverance from the Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3:26)

Nebuchadnezzar calls Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to “come out” from the flames. The same verb that describes the soldiers marching out to kill the wise men now narrates the saints stepping out unharmed. Divine deliverance, not imperial power, determines who truly exits alive.

4. Desecration and Judgment in Belshazzar’s Feast (Daniel 5:2-5)

Belshazzar commands that the Jerusalem vessels be “brought out” for a profane toast. Immediately “the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall” (Daniel 5:5). What is taken out of storage for mockery becomes the catalyst for God’s writing of doom. The verb therefore frames both the act of sacrilege and the swift disclosure of judgment.

5. Heavenly Court Proceedings (Daniel 7:10)

In Daniel’s night vision, “thousands upon thousands served Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:10). Although נְפַק is rendered “issued” or “went out,” the larger scene pictures divine decrees proceeding from the throne, establishing that the final word always “comes out” from God Himself.

Theological Threads

• Exodus Motif Revisited

Each occurrence reflects a miniature exodus: temple treasures, faithful Jews, or divine verdicts emerge from confinement into the open, reiterating the pattern of redemption woven throughout Scripture.

• God’s Sovereignty over Pagan Kings

Whether Cyrus’s benevolent order or Nebuchadnezzar’s furious command, every decree that “goes forth” is ultimately subordinate to the decree that proceeds from heaven (Daniel 4:17).

• Holiness and Profanation

Items consecrated to God can be carried into pagan temples, yet they remain holy. When Belshazzar pulls them out for sin, judgment follows. The verb highlights the boundary between sacred use and sacrilege.

• Revelation Accompanies Release

Daniel 2 and 5 show that when something is drawn out—whether a death sentence or temple goblets—God simultaneously pulls back the curtain of mystery. What is “brought out” physically often triggers what is “brought out” spiritually.

Ministry Implications

• Stewardship of Holy Things

Leaders are accountable for how they handle what God has set apart. Bringing sacred matters into profane settings invites severe consequences.

• Courage under Edicts

Modern believers may face decrees that “go forth” against biblical convictions. Daniel’s composure encourages wise, prayer-saturated engagement with hostile authorities.

• Expectant Hope in Restoration

Just as vessels emerged from Babylon’s treasuries, God can restore lives, churches, and cultures from captivity to vibrant service. Nothing devoted to Him is ever lost beyond recall.

Christological Foreshadowing

The ultimate “coming out” is the resurrection. As the temple vessels re-entered worship and the faithful exited the furnace, so Christ “came out” of the tomb, guaranteeing that all who belong to Him will likewise “come out” to eternal life (John 5:29).

Practical Exhortation

Let every believer guard what the Lord has entrusted, resist the misuse of holy gifts, and trust that whatever decree or trial “goes out” in this world, a greater word has “gone forth” from the throne of grace, securing final deliverance and glory.

הַנְפִּ֗קוּ הַנְפֵּ֛ק הַנְפֵּ֨ק הַנְפֵּק֙ הנפק הנפקו וְנָפֵק֙ ונפק נְפַ֙קָה֙ נְפַ֣ק נֶפְקַ֔ת נָֽפְקִ֗ין נפק נפקה נפקין נפקת פֻּ֣קוּ פקו han·pêq han·pi·qū hanPek hanpêq hanPiku hanpiqū nā·p̄ə·qîn nafeKin nāp̄əqîn nə·p̄a·qāh nə·p̄aq neFak neFakah nefKat nep̄·qaṯ nəp̄aq nəp̄aqāh nep̄qaṯ pu·qū Puku puqū venaFek wə·nā·p̄êq wənāp̄êqInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts