Original Word: נָקָם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: naqam
Pronunciation: naw-kawm'
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-kawm')
KJV: + avenged, quarrel, vengeance
NASB: vengeance
Word Origin: [from H5358 (נָקַם - avenge)]

1. revenge

avenged, quarrel, vengeance

From naqam; revenge -- + avenged, quarrel, vengeance.

see HEBREW naqam

Word Origin
from naqam
Definition
vengeance
NASB Translation
vengeance (16).

נָקָם noun masculine vengeance; — ׳נ Deuteronomy 32:35 14t.; construct נְקַם Leviticus 26:25; Judges 16:28; —

1 taken by God, absolute Ezekiel 24:8; Psalm 58:11; בְּדִית ׳נ vengeance of the covenant Leviticus 26:25 (H); יוֺם נקם Isaiah 34:8; Isaiah 61:2; Isaiah 63:4; ׳בִּגְדֵי נ Isaiah 59:17; לִי נָקָם וְשִׁלֵּם Deuteronomy 32:35; ׳לקח נ Isaiah 47:3; יבוא ׳נ Isaiah 35:4; with accusative adversary ׳עשׂה נ Micah 5:14; with לְ of adversary ׳חשׁיב נ Deuteronomy 32:41,43.

2 Samson against Philistines, ׳נקם נ Judges 16:28.

3 enemies against Judah, absolute Ezekiel 25:12,15; individual enemy ׳יום נ Proverbs 6:34.

Overview

נָקָם appears seventeen times and consistently relates to justice executed in response to violated righteousness. Whether the agent is God or man, the context always weighs the act against the divine standard of holiness.

Vengeance as Divine Prerogative

The earliest uses lodge the right of retaliation in God alone. “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay” (Deuteronomy 32:35). The repetition in the Song of Moses (32:41, 32:43) and later in Micah 5:15 anchors the theme that final justice rests in the LORD’s hands. Human participation is valid only when expressly aligned with His purpose.

Covenantal Justice in the Law

Leviticus 26:25 frames vengeance as covenant enforcement: “I will bring a sword against you to execute the vengeance of the covenant.” Israel’s disobedience triggers the sword, pestilence, and exile. Thus נָקָם is not blind rage but calibrated response to covenant breach.

Personal Requests and Human Vengeance

Samson’s plea—“let me…take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes” (Judges 16:28)—exposes the tension between personal revenge and divine mission. Though his motive is mixed, God uses the act to strike Israel’s oppressors. Proverbs 6:34 warns that jealousy-driven vengeance “shows no mercy,” highlighting the danger when passion, not holiness, fuels retaliation.

Poetic Affirmations

Psalm 58:10 pictures the righteous rejoicing when they “see vengeance,” affirming that believers may celebrate just recompense without indulging vindictiveness. The Psalm does not applaud cruelty; it exalts the public vindication of righteousness.

Prophetic Perspectives

Isaiah employs נָקָם more than any other prophet, weaving it into both judgment and salvation imagery.
• “The LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion” (34:8).
• “Behold, your God will come with vengeance…He will come to save you” (35:4).
• The Servant announces “the day of our God’s vengeance” alongside “the year of the LORD’s favor” (61:2), later fulfilled and partially quoted by Jesus in Nazareth (Luke 4:18-21).

The restoration of the helpless and the overthrow of oppressors are two sides of the same coin; one cannot exist without the other.

Ezekiel confronts foreign nations that exacted their own spiteful vengeance. Against Edom and Philistia God declares, “I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes” (25:12, 25:15). Divine vengeance corrects human excess and reasserts God’s monopoly on ultimate payback.

From Vengeance to Redemption

Isaiah 63:4 combines “the day of vengeance” with “the year of My redemption,” revealing that God’s redemptive program requires the removal of evil. The same principle underlies the consolation of Zion; judgment against Babylon (47:3) secures freedom for the captives.

New Testament Echoes and Fulfillment

Paul cites Deuteronomy 32:35 in Romans 12:19 to forbid believers from avenging themselves. The cross satisfies divine vengeance against sin, while the Second Coming finalizes vengeance against unrepentant rebels (2 Thessalonians 1:8). Thus the motif finds its climax in Christ’s atonement and His return.

Ministry Application

1. Trust God’s timetable; apparent delays do not nullify promised justice.
2. Reject personal vendettas; commit grievances to the righteous Judge.
3. Proclaim both “the year of the LORD’s favor” and “the day of vengeance”—grace and justice are inseparable.
4. Comfort the oppressed with assurance that evil will not stand unchallenged.
5. Call sinners to repentance; the reality of נָקָם magnifies the urgency of the gospel.

וְנָקָם֙ ונקם נְקַם־ נָקָ֑ם נָקָ֔ם נָקָ֖ם נָקָ֣ם נָקָֽם׃ נָקָם֙ נקם נקם־ נקם׃ nā·qām naKam nāqām nə·qam- nekam nəqam- venaKam wə·nā·qām wənāqāmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts