Original Word: עָקַל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: `aqal
Pronunciation: ah-KAHL
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-kal')
KJV: wrong
NASB: perverted
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to wrest

wrong

A primitive root; to wrest -- wrong.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to bend, twist
NASB Translation
perverted (1).

[עָקַל] verb. bend, twist (Late Hebrew especially in derivatives; ᵑ7 in derivatives; Syriac twist, in derived species; Arabic bind camel's folded fore-shank and arm together); —

Pu`al be bent out of shape, crooked, Participle figurative מִשְׁמּט מְעֻקָּל Habakkuk 1:4 crooked justice.

Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 6127, עָקַל, appears once in the Old Testament, nestled within Habakkuk’s first lament (Habakkuk 1:4). The prophet cries that “the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous; therefore justice comes out perverted”. The verb עָקַל supplies the vivid idea of justice that has been twisted out of true alignment—justice that bends away from God-ordained straightness.

Biblical setting

Habakkuk prophesies in a turbulent era, likely during the decline of Judah before the Babylonian invasion. The nation’s courts, once commissioned to reflect divine righteousness, have become instruments of distortion. In the prophet’s complaint, עָקַל portrays the moral warping that results when covenant standards are abandoned. Habakkuk contrasts crooked human judgment with the straight and pure judgments of the Lord (Habakkuk 1:12-13).

Moral and theological significance

1. Revelation of human corruption. By employing עָקַל, Scripture exposes the gravity of sin that corrupts even the mechanisms designed for fairness (compare Deuteronomy 16:19; Isaiah 59:14-15).
2. Divine intolerance of perversion. Habakkuk’s oracle progresses from lament to assurance: God will not allow twisted justice to stand indefinitely. His answer comes through both temporal judgment (Babylon) and ultimate eschatological rectification (Habakkuk 2:14).
3. Standard of straightness. Throughout Scripture God’s way is “upright” (Psalm 25:8; Proverbs 3:6). Anything עָקַל stands as the antithesis of His righteous character. The single occurrence in Habakkuk therefore carries a weight that resonates with the canonical witness: righteousness is straight; sin bends.

Historical echoes and intertextual resonance

While 6127 itself is unique to Habakkuk, kindred imagery threads the canon:
• Proverbs 17:23 warns against bribery that “perverts the ways of justice.”
• Isaiah 24:1-6 depicts a world “twisted” by transgression, leading to covenant curses.
• In the New Testament, Peter exhorts believers to be saved “from this corrupt generation” (Acts 2:40), underscoring continuity between Old- and New-Covenant concerns about moral distortion.

Christological reflection

Jesus Christ embodies perfect straightness. His judgments are “true and just” (Revelation 19:2). On the cross He bore the consequences of humanity’s crooked ways (Isaiah 53:6) to grant sinners the grace of alignment with God (Romans 3:26). Thus the lone cry of עָקַל in Habakkuk finds its ultimate answer in the righteous King whose rule is forever upright (Hebrews 1:8).

Pastoral and ministry application

• Confront systemic sin. Churches should heed Habakkuk by advocating for fair treatment of the oppressed, challenging judicial or social systems that warp justice.
• Cultivate integrity. Leaders must resist incentives that entice them to bend standards for personal gain, remembering that even quiet compromises can render justice “perverted.”
• Nurture hope. Believers facing corruption can echo Habakkuk’s lament yet rest in God’s sure promise that “the righteous will live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17).

Homiletical insights

A sermon built around עָקַל might proceed from anguish (Habakkuk 1:2-4) to assurance (Habakkuk 2:2-4) and finally to adoration (Habakkuk 3:17-19). The single Hebrew term becomes a lens on the entire book: from crooked courts to a sovereign Lord whose ways are unbendingly straight.

Summary

Though occurring only once, עָקַל vividly depicts the bending of justice that provoked Habakkuk’s outcry. It highlights the perennial tension between human corruption and divine righteousness, a tension resolved in the gospel and awaiting final consummation when the Judge of all the earth sets every crooked thing straight.

מְעֻקָּֽל׃ מעקל׃ mə‘uqqāl mə·‘uq·qāl meukKalInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts