Lexical Summary roq: Spittle, saliva Original Word: רֹק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance spitting, From raqaq; spittle -- spit(-ting, -tle). see HEBREW raqaq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom raqaq Definition spittle NASB Translation spitting (2), spittle (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs רֹק noun [masculine] spittle; — absolute ׳ר Isaiah 50:6; Job 30:10 (both of contemptuous spitting); suffix רֻקִּי Job 7:19 while I swallow (בָּלַע) my spittle, i.e. for the briefest time. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Symbolismרֹק (roq) denotes spittle—either the saliva itself or the act of spitting. In Scripture spitting is rarely neutral; it is ordinarily a vivid gesture of contempt, rejection, humiliation, or disgust. By metonymy, spittle becomes a concrete symbol of the scorn or shame hurled at another person. Ancient Near Eastern literature parallels this usage, but the Hebrew text uniquely binds the image to theological reflections on suffering, honor, and ultimate vindication. Occurrences in the Old Testament • Job 7:19 portrays Job’s anguish at God’s relentless scrutiny: “Will You never look away from me, or leave me alone to swallow my spittle?”. The phrase magnifies his vulnerability; even the most trivial bodily reflex seems impossible under divine pressure. Cultural Background In ancient Semitic culture, spitting on or toward a person functioned as an unmistakable act of humiliation. Legal texts from Mesopotamia and later rabbinic discussions both acknowledge spitting as an offense against personal honor. Because bodily fluids carried ritual connotations of purity or impurity, the gesture intensified the insult. Spittle could also be used in sympathetic magic or folk healing, which explains why in the Gospels Jesus repurposes saliva for restorative ends (Mark 7:33; John 9:6), turning an emblem of shame into a medium of grace. Theological Significance 1. Human Frailty and Divine Sovereignty: Job’s cry (Job 7:19) uses roq to show how fragile human life is before the Almighty. Even the body’s involuntary actions are under God’s gaze, reminding believers of the fine line between creature and Creator (Psalm 103:14). Prophetic and Messianic Foreshadowing Isaiah’s Servant not only experiences roq but embraces it as part of a redemptive mission. New Testament evangelists depict Jesus absorbing the same contempt (Mark 14:65; 15:19). The continuity underscores the reliability of prophecy and the intentional path of the Messiah: shame, suffering, and subsequent exaltation (Philippians 2:8-11). For readers, roq anchors the understanding that Christ’s humiliation was neither accidental nor purposeless. Practical Ministry Applications • Pastoral Care: Faith communities are called to honor those whom society devalues, reversing the stigma symbolized by spittle. Active empathy reflects Christ’s embrace of the shamed. Conclusion רֹק serves as more than a lexical curiosity. It anchors profound truths about human vulnerability, societal injustice, prophetic fulfillment, and redemptive suffering. Each occurrence invites reflection on how God transforms symbols of disgrace into instruments of grace, culminating in the cross where the One spat upon secures everlasting honor for His people. Forms and Transliterations וָרֹֽק׃ ורק׃ רֹֽק׃ רֻקִּֽי׃ רק׃ רקי׃ Rok rōq rukKi ruq·qî ruqqî vaRok wā·rōq wārōqLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 7:19 HEB: עַד־ בִּלְעִ֥י רֻקִּֽי׃ NAS: until I swallow my spittle? KJV: till I swallow down my spittle? INT: until swallow spit-ting Job 30:10 Isaiah 50:6 3 Occurrences |