Lexical Summary
yoneqeth: Shoot, branch, sprout
Original Word:יוֹנֶקֶת
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:yowneqeth
Pronunciation:yoh-neh'-keth
Phonetic Spelling:(yo-neh'-keth)
KJV: (tender) branch, young twig
NASB:shoots, young twigs
Word Origin:[feminine ofH3126 (יוֹנֵק - tender shoot)]
1. a sprout
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
tender branch, young twig
Feminine ofyowneq; a sprout -- (tender) branch, young twig.
see HEBREWyowneq
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfem. of
yoneqDefinitiona young shoot, twig
NASB Translationshoots (5), young twigs (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (= foregoing) —
Job 8:16 2t.;
Hosea 14:7;
Ezekiel 17:22;
Psalm 80:12; —
shoot, twig, of tree
Job 14:7; cf wicked under figure of tree
Job 8:16;
Job 15:30; Israel under figure of olive-tree
Hosea 14:7, of cedar
Ezekiel 17:22, of vine
Psalm 80:12.
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Imageryיוֹנֶקֶת (yōneqet) pictures the tender offshoot or young sprig that draws its life from a larger trunk or vine. In every occurrence the word evokes three intertwined ideas: (1) visible vitality that comes from hidden roots, (2) vulnerability to scorching heat, fire or cutting, and (3) expectation of future growth that extends far beyond the point of origin.
Occurrences and Immediate Contexts
1.Job 8:16 – Bildad likens the seeming prosperity of the ungodly to a luxuriant plant whose “shoots spread over the garden.” The image stresses transitory flourishing that depends on external circumstances.
2.Job 14:7 – Job counters that “there is hope for a tree: if it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its shoots will not fail,” using the yonēqet to affirm divine capacity to restore life after utter loss.
3.Job 15:30 – Eliphaz warns that the flame of divine judgment “will wither his shoots,” showing how quickly empty confidence can be consumed.
4.Psalm 80:11 – The psalmist celebrates Israel as the LORD’s transplanted vine whose “shoots” reached “toward the River,” recalling the widespread influence granted during the united monarchy.
5.Ezekiel 17:22 – The LORD pledges to take “a tender twig from its topmost shoots” of the cedar and replant it, promising a future royal line set on “a high and lofty mountain.”
6.Hosea 14:6 – After repentance, Israel’s “shoots will sprout,” her beauty and fragrance restored, displaying covenant mercy that turns barrenness into abundance.
Theological Themes
1. Divine Sovereignty over Growth and Decline
The same God who allows shoots to spread (Job 8:16;Psalm 80:11) can wither them (Job 15:30). Prosperity or adversity never falls outside His governance.
2. Hope of Restoration
Job 14:7 anchors hope in the persistent life resident within the stump, anticipating resurrection motifs later clarified in Scripture.Hosea 14:6 reaffirms that repentance opens the way for renewed vitality.
3. Covenant Narrative of Israel
Psalm 80 andHosea 14 locate the yonēqet within Israel’s story—chosen, disciplined, yet ultimately destined to flourish. The imagery ties the nation’s fortunes to fidelity to the LORD.
4. Messianic Expectation
Ezekiel 17:22’s “tender twig” portrays a divinely planted Davidic king whose reign will tower over every opposing power. The scene intentionally echoes earlier promises (for example,2 Samuel 7) and foreshadows the righteous Branch unveiled in the New Testament.
Historical and Prophetic Significance
• Pre-exilic:Psalm 80 probably reflects the height of Israel’s influence followed by Assyrian pressure, interpreting lost dominion as broken branches needing divine attention.
• Exilic: Ezekiel speaks to a displaced community, assuring that the LORD Himself will replant a true king. This pledge guarded the genealogical hope that culminates in Jesus Christ.
• Post-exilic and Eschatological: Hosea’s call anticipates spiritual renewal that transcends national boundaries, ultimately finding fulfillment in the ingathering of the nations through the gospel.
Practical Ministry Applications
1. Encouragement in Apparent Ruin
Like Job’s felled tree, believers facing devastating loss can expect God to bring forth new “shoots” as they cling to Him.
2. Warning against Superficial Prosperity
Bildad’s lush imagery that soon fades and Eliphaz’s scorched shoots caution against equating material success with divine favor.
3. Discipleship and Growth
Healthy shoots depend on deep roots. Ministries that prioritize Scripture, prayer and obedience cultivate believers who withstand fiery trial.
4. Church Planting and Missions
The transplanting of the cedar twig (Ezekiel 17:22) inspires confidence that the Lord Himself establishes gospel witness in unlikely soil, nourishing global fruitfulness.
Christological and Eschatological Reflections
Ezekiel’s yonēqet directs eyes to the “shoot from the stump of Jesse” (Isaiah 11:1, using a different Hebrew term but the same concept). In Jesus Christ the fragile-looking twig becomes the eternal King whose kingdom fills the whole earth. His death appeared to fell the tree, yet on the third day the most glorious sprout burst forth, guaranteeing the final restoration pictured inHosea 14 and the everlasting flourishing of all who abide in Him (John 15:5).
Forms and Transliterations
וְ֝יֹֽנַקְתּ֗וֹ וינקתו יֹֽ֭נַקְתּוֹ יֹֽנְקוֹתָ֔יו יֹֽנְקוֹתָיו֙ יֹֽנַקְתּ֥וֹ יֽוֹנְקוֹתֶֽיהָ׃ יונקותיה׃ ינקותיו ינקתו veyonakTo wə·yō·naq·tōw wəyōnaqtōw yō·naq·tōw yō·nə·qō·w·ṯāw yō·wn·qō·w·ṯe·hā yonakTo yōnaqtōw yonekoTav yōnəqōwṯāw YonkoTeiha yōwnqōwṯehā
Links
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