Lexical Summary
aqab: To supplant, to overreach, to follow at the heel, to assail insidiously
Original Word:עָקַב
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:`aqab
Pronunciation:ah-KAHB
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-kab')
KJV: take by the heel, stay, supplant, X utterly
NASB:deals craftily, heel, restrain, supplanted, took
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. (properly) to swell out or up
2. used only as denominative from H6119, to seize by the heel
3. (figuratively) to circumvent (as if tripping up the heels)
4. also to restrain (as if holding by the heel)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
take by the heel, stay, supplant, utterly
A primitive root; properly, to swell out or up; used only as denominative fromaqeb, to seize by the heel; figuratively, to circumvent (as if tripping up the heels); also to restrain (as if holding by the heel) -- take by the heel, stay, supplant, X utterly.
see HEBREWaqeb
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origindenominative verb from
aqebDefinitionto follow at the heel, assail insidiously, circumvent, overreach
NASB Translationdeals craftily (1), heel (1), restrain (1), supplanted (1), took (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
, figurative (denominative from ; compare Arabic
follow (at the heel),
succeed, III.
bring consequence on, i.e.
punish, Qor 22:59; IV.
make to follow, i.e.
reward or
punish,
end, final lot 6:11
reward 6:136
hold back (rare),
follow, Pa`el
investigate, search out: Ethiopic
is
keep, guard); —
Perfect3masculine singularHosea 12:4 heattacked his brotherat the heel (compareGenesis 25:26 below );Imperfect3masculine singularGenesis 27:36 and he hathoverreached me now twice; +Infinitive absJeremiah 9:3 surelyoverreacheth ("" ). [ , to attackwith the heel; but this dubious In 'supplant,' also, the figurative is a different one.]
Job 37:4 dubious; possattack at the heel (compare ), hence figurativehold back; more probably readholdeth them notback (that is his lightnings), when his voice is heard fromto hold back (common in Late Hebrew; ).
Topical Lexicon
Root Idea And Semantic Rangeעָקַב conveys the notion of grasping from behind—whether literally seizing the heel, or figuratively out-maneuvering, deceiving, or withholding. From this verb comes the patriarchal name Jacob (Yaʿaqōb), so every biblical occurrence of the verb invites reflection on the interplay between human craftiness and divine overruling.
Occurrences And Narrative Settings
Genesis 27:36
Esau’s cry, “For he has supplanted me these two times,” frames עָקַב as deliberate manipulation. Jacob’s scheming cannot thwart the covenant, yet the verb exposes the moral cost of self-promotion.
Job 37:4
“He does not restrain the lightning when His voice resounds.” Here עָקַב pictures unrestrained power: nothing can “hold back” the thunderbolts once God commands. The human capacity to impede (seen in Genesis) is contrasted with the Lord’s irresistibility.
Jeremiah 9:4
The prophet laments a society where “every brother acts deceitfully.” The doubled use of עָקַב intensifies the diagnosis: supplanting has become systemic. Judah’s covenant community mirrors the old Jacob before his Peniel transformation, underscoring the need for repentance.
Hosea 12:3
“In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel.” Hosea recalls Jacob’s prenatal act both to rebuke a treacherous Israel and to remind them that, like their forefather, they can be renamed and renewed if they seek God.
Thematic Connections
1. Human Deceit Versus Divine Faithfulness
The verb consistently exposes the futility of securing blessing by guile. Jacob receives the promise not because of, but in spite of, his עָקַב. Similarly, Judah’s treachery (Jeremiah) leads only to exile, while God’s word stands firm.
2. Transformation And Renaming
Genesis and Hosea hold deceit and grace in tension. Jacob the “supplanter” becomes Israel, “he struggles with God.” Conversion requires acknowledgment of one’s own עָקַב tendencies and submission to God’s redefining mercy.
3. Unthwarted Divine Power
Job 37:4 widens the semantic field. No created force can עָקַב (hold back) the Almighty. What humans attempt negatively against each other, God transcends positively in sovereign might.
Redemptive And Christological Trajectory
Jacob’s account anticipates the greater Son who never deceived (1 Peter 2:22) yet bore the consequences of every act of עָקַב. At Calvary the heel is bruised (Genesis 3:15), but rather than grasping from behind, Jesus willingly lays down His life, reversing the pattern of self-seeking and opening the way for transformed “Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16).
Practical Ministry Implications
• Integrity In Community
Jeremiah’s warning calls churches to cultivate trustworthiness. Hidden agendas fracture fellowship and invite discipline.
• Pastoral Counseling
Believers struggling with manipulative habits find hope in Jacob’s journey. God confronts, then blesses the one who clings to Him.
• Preaching The Fear Of God
Job 37:4 supports sermons on divine majesty: when God speaks, nothing can עָקַב His purposes—comfort for the righteous, terror for the unrepentant.
• Intercession For Renewal
Hosea encourages praying that national and congregational life move from heel-grasping rivalry to God-wrestling dependence.
Summary
עָקַב unmasks the perennial allure of taking advantage, yet simultaneously showcases a God who overrides deceit, transforms deceivers, and advances His redemptive plan without restraint.
Forms and Transliterations
וַֽיַּעְקְבֵ֙נִי֙ ויעקבני יְ֝עַקְּבֵ֗ם יַעְקֹ֔ב יעקב יעקבם עָק֣וֹב עָקַ֣ב עקב עקוב ‘ā·qaḇ ‘ā·qō·wḇ ‘āqaḇ ‘āqōwḇ aKav aKov vaiyakeVeni way·ya‘·qə·ḇê·nî wayya‘qəḇênî ya‘·qōḇ ya‘qōḇ yaKo yə‘aqqəḇêm yə·‘aq·qə·ḇêm yeakkeVem
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