H5352 – naqah – נָקָה – to clear, pardon

Strong’s ID:: H5352
Hebrew Word:: נָקָה
Transliteration:: nâqâh / naqah
Pronunciation:: naw-kaw’
Part of Speech:: verb
Etymology:: a primitive root
Usage Count:: 44
Search:: Find “naqah” in the Bible (Old Testament)

Equip God’s People Hebrew Lexicon

1) to clear (from guilt or obligation)
2) to pardon

Word Picture:

The Hebrew word “naqah” conveys the notion of being cleared from any responsibility or debt. Over time, it grew to encompass the idea of being acquitted, free from blame, or even being unpunished for an acknowledged fault, whether that’s a tangible debt or a moral misstep.

Think of “naqah” like you’ve accidentally broken a vase at a store. The store owner, seeing it was a genuine accident, decides not to make you pay for it. They essentially “clear” you from the obligation of payment, releasing you from the immediate burden or blame tied to that situation, even if the action’s reality remains (i.e., the vase remains broken and cannot be sold). So, while God might clear someone from guilt, earthly consequences could still persist.

Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon

a primitive root; to be (or make) clean (literally or figuratively); by implication (in an adverse sense) to be bare, i.e. extirpated:—acquit × at all, × altogether, be blameless, cleanse, (be) clear(-ing), cut off, be desolate, be free, be (hold) guiltless, be (hold) innocent, × by no means, be quit, be (leave) unpunished, × utterly, × wholly.