---
title: עָקַב — follow at the heel · The Tanakh dictionary
description: עָקַב (6117), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 5 times: follow at the heel. BDB 1906: vb. follow at the heel assail insidiously, circumvent, overreach. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# עָקַב

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«עָקַב» in the Tanakh dictionary: **follow at the heel** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 5 times · **Key:** 6117 · **BDB:** עָקַב

### Glosses

he (2); he.betrays (1); he.took.by.the.heel (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

follow at the heel [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/6117/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. follow at the heel assail insidiously, circumvent, overreach [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/6117/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. follow at the heel, fig. assail insidiously, circumvent, overreach (denom. from עָקֵ; cf. Arabic عَقَبَ follow (at the heel), succeed, iii. bring consequence on, i.e. punish, Qor 22:59, iv. make to follow, i.e. reward or punish, عَاقِبَةٌ end, final lot 6:11, reward 6:136; ܥܩܰܒ hold back (rare), follow, Pa. investigate, search out: Ethiopic ዐቀበ is keep, guard);— Pf. 3 ms. Ho 12:4 בַּבֶּטֶן עָקַב אֶת־אָחִיו he attacked his brother at the heel (cf. Gn 25:26 sub עָקֵב); Impf. 3 ms. Gn 27:36 הֲכִי קָרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעֲקֹב וַיַּעְקְבֵנִי זֶה פַעֲמַיִם and he hath overreached me now twice; + Inf. abs. Je 9:3 כָּל־אָח עָקוֹב יַעֲקֹב surely overreacheth (‖ רָכִיל יַהֲלֹךְ). \[𝔊 πτερνίζω, to attack with the heel; but this dub. In ‘supplant,’ also, the fig. is a different one.\] Jb 37:4 וְלֹא יְעַקְּבֵם, dub.; poss. attack at the heel (cf. זִנֵּב), hence fig. hold back; more prob. read וְלֹא יְעַכְּבֵם holdeth them not back (sc. בְּרָקָיו his lightnings), when his voice is heard, from עִכֵּב to hold back (common in NH; 𝔗 עַכֵּב).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 4 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (10 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (8 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «עָקַב» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/6117/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Hosea 12:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/HOS.12.4/)

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בַּבֶּ֖טֶן עָקַ֣ב אֶת־אָחִ֑יו וּבְאוֹנ֖וֹ שָׂרָ֥ה אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים׃

*Word for word:* in the womb he.took.by.the.heel (et) brother his and in strength his he.struggled with God

*JPS 1917:* In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and by his strength he strove with a godlike being;

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[Job 37:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.37.4/)

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אַחֲרָ֤יו ׀ יִשְׁאַג־ק֗וֹל יַ֭רְעֵם בְּק֣וֹל גְּאוֹנ֑וֹ וְלֹ֥א יְ֝עַקְּבֵ֗ם כִּֽי־יִשָּׁמַ֥ע קוֹלֽוֹ׃

*Word for word:* after it it.roars a.voice he.thunders with the.voice his.majesty his and not he holds.them.back (dm) it.is.heard voice his

*JPS 1917:* After it a voice roareth; He thundereth with the voice of His majesty; and He stayeth them not when His voice is heard.

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