זֵק
zi.qah (H2131A)
missile
AI Word Study
# זֵק (ziqa): A Rare Hebrew Missile Term The Hebrew word *ziqa* (Strong's H2131A) denotes a missile—a projectile weapon launched or thrown at a target. With only three occurrences in the biblical text, this term represents specialized military vocabulary within ancient Hebrew. The word's limited attestation suggests it was either a technical term for a specific type of projectile or a less common synonym for weapons in this category. The rarity of *ziqa* in the biblical corpus makes it difficult to establish a detailed semantic range based on frequency alone. Its appearance only three times means the word was not part of everyday Hebrew vocabulary, even in military contexts where other terms for weapons appear more regularly. This scarcity indicates that biblical writers had other, more common words available to describe projectiles and weaponry, leaving *ziqa* as a peripheral term in the Hebrew lexicon. For modern readers, *ziqa* serves as a reminder that ancient Hebrew military terminology was more varied and specialized than the frequency of individual terms might suggest. Understanding such low-frequency words requires careful attention to their specific contexts of use, though with only three biblical instances, such contextual analysis is necessarily limited.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who adorn yourselves with torches around yourselves, walk in the flame of your fire, and among the torches that you have kindled. You will have this from my hand: you will lie down in sorrow.