Original Word: נָקִיק
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: naqiyq
Pronunciation: nah-KEEK
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-keek')
KJV: hole
NASB: clefts, crevice, ledges
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to bore]

1. a cleft

hole

From an unused root meaning to bore; a cleft -- hole.

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
cleft (of a rock)
NASB Translation
clefts (1), crevice (1), ledges (1).

[נָקִיק] noun masculine cleft of rock; — only construct: singular נְקִיק הַסָּ֑לַע Jeremiah 13:4; plural נְקִיקֵי הַסְּלָעִים Isaiah 7:19 ("" נַחֲלֵי הַבַּתּוֺת), Jeremiah 16:16.

Geographical Setting

The word denotes natural crevices, ravines and clefts characteristic of Israel’s limestone terrain. Such fissures provided shade, shelter and hiding places for humans and animals. Seasonal wadis cut through the Judean hills, while volcanic outcrops along the Jordan Valley offered countless narrow cracks where a person might conceal valuables—or himself—from the elements or from pursuers.

Occurrences in Prophetic Literature

1. Isaiah 7:19 depicts Assyria’s invading armies overrunning the land “in the steep ravines and in the clefts of the rocks”. The image stresses the thoroughness of the incursion: no recess would escape occupation.
2. Jeremiah 13:4 records the object lesson of the prophet’s linen waistband, buried “in a crevice of the rock” near the Euphrates. The hidden girdle eventually rotted, illustrating how Judah’s pride would perish when cut off from covenant allegiance.
3. Jeremiah 16:16 warns that hunters dispatched by the Lord will track down offenders “out of the clefts of the rocks.” The same fissures that once offered concealment will become places of capture, underscoring the futility of hiding from divine judgment.

Symbolism of Hiddenness and Exposure

The cleft serves as a metaphor for attempted secrecy. People may retreat into secluded hollows, yet God’s searching gaze penetrates every niche (Psalm 139:7–12). Jeremiah’s parables invert the expectation of safety: what is stashed in the rock is exposed and ruined; those hiding in crags are found out and seized. The motif therefore affirms God’s omnipresence and righteous oversight.

Clefts as Places of Illusory Refuge

Throughout Scripture caves or rock fissures can signify either true refuge (as in 1 Samuel 22:1) or false security. The prophetic uses of נָקִיק highlight the latter. Judah trusted alliances, rituals and geography instead of the Lord, but the very terrain they relied upon would witness their humiliation. The theme anticipates Revelation 6:15–17, where the unrepentant beg mountains and rocks to fall on them rather than face the Lamb’s wrath—an echo of earlier warnings that no physical crevice can shield from divine reckoning.

Divine Omniscience and Judgment

Isaiah and Jeremiah employ the imagery during periods of looming invasion and exile. By selecting a term for cracks and gullies—objects easily overlooked—the prophets emphasize that God’s judgment will be exhaustive. Conversely, the Lord’s people may find comfort: if He surveys every crevice, He also preserves the faithful hidden “in the shadow of His hand” (Isaiah 49:2).

Applications for Ministry

• Preaching: The passages challenge congregations to forsake secret sins and counterfeit refuges.
• Pastoral care: Believers tempted to retreat into isolation can be directed to genuine safety in Christ, “the Rock of our salvation” (Psalm 95:1).
• Discipleship: The imagery encourages transparent community life where nothing remains festering in hidden ravines of the heart.
• Missional outlook: Just as hunters reach every cleft, so the gospel is to penetrate every cultural fissure, bringing light to the most secluded places.

Though a small word, נָקִיק reinforces the grand biblical conviction that no corner of creation—physical or spiritual—lies beyond the reach of God’s sovereign presence.

בִּנְקִ֥יק בנקיק וּבִנְקִיקֵ֖י וּמִנְּקִיקֵ֖י ובנקיקי ומנקיקי bin·qîq binKik binqîq ū·ḇin·qî·qê ū·min·nə·qî·qê ūḇinqîqê uminnekiKei ūminnəqîqê uvinkiKeiInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts