ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA HEBREA
Lāqach (H3947) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
Lāqach is the most common Hebrew verb for 'to take,' used in physical, legal, and figurative senses across 418 verses.
Significado de la palabra
Lāqach (לָקַח) is a Qal-stem Hebrew verb glossed in the lexicon as 'to take,' used in the widest variety of applications. The KJV usage list expands this to include accept, bring, buy, carry away, fetch, get, receive, reserve, seize, and 'take' in many constructions (away, up, in). In simple terms, the verb describes the act of laying hold of something, receiving it into one's hand, or appropriating it for oneself.
The extended definition shows the verb operating in several grammatical stems. In Qal it ranges from taking into the hand, fetching, marrying ('take a wife'), seizing, or carrying off. Niphal is passive ('be taken, be removed, be brought unto'), Pual describes being taken or stolen from, Hophal is a causative passive ('be taken unto, taken away'), and Hithpael covers reflexive 'take hold of oneself' and even the flashing of lightning.
Because no single English word covers every use, the context decides the translation: physical grasping (taking a rib in Genesis 2:21), receiving (the ground receiving blood in Genesis 4:11), marrying (Lamech taking wives in Genesis 4:19), or divine removal (God taking Enoch in Genesis 5:24) all use the same Hebrew verb.
Uso en las Escrituras
Lāqach dominates the early chapters of Genesis, illustrating how a single basic verb carries the foundational acts of human and divine history. God's creative and custodial acts—placing Adam in the garden (Genesis 2:15), fashioning woman from the rib taken from man (Genesis 2:21–22)—use the verb in its plain Qal sense of taking or fetching. The Niphal form in Genesis 2:23 ('she was taken out of Man') and Genesis 3:19, 3:23 ('whence thou wast taken') shows lāqach functioning as the theological passive, framing humanity's origin from and return to the ground.
The verb continues to govern covenantal and social actions: receiving (Genesis 4:11), taking wives (Genesis 4:19; 6:2), being taken by God (Genesis 5:24), and grasping the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6, 3:22). These uses show that lāqach covers moral, marital, and judicial spheres as well as the literal hand-taking of objects, which is why English translations move fluidly between 'took,' 'taken,' and 'take' depending on context.
La palabra en detalle
- H3947 Lāqach is one of the most frequently used verbs in the Hebrew Bible (438 occurrences in 418 distinct verses). Its breadth—covering physical grasping, marriage, seizure, divine removal, and the flashing of lightning—means translators must judge the sense from each context rather than render it mechanically.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Genesis 2:15 Qal 'took' describes God placing Adam in Eden; here the taking is custodial, setting someone within a space to serve.
- Genesis 2:21 Qal 'took' of the rib; a literal, physical taking used by God to form the first woman from the man's side.
- Genesis 3:6 Qal 'took' of the fruit; the same physical verb now carries moral weight, marking the first act of taking what was forbidden.
- Genesis 5:24 Qal 'took' of Enoch; the verb is used theologically—'God took him'—to express Enoch's divine translation without describing a visible act.
Preguntas frecuentes
How many times does lāqach occur in the Hebrew Bible?
It occurs 438 times across 418 distinct verses, making it one of the most common Hebrew verbs.
Why is lāqach translated so differently in English?
Because the verb covers physical grasping, receiving, marrying, seizing, and divine removal, no single English word fits every context; translators choose 'took,' 'taken,' 'fetched,' 'received,' or 'married' based on the passage.
Is 'take a wife' really from lāqach?
Yes. The lexicon lists 'take a wife, take in marriage' as a standard Qal sense, used for example in Genesis 4:19 (Lamech) and Genesis 6:2 (sons of God).