יָקַץ
ya.qats
to awake
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word יָקַץ (ya.qats) is used 11 times in the Bible and means "to awake." Its primary function is to describe a physical or figurative change from a state of unawareness or sleep to one of being awake and alert. The word can also imply an active or sudden change from an inactive to an active state. In its various occurrences, ya.qats is used in contexts that emphasize the transition from sleep to wakefulness, the beginning of a new day, or the sudden realization of a situation or event. This word helps us understand the significance of wakefulness and alertness in the biblical narrative, such as the call to spiritual wakefulness or the consequences of ignoring God's message. The frequent use of ya.qats in the Bible highlights its importance in conveying the impact of wakefulness and alertness in both physical and spiritual aspects of life. By examining the contexts in which this word is used, we can gain a deeper understanding of the biblical author's emphasis on the significance of being awake and aware.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences across the text
Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.
Habakkuk 2:7Won’t your debtors rise up suddenly, and wake up those who make you tremble, and you will be their victim?
Genesis 9:24Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him.
Genesis 28:16Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I didn’t know it.”
Genesis 41:4The ugly and thin cattle ate up the seven sleek and fat cattle. So Pharaoh awoke.
Genesis 41:7The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
Genesis 41:21and when they had eaten them up, it couldn’t be known that they had eaten them, but they were still ugly, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
Judges 16:14She fastened it with the pin, and said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He awakened out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam and the fabric.
Judges 16:20She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He awoke out of his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that Yahweh had departed from him.
1 Kings 3:15Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
1 Kings 18:27At noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, “Cry aloud; for he is a god. Either he is deep in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”