6009. amoq
Lexical Summary
amoq: Deep

Original Word: עָמַק
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: `amaq
Pronunciation: ah-moke
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-mak')
KJV: (be, have, make, seek) deep(-ly), depth, be profound
NASB: deeply, depths, gone deep, deep, made it deep, make it deep
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to be (causatively, make) deep (literally or figuratively)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
have, make, seek deeply, depth, be profound

A primitive root; to be (causatively, make) deep (literally or figuratively) -- (be, have, make, seek) deep(-ly), depth, be profound.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to be deep
NASB Translation
deep (1), deeply (2), depths (2), gone deep (2), made it deep (1), make it deep (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[עָמֹק, LagBN 28] verb be deep (Late Hebrew in derivatives; Arabic ; Ethiopic probably Assyrian [emê‡u] III. 2 implore (earnestly; 'from bottom of one's soul'), emû‡u, might, nîme‡u, wisdom (? as unfathomable); ᵑ7 in derivatives; Syriac in derived species); —

Qal Perfect3masculine plural עָֽמְקוּ Psalm 92:6 (of ׳יs designs; compare Assyrian above).

Hiph`il make deep: Perfect3masculine singular (symbolic) הֶעְמִיק הִרְחִ֑ב Isaiah 30:33 (that is Tophet; van d. H. הֶעֱמִיק, and so in following); 3 masculine plural הֶעְמִיקוּ Hosea 5:2 the pit of Shittim (?) have they made deep (reading שַׁחַת הַשִּׁטִּים We Now, compare Che GuKau); הֶעְמִיקוּ סָרָה Isaiah 31:6 (figurative) they have made deep (their) apostasy; followed by verb, with adverbial force שִׁחֵתֻ֖וּ ׳ה Hosea 9:9 = they are in the depth of corruption (see שׁחת); Imperative masculine plural הֶעְמִיקוּ (Ges§ 63o), followed by infinitive Jeremiah 49:8,30 make deep to dwell (of hiding, so most; > Gie take an abject seat, as Jeremiah 13:18; Jeremiah 48:18); Participle הַמַּעֲמִיקִים לַסְתִּר Isaiah 29:15 they who deeply hide from ׳י (their) counsel; Infinitive absolute הַעְמֵק Isaiah 7:11 #NAME?make deep (ask a sign in the depths of Sh®°ôl, reading שְׁאֹ֑לָה; opposed to הַגְבֵּהַּ).

Topical Lexicon
Overview of Usage

The verb עָמַק appears nine times across Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Hosea. In each setting it portrays “going deep” in one of three ways: 1) literal physical depth, 2) moral or spiritual profundity—whether positive (divine wisdom) or negative (human rebellion), and 3) strategic concealment or refuge. The contexts range from songs of praise to oracles of judgment, giving the word a wide theological reach.

Physical and Geographical Depth

Isaiah 30:33 presents Topheth as “deep and wide” to picture the enormity of divine judgment prepared for the Assyrian king. Jeremiah twice commands desert tribes to “dwell in the depths” (Jeremiah 49:8; 49:30), urging them to retreat to remote wadis when Babylon advances. In each instance depth conveys distance, safety, or magnitude—either a cavernous furnace of wrath or a secluded hideaway beyond an invader’s reach.

Metaphorical Depth of Mind and Motive

Psalm 92:5 marvels, “How great are Your works, O LORD, how deep are Your thoughts!” Here depth points to the unfathomable wisdom and sovereignty of God. By contrast, Isaiah 29:15 warns those who “go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD,” exposing the folly of secret plotting. The same term that praises God’s incomprehensible counsel condemns human schemes that attempt to outwit Him.

Depth of Sin and Apostasy

Hosea twice applies the verb to Israel’s covenant treachery. “The rebels are deep in slaughter” (Hosea 5:2) and “They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah” (Hosea 9:9). Isaiah echoes the theme: “Return to Him against whom you have so deeply rebelled” (Isaiah 31:6). Depth underscores the entrenched nature of sin—its layers, its history, its tenacity—and thus the urgency of repentance.

Divine Wisdom and Mystery

The juxtaposition of Psalm 92 with Isaiah 7:11 highlights a vast gulf between God’s fathomless purposes and the created order. Ahaz is invited to ask “from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven,” indicating that no realm is too deep for God’s sign. The word therefore accents both the transcendence and immanence of the LORD: He dwells in unfathomable wisdom yet reveals Himself within the deepest reaches of human need.

Prophetic Warnings and Promised Judgment

Isaiah 30:33 and the twin oracles of Jeremiah 49 use עָמַק to stress the certainty and scale of coming judgment. The fire prepared for Assyria is “deep and wide,” and the only hope for Dedan and Hazor is to “dwell in the depths.” The prophetic message is clear: either sink into remote deserts as a temporary shelter or be swallowed by the deeper furnace of divine wrath. Depth becomes a measuring rod of accountability.

Pastoral and Preaching Applications

1. God’s Thoughts Are Deeper Than Our Circumstances (Psalm 92:5). Believers are invited to worship, trusting His hidden purposes when life’s surface looks chaotic.
2. No Plot Is Too Deep for God to Expose (Isaiah 29:15). Secret sin invites divine “woe,” calling for transparent living before the all-seeing Lord.
3. Sin Digs Its Own Pit (Hosea 5:2; 9:9). Rebellion that goes deep will be addressed by equally profound discipline—yet the door of repentance remains open (Isaiah 31:6).
4. Fleeing to the Depths Can Be an Act of Faith (Jeremiah 49). Strategic withdrawal, guided by God’s word, may serve His preservation of a people during judgment.
5. Christ the Depth of God’s Wisdom. The New Testament climaxes the Old Testament motif: in Jesus “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden” (Colossians 2:3). Preaching can link the “deep thoughts” of Psalm 92 to the incarnate Logos who fully reveals the Father.

Intertextual Connections

Romans 11:33 praises the “depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God,” echoing Psalm 92:5.
Revelation 2:24 warns against “the deep things of Satan,” paralleling Hosea’s image of deep corruption. The battle over depth continues: profound righteousness versus profound evil.
• Jonah’s descent to “the roots of the mountains” (Jonah 2:6) mirrors Jeremiah’s call to “dwell in the depths,” illustrating how God meets His people even when they flee or fall.

Historical Context and Cultural Background

Depth imagery resonated with Ancient Near Eastern audiences accustomed to desert wadis, city cisterns, and the yawning tophet outside Jerusalem’s walls. Political refugees hid in rugged ravines; fires used deep pits as incinerators. Prophets appropriated this everyday vocabulary, weaving it into oracles that confronted kings and comforted commoners.

Summary

עָמַק threads through Scripture as a multi-dimensional metaphor: the fathomless wisdom of God, the entrenched nature of sin, the hidden motives of hearts, the terrifying magnitude of judgment, and the secluded places of refuge. Every occurrence invites readers to plunge beneath the surface—either to worship the depths of the Lord’s thoughts or to let His light penetrate the deepest recesses of their own.

Forms and Transliterations
הֶעְמִ֑יקוּ הֶעְמִ֣יק הֶעְמִ֣יקוּ הֶעְמִ֥יקוּ הֶעְמִ֧יקוּ הֶעְמִֽיקוּ־ הַמַּעֲמִיקִ֥ים הַעְמֵ֣ק המעמיקים העמיק העמיקו העמיקו־ העמק עָמְק֥וּ עמקו ‘ā·mə·qū ‘āməqū ameKu ha‘·mêq ha‘mêq ham·ma·‘ă·mî·qîm haMek hamma‘ămîqîm hammaamiKim he‘·mî·qū he‘·mî·qū- he‘·mîq he‘mîq he‘mîqū he‘mîqū- heMik heMiku
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Englishman's Concordance
Psalm 92:5
HEB: יְהוָ֑ה מְ֝אֹ֗ד עָמְק֥וּ מַחְשְׁבֹתֶֽיךָ׃
NAS: Your thoughts are very deep.
KJV: [and] thy thoughts are very deep.
INT: LORD are very deep your thoughts

Isaiah 7:11
HEB: יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ הַעְמֵ֣ק שְׁאָ֔לָה א֖וֹ
NAS: your God; make [it] deep as Sheol
KJV: ask it either in the depth, or in the height
INT: the LORD your God make Sheol or

Isaiah 29:15
HEB: ה֛וֹי הַמַּעֲמִיקִ֥ים מֵֽיהוָ֖ה לַסְתִּ֣ר
NAS: Woe to those who deeply hide
KJV: Woe unto them that seek deep to hide
INT: Woe deeply the LORD hide

Isaiah 30:33
HEB: לַמֶּ֥לֶךְ הוּכָ֖ן הֶעְמִ֣יק הִרְחִ֑ב מְדֻרָתָ֗הּ
NAS: for the king. He has made it deep and large,
KJV: it is prepared; he hath made [it] deep [and] large:
INT: the king has been prepared has made and large A pyre

Isaiah 31:6
HEB: שׁ֗וּבוּ לַאֲשֶׁ֛ר הֶעְמִ֥יקוּ סָרָ֖ה בְּנֵ֥י
NAS: to Him from whom you have deeply defected,
KJV: of Israel have deeply revolted.
INT: Return whom have deeply defected sons

Jeremiah 49:8
HEB: נֻ֤סוּ הָפְנוּ֙ הֶעְמִ֣יקוּ לָשֶׁ֔בֶת יֹשְׁבֵ֖י
NAS: dwell in the depths, O inhabitants
KJV: dwell deep, O inhabitants
INT: Flee turn the depths dwell inhabitants

Jeremiah 49:30
HEB: נֻּ֨דוּ מְאֹ֜ד הֶעְמִ֧יקוּ לָשֶׁ֛בֶת יֹשְׁבֵ֥י
NAS: Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants
KJV: dwell deep, O ye inhabitants
INT: flee off the depths Dwell inhabitants

Hosea 5:2
HEB: וְשַׁחֲטָ֥ה שֵׂטִ֖ים הֶעְמִ֑יקוּ וַאֲנִ֖י מוּסָ֥ר
NAS: The revolters have gone deep in depravity,
KJV: And the revolters are profound to make slaughter,
INT: slaughter the revolters have gone I will chastise

Hosea 9:9
HEB: הֶעְמִֽיקוּ־ שִׁחֵ֖תוּ כִּימֵ֣י
NAS: They have gone deep in depravity
KJV: They have deeply corrupted
INT: have gone depravity the days

9 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6009
9 Occurrences


‘ā·mə·qū — 1 Occ.
ha‘·mêq — 1 Occ.
ham·ma·‘ă·mî·qîm — 1 Occ.
he‘·mîq — 1 Occ.
he‘·mî·qū — 5 Occ.

6008
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