cha.qaq denotes issuing authoritative rulings and making enduring marks by carving, engraving, or inscribing.

The attested uses chiefly concern authoritative action: rulers, lawgivers, and the LORD are presented in connection with judgments, righteous rulings, and decrees. The same verb also describes marks made on durable surfaces or in writing, including engraved images, a tomb cut in rock, words inscribed in a scroll, and a boundary set for the sea.

1. Issue rulings or exercise governing authority · dominant

   Active participles identify figures associated with rule or lawgiving: Genesis 49:10 places the form beside the scepter and ruler's staff, while Judges 5:9 speaks of Israel's lawgivers. In Isaiah 10:1 the APB renders the clause "those who decree iniquitous decrees," and Proverbs 8:15 places rulers who "decree righteousness" alongside kings who reign.

   Genesis 49:10Judges 5:9Isaiah 10:1Isaiah 33:22Proverbs 8:15Proverbs 31:5
2. Carve, engrave, or inscribe a mark · common

   The verb describes visible or written marking: Ezekiel 23:14 refers to men "engraved upon the wall," and Isaiah 49:16 to being "engraved" on palms. Isaiah 22:16 describes cutting out a tomb in the rock, while Job 19:23 and Isaiah 30:8 place the action in the writing or inscribing of words on a scroll or tablet; Proverbs 8:29 describes a limit set for the sea.

   Ezekiel 23:14Isaiah 22:16Isaiah 30:8Isaiah 49:16Job 19:23Proverbs 8:29

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across these verses, the APB presents the legal-authoritative context with wording such as "decree," "lawgiver," and "what is decreed," and the marking context with "engraved," "cut out," and "inscribe." These are verse-level renderings rather than fixed word-for-word equivalents.