A Hebrew word used as an adverb and preposition meaning in front of, opposite, before, straight forward, in the presence of. It denotes directness and straightness — being face-to-face with something or moving in a straight, honest path. Related to the adjective nakoach (straight, right, honest).
This word connects spatial directness with moral integrity. In Proverbs 4:25, 'Let your eyes look directly (nokach) forward' — a call to moral focus and undivided purpose. Walking nokach before God means living transparently, with nothing hidden, facing Him directly. The concept opposes crookedness and deception. When combined with the broader Proverbs wisdom tradition, it teaches that the righteous life is a straight path — not devious, not evasive, but honest and direct before God and men.