νοσσιά (nossia)
nossia
chick
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun nossia refers to a bird’s nest or, more specifically, a brood of young birds. In the New Testament, it appears only once, in Luke 13:34, where Jesus laments over Jerusalem using the image of a hen gathering her chicks under her wings.
This word is a later form of the classical neosia, which also meant nest or brood. Its usage highlights the intimate care a mother bird provides for her vulnerable young. The term emphasizes not just the physical structure but the group of offspring being protected, drawing on a familiar natural image to convey deep maternal concern and shelter.
Translators typically render nossia as "chicks" or "brood" in this context, focusing on the dependent young rather than the nest itself. This choice underscores the vulnerability of those being gathered and the protective nature of the one who gathers them, making the metaphor of divine care both tender and concrete.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When Jesus speaks of gathering Jerusalem’s children under His wings like a hen with her chicks, He uses a simple image from everyday life to reveal the depth of God’s heart. The word for this brood highlights vulnerability and dependence. Just as young birds cannot survive without the shelter of their mother, we find our safety only in His protective presence.
This scene invites us to see divine care not as distant authority, but as intimate nearness. God does not merely watch from afar; He desires to draw us close during times of fear or uncertainty. The image reminds us that seeking refuge in Him is a natural and safe response to life’s storms.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- brood1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- νοσσιὰν1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 13:34
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you refused!
This verse uniquely applies the word to describe the vulnerable group of children Jesus longs to protect under His wings, emphasizing divine desire for refuge.