נָצָה (na.tsah)
na.tsah
to flee; to bud
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb natsah carries two distinct meanings depending on its grammatical form. In the Qal stem, it means to fly or flee, suggesting rapid movement away from a place. This usage appears in Lamentations 4:15, where homeless exiles are described as fleeing like birds, highlighting their desperate and scattered condition during the siege of Jerusalem.
In the Hiphil stem, the word shifts entirely to mean blooming or blossoming. Here it describes plants putting forth flowers, such as pomegranates or almond trees. This agricultural imagery is common in poetic literature, where new growth symbolizes renewal or the arrival of spring.
Though rare, with only two occurrences in Scripture, the word’s range from fleeing to flowering offers a striking contrast. One form captures human displacement and fear, while the other reflects nature’s quiet restoration. Translators must carefully distinguish the stem to convey whether the text speaks of escape or emergence.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word natsah appears in Scripture with two very different meanings, depending on how it is used. In Lamentations, it describes people fleeing in fear during a time of great distress. This reminds us that God sees our moments of panic and displacement. He is present even when we feel scattered or unsafe.
In contrast, Song of Solomon uses the word to describe plants budding and blossoming. This image of new growth offers hope for renewal. Just as flowers return in spring, God brings life out of difficult seasons. We can trust that He restores what was lost.
Whether we are facing fear or waiting for healing, this word shows both sides of our experience. It acknowledges our pain while pointing to His power to bring new beginnings. We do not have to face these changes alone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they fled1×
- had they bloomed?1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נָצ֖וּ1×
- הֵנֵ֖צוּ1×
Key Verses
-
Lamentations 4:15
“Go away!” they cried to them. “Unclean! Go away! Go away! Don’t touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, “They can’t live here any more.”
This verse uses the Qal stem to depict the desperate flight of exiles, highlighting human vulnerability and divine judgment.
-
Song of Solomon 6:11
I went down into the nut tree grove, to see the green plants of the valley, to see whether the vine budded, and the pomegranates were in flower.
Here the Hiphil stem describes pomegranates in bloom, symbolizing beauty, fertility, and the joy of new life.