נוֹצָה (no.tsah)
no.tsah
plumage
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun noṣah refers to the outer covering of a bird, specifically its plumage or feathers. With only two occurrences in the Hebrew Bible, this word appears in Leviticus 14:52 and Job 39:13. In both contexts, it describes the physical material used for practical purposes rather than serving as a metaphor for spiritual concepts.
In Leviticus, noṣah is one of the items burned during the purification ritual for skin diseases, alongside cedar wood, hyssop, and a scarlet thread. The text simply lists these elements without elaborating on their symbolic weight. Similarly, Job 39:13 mentions the feathers of the ostrich in a discussion about animal behavior, noting that they flap joyfully but lack the strength to lift the bird into flight.
The word is straightforward and concrete, denoting the literal structure of a bird’s coat. It does not carry abstract theological connotations like "wing" (kanaf) might. Translators typically render it as "feathers" or "plumage," reflecting its simple, descriptive nature in these rare biblical instances.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word noṣah describes the outer covering of a bird, specifically its feathers or plumage. It appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, always in a literal sense. In Leviticus, these feathers are part of a cleansing ritual, showing how even ordinary natural materials play a role in restoring purity. In Job, they highlight the unique design of the ostrich, whose wings flap but cannot lift it to flight.
This concrete imagery reminds us that God cares for the details of creation. The same Creator who designed the delicate structure of feathers also attends to our lives. We do not need to search for hidden spiritual metaphors in every natural object. Instead, we can trust that a God who notices the specific parts of a bird is fully aware of our own needs and circumstances.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- with/ feather[s]/ its1×
- and/ plumage1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/נֹצָֽה\׃1×
- בְּ/נֹצָתָ֑/הּ1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 1:16
and he shall take away its crop and its feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes.
This verse lists feathers as a physical item to be removed from the sacrifice, showing their role in the ritual process rather than as a symbol.
-
Job 39:13
“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the feathers and plumage of love?
Here the word contrasts the ostrich's proud wing movements with its actual inability to fly, emphasizing the specific design limits of this bird.