נָזִיד (na.zid)
na.zid
stew
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun nazid refers to a thick stew or pottage, essentially a dish of meat and vegetables that has been slowly boiled until tender. It appears six times in the Old Testament, most notably in narratives involving daily life and family dynamics, such as Genesis 25:34 and II Kings 4:38.
The word carries a specific culinary weight, distinguishing this hearty meal from simple broth or dry bread. In Genesis, Esau sells his birthright for a bowl of nazid, highlighting how immediate physical hunger can override spiritual inheritance. Similarly, in II Kings 4, Elisha’s servant prepares a pot of nazid to feed the prophets, showing its role as sustenance for communal living.
Its root suggests something that has been "soaked" or "boiled," emphasizing the transformation of raw ingredients into a unified, nourishing whole. Translators typically render it as "stew" or "pottage," capturing the thick, savory nature of the food. This term grounds biblical stories in the reality of ancient Near Eastern diets, where such meals were central to daily survival and hospitality.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read about Jacob giving Esau a bowl of lentil stew, the story feels surprisingly grounded in everyday life. This word for 'stew' describes a thick, slow-cooked meal that provided real sustenance. It reminds us that physical needs are part of our human experience, and that even spiritual matters can be tangled up with immediate hunger.
In the story of Elisha, this same dish becomes the center of a miracle where God provides for His people in difficult times. The word points to how God meets us in the ordinary moments of eating and sharing food. It invites us to see our daily meals not just as routine, but as opportunities for grace and community.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- cooked food2×
- the/ cooked food1×
- some of/ the/ cooked food1×
- and/ cooked food of1×
- <the>/ cooked food1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נָזִ֖יד1×
- נָזִ֑יד1×
- מֵ/הַ/נָּזִ֜יד1×
- וּ/נְזִ֣יד1×
- הַ/נָּזִ֜יד1×
- הַ/נָּזִ֖יד1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 25:34
Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.
This verse shows the word in the context of Esau trading his birthright, highlighting how immediate physical desire can lead to spiritual loss.
-
II Kings 4:38
Elisha came again to Gilgal. There was a famine in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, “Get the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”
Here the stew is prepared for prophets during a famine, showing its role as essential communal sustenance provided by God's servant.
-
II Kings 4:40
So they poured out for the men to eat. As they were eating some of the stew, they cried out and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.
The narrative uses this meal to demonstrate divine protection, as God intervenes when poison is accidentally added to the pot.