נָטִיל (ne.til)
ne.til
laden
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew adjective natil describes something that is heavily loaded or burdened. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Zephaniah 1:11, where it modifies the merchants and traders in the city.
In this context, the word paints a vivid picture of goods piled high on pack animals or carts. The prophet uses this image to convey the weight of their commercial activity, which stands in stark contrast to the coming judgment. The physical heaviness of their wares mirrors the spiritual burden of their lives.
Because it is so rare, natil does not have a broad range of usage across Scripture. Its power lies in that single, concrete moment where economic prosperity is depicted as a load that will soon be cast down. Translators typically render it as "laden" to preserve this sense of physical weight.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word נָטִיל describes a state of being heavily laden or burdened with goods. In Zephaniah’s prophecy, it paints a picture of merchants whose carts and pack animals are weighed down by silver and trade items. This physical weight serves as a metaphor for the spiritual heaviness that often accompanies the pursuit of wealth. When our lives are packed tight with material accumulation, there is little room left for the lightness of trust in God.
It is easy to feel carried away by the demands of work and the accumulation of possessions. Yet this single verse reminds us that such loads are temporary and can be removed in a moment. Instead of carrying burdens that distract from our faith, we are invited to lay down what weighs us down. May you find peace in releasing those heavy cares to God today.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] weighers of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נְטִ֥ילֵי1×
Key Verses
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Zephaniah 1:11
Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone! All those who were loaded with silver are cut off.
This verse uses the word to describe merchants whose silver-laden carts symbolize the spiritual burden of their materialistic pursuits.