נָטַע (na.ta)
na.ta
to plant
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 50 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb nata means to strike something into the ground so it becomes fixed and secure. While its primary sense is literal planting, such as setting trees or vineyards in soil, the word carries a strong sense of establishment. It describes not just the act of putting a plant in earth, but the resulting state of being firmly rooted and stable.
This dual nature appears across Scripture, from Genesis where God plants a garden, to Jeremiah where He promises to plant Israel so they will never be uprooted again. The word is also used for fixing objects like tent pegs or nails, emphasizing permanence. In Isaiah 40:24, the metaphor highlights that human rulers are like shrubs that are easily blown away if not firmly planted by God.
The theological weight of nata lies in its contrast with instability. To be planted by God is to have a secure identity and future. Translators often render it simply as "plant," but the Hebrew concept includes the idea of being established in a specific place with lasting purpose.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read that God planted a garden in Eden or promised to plant Israel so they would never be uprooted, we see more than agricultural imagery. The Hebrew word nata implies being struck firmly into the ground until stability is achieved. This suggests that your faith is not meant to be a temporary arrangement but a permanent fixture in your life. Just as a tree draws strength from deep roots, you are invited to find your security in God’s deliberate placement of you.
It is easy to feel unstable when circumstances shift around us. Yet the biblical promise is that God establishes His people with purpose. Whether you are navigating a new season or facing uncertainty, remember that being planted by God means you have a fixed place and a lasting future. This grounding provides a quiet confidence that does not depend on your own strength but on the One who sets you firmly in place.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 50 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you will plant4×
- and/ plant4×
- and/ to/ plant3×
- and/ they will plant3×
- and/ he planted3×
- and/ I will plant/ them3×
- to/ plant2×
- they will plant2×
- and/ I will plant/ it2×
- ¿/ [the] planter of1×
- you planted1×
- you plant1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/נָטְע֣וּ3×
- תִּטַּ֖ע2×
- נָטַ֥ע2×
- נְטַעְתֶּ֔ם2×
- וּ/נְטַעְתִּ֖י/ם2×
- וְ/נִטְע֥וּ2×
- וְ/נִטְע֣וּ2×
- תִּטְּעִי֙1×
- תִּטְּעִ֣י1×
- תִטָּ֔עוּ1×
- תִטַּ֥ע1×
- נֹטְעִ֖ים1×
Key Verses
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Genesis 2:8
Yahweh God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed.
This verse establishes the original intent of human existence as being deliberately placed by God in a specific location for purpose.
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II Samuel 7:10
I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be moved no more. The children of wickedness will not afflict them any more, as at the first,
God uses this verb to promise Israel permanent security, ensuring they will no longer be moved or afflicted by wickedness.
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Psalms 94:9
He who implanted the ear, won’t he hear? He who formed the eye, won’t he see?
The rhetorical question links the act of implanting sensory organs to God’s attentive care for His creation.