נָטָף (na.taph)
na.taph
drop; gum
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew word nāṭaph literally means "drop," but in Scripture it refers specifically to a fragrant gum or resin that gathers in drops from a shrub. This substance, identified as stacte, was one of the four sacred ingredients commanded for the holy incense in Exodus 30:34.
Its use is restricted to ritual worship, highlighting its value and distinctiveness. The image of resin forming in drops suggests a careful, natural process of collection, mirroring the precision required in preparing the temple offerings. It appears again in Job 36:27, where God’s power gathers moisture from the ends of the earth, linking the physical drop to divine provision.
Translators often render it as "stacte" or "fragrant gum" to preserve its specific identity as an aromatic resin rather than a generic liquid. This precision reminds readers that the incense was not merely smoke, but a complex blend of precious materials, each chosen for its scent and symbolic weight in approaching God.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word nāṭaph describes a fragrant gum that forms in small drops from a shrub. This substance, known as stacte, was one of the sacred ingredients for the holy incense in Exodus. Its preparation required careful gathering, reflecting the precision and reverence Christians bring to worship. The drop-by-drop process reminds us that approaching God involves thoughtful intentionality.
In Job, this same word describes how God draws up moisture from the earth, linking the physical drop to divine provision. This connection shows that even in nature, God’s care is present in small, steady details. Whether in ancient rituals or daily life, these drops symbolize a faithful, ongoing relationship with the Creator.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- stacte1×
- drops of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נָטָ֤ף\׀1×
- נִטְפֵי\־1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 30:34
Yahweh said to Moses, “Take to yourself sweet spices, gum resin, onycha, and galbanum: sweet spices with pure frankincense. There shall be an equal weight of each.
This verse lists nāṭaph as a sacred ingredient for incense, highlighting its role in ritual worship and the precision required in preparing offerings to God.
-
Job 36:27
For he draws up the drops of water, which distill in rain from his vapor,
Here, nāṭaph describes how God gathers moisture from the earth, linking the physical drop to His provision and care for creation.