נִיסָן (ni.san)
ni.san
Nisan
N:N--TQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--T
Word Overview
The Hebrew word nisan names the first month of the Jewish religious calendar, which typically falls in March or April. It serves as a proper noun for this specific time of year rather than describing a quality or action. In the biblical text, it appears only twice, both in post-exilic books that record events after the return from Babylonian exile.
Etymologically, the name is often linked to the meaning "their flight," though some scholars suggest alternative roots. It functions as a later designation for the month previously known as abib, or "spring," reflecting the seasonal cycle of grain harvests. The sources note its usage in Nehemiah and Esther, anchoring these historical narratives to the specific months when key events unfolded.
Its limited appearance highlights how the calendar shifted over time. While earlier texts like Exodus use abib to emphasize the agricultural context of spring, nisan appears in later writings that organize history by the official civic calendar. This change marks a transition in how the community tracked time after returning from exile, prioritizing administrative clarity alongside religious observance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Nisan marks the beginning of the religious calendar for Israel, signaling a time of new beginnings and divine intervention. In the post-exilic period, this month became central to how God’s people organized their spiritual lives after returning from Babylon. It replaced earlier agricultural terms like Abib, reflecting a shift toward civic order while maintaining deep religious significance.
When Nehemiah received permission to rebuild Jerusalem in Nisan, it was not just a date on a calendar but a moment of hope restored. Similarly, the events recorded in Esther during this month remind us that God’s timing often unfolds through human decisions and historical circumstances. These stories show how ordinary months can carry extraordinary meaning when aligned with God’s purposes.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Nisan2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נִיסָ֗ן1×
- נִיסָ֔ן1×
Key Verses
-
Nehemiah 2:1
In the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, I picked up the wine, and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad before in his presence.
This verse highlights Nisan as the month when Nehemiah received royal permission to rebuild Jerusalem, marking a pivotal moment of restoration and divine provision.
-
Esther 3:7
In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, and chose the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
Here, Nisan sets the stage for Haman’s plot against the Jews, showing how this month became intertwined with both danger and God's unseen protection.