נָסַךְ (na.sakh)
na.sakh
to pour; to install
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 23 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb nasakh carries two distinct meanings that depend heavily on context: to pour out liquid and to set or install something firmly. In its most common usage, it describes the ritual pouring of wine or oil as a libation offering to God. This action appears frequently in the laws of Exodus and the prophetic warnings of Jeremiah, where such offerings are often condemned when disconnected from justice and righteousness.
A second, rarer sense involves establishing or appointing someone to a position of authority. The sources highlight its use in Psalm 2:6, where God declares, "I have installed my king on Zion." Here the word conveys a decisive act of placement rather than a gentle selection. It suggests fixing a ruler in place with divine authority.
The connection between these meanings lies in the idea of setting something down. Whether pouring a liquid onto an altar or installing a monarch on a throne, nasakh implies a deliberate act of positioning. Translators often render it as "pour out" or "set," choosing the sense that fits the immediate narrative flow.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word nasakh captures two distinct actions: pouring out a liquid and setting something firmly in place. In the Old Testament, it often describes the ritual of pouring wine or oil as an offering to God. This act was not merely ceremonial; it represented a complete surrender of what was valuable to the Divine. When we see this word used, it reminds us that true worship involves giving our best resources freely and openly.
Yet nasakh also carries the meaning of installation or establishment. In Psalm 2:6, God declares that He has set His King on Zion. Here, the word conveys a decisive act of placing authority where it belongs. It suggests stability and divine appointment rather than human selection. This dual usage invites us to consider how we position our lives—what we pour out in devotion and what we trust to be firmly established by God.
Whether in the context of libations or royal coronations, the underlying idea is one of deliberate positioning. We are called to offer our lives as living sacrifices, pouring out our hearts in gratitude while resting in the certainty that God has set His purposes in motion. This balance of active giving and trusting submission forms a core part of biblical faith.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 23 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ he poured out4×
- and/ to pour out3×
- and/ to/ pour out2×
- and/ they poured out2×
- you must pour out1×
- they will pour out1×
- pour out1×
- it will be poured out1×
- it was poured out1×
- he has poured out1×
- he has cast1×
- has he cast?1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יֻסַּ֖ךְ2×
- וּ/לְ/הַסֵּ֥ךְ2×
- וְ/הַסֵּ֥ךְ2×
- תִסְּכ֖וּ1×
- נָסָ֑ךְ1×
- נָסַ֨ךְ1×
- נָסַ֣כְתִּי1×
- נָסַ֣ךְ1×
- נִסַּ֥כְתִּי1×
- יִסְּכ֨וּ1×
- וַ/יַּסֵּ֥ךְ1×
- וַ/יַּסֵּ֤ךְ1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 2:6
“Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.”
This verse uses nasakh to describe God's decisive act of establishing His King on Zion, highlighting divine authority and stability rather than human choice.
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II Samuel 23:16
The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David; but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Yahweh.
David pours out water as a drink offering to Yahweh, treating the life-giving resource with such reverence that he refuses to drink it himself.
-
Jeremiah 7:18
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of the sky, and to pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
The prophet condemns the people for pouring out drink offerings to other gods, showing how the ritual act becomes an instrument of idolatry when disconnected from loyalty to Yahweh.
-
Genesis 35:14
Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it.
Jacob pours out a drink offering on a stone pillar, marking a sacred moment of encounter with God through a tangible act of worship.