נָצָה (na.tsah)
na.tsah
to struggle; to desolate
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 9 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb natsah carries two distinct meanings depending on its grammatical form. In the Qal stem, it describes a state of ruin, meaning to fall into desolation or become stripped bare. This usage appears in prophetic warnings where cities are said to "fall in ruins," emphasizing the total collapse of structures and order.
However, in the Niphal and Hiphil stems, the word shifts dramatically to mean "to struggle." Here it depicts a physical contest, often involving reciprocal conflict or engaging in battle against an opponent. This sense of intense, active contention contrasts sharply with the passive destruction of the Qal form.
The coexistence of these meanings highlights the Hebrew imagination’s connection between violence and devastation. The struggle described in the Niphal often leads to the desolation found in the Qal. Translators must carefully check the verb pattern to decide whether a passage speaks of cities crumbling or people fighting, as seen in various legal and historical texts in Exodus and Numbers.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word natsah reveals a profound link between human conflict and its consequences. In passages like Exodus 2:13, it describes two men struggling in the field, capturing the raw intensity of interpersonal strife. This active engagement often leads to the quieter, heavier reality of desolation found in prophetic warnings, where cities fall into ruin as a result of such discord.
For your faith life, this duality offers a sobering reminder. The struggles we engage in today can shape the landscape of our tomorrow. Whether you are navigating family tensions or broader social conflicts, recognizing that conflict often paves the way for desolation invites us to seek peace with greater urgency. It calls for wisdom in how we handle disagreement.
May you find strength in choosing paths that build rather than destroy. Let this understanding guide your interactions, fostering an environment where resolution replaces ruin and harmony prevails over strife.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 9 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- ruined2×
- and/ they struggled together2×
- when/ struggled/ they1×
- they will struggle together1×
- they will fall in ruins1×
- they will be struggling together1×
- they struggled1×
- [were] struggling together1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נִצִּ֖ים2×
- תִּצֶּ֖ינָה1×
- נִצִּ֑ים1×
- יִנָּצ֨וּ1×
- יִנָּצ֣וּ1×
- וַ/יִּנָּצוּ֙1×
- וַ/יִּנָּצ֤וּ1×
- הִצּ֜וּ1×
- בְּ/הַצֹּתָ֖/ם1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 2:13
He went out the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?”
This verse uses the word to describe a physical fight between two Hebrew men, highlighting the active, reciprocal nature of human conflict.
-
Leviticus 24:10
The son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israelite woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp.
Here the term depicts a specific struggle between an Israelite and an Egyptian within the camp, illustrating how such conflicts disrupt community order.
-
II Samuel 14:6
Your servant had two sons; and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him.
The narrative uses this word to recount two brothers fighting until one kills the other, showing the ultimate tragic consequence of unbridled strife.
-
Jeremiah 4:7
A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations. He is on his way. He has gone out from his place, to make your land desolate, that your cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.
In this prophetic context, the related sense of desolation is applied to land and cities, demonstrating how divine judgment results in total ruin.