נֵ֫תַח (ne.tach)
ne.tach
piece
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun netach refers to a distinct piece or portion of flesh, typically cut from a larger body. In the biblical text, it appears seven times, primarily within the legal codes of Leviticus and Exodus, as well as in the narrative of Judges. The word is concrete and physical, describing meat that has been separated for use.
Its most frequent context involves ritual law, where precise measurements matter. For example, Leviticus 1:8 uses it when instructing priests to arrange specific pieces of a burnt offering on the altar. Similarly, Exodus 29:17 describes cutting a bull into pieces for sacrifice. In Judges 19:29, the term appears in a grim account where a woman’s body is divided into twelve parts, highlighting its neutral sense of a segmented portion.
Translators usually render netach as "piece" or "pieces." The word lacks abstract or metaphorical weight; it simply denotes a physical segment of animal flesh. Its usage underscores the tangible nature of ancient Israelite sacrifices and judicial acts, grounding these events in material reality rather than symbolic abstraction.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word netach describes a specific piece or portion of flesh, often cut from a larger body for use. In the Old Testament, it appears mostly in laws about sacrifices, where priests carefully arranged pieces of meat on the altar. This detail shows that worship involved real, tangible actions. God cared about the physical act of offering, not just inner feelings. When you bring your gifts or time to God, He values the concrete effort you make.
While the word can appear in grim stories, like the division of a body in Judges, its main use is in holy rituals. It reminds us that faith has a physical side. We serve God with our hands and hearts. The careful preparation of sacrifices points to the seriousness of approaching the divine. Your daily acts of kindness and service are also meaningful pieces offered to Him.
This concrete language helps us see that God meets us in real life. He does not ask for abstract ideas alone but for your actual presence. Whether you are preparing a meal or helping a neighbor, you are offering something real. Trust that these small, physical acts matter deeply to God. He sees the pieces you lay before Him and accepts them with grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- into/ pieces/ its4×
- the/ pieces2×
- to/ pieces/ its1×
- pieces/ its1×
- pieces1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לִ/נְתָחָ֑י/ו2×
- נְתָחָ֖י/ו1×
- נְתָחִ֑ים1×
- לִ/נְתָחָ֔י/ו1×
- לִ/נְתָחֶֽי/הָ\׃1×
- לִ/נְתָחֶ֖י/הָ1×
- הַ/נְּתָחִ֖ים1×
- הַ/נְּתָחִ֔ים1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 1:8
and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar;
This verse shows priests arranging specific pieces on the altar, highlighting the careful order required in worship.
-
Exodus 29:17
You shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its innards, and its legs, and put them with its pieces, and with its head.
Here the ram is cut into pieces for sacrifice, illustrating the physical preparation involved in consecration.
-
Judges 19:29
When he had come into his house, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.
This grim account uses the word to describe dividing a body, showing its neutral sense of a segmented portion without moral judgment on the act itself.