נָתַס (na.tas)
na.tas
to break
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb natas appears only once in the Old Testament, found in Job 30:13. In this context, it means to tear down or break down structures. The word describes a violent dismantling, suggesting forceful destruction rather than gradual decay.
Job uses this term to depict his suffering as an assault by God’s forces. He imagines the enemy breaking through his defenses like a siege engine breaching a wall. This single usage highlights the sudden and catastrophic nature of his loss, emphasizing how quickly stability can be shattered.
Because it occurs in such a specific literary setting, natas carries heavy emotional weight. It is not a general word for repair or construction but exclusively for ruin. Translators often render it as "break down" or "tear down," capturing the physicality of Job’s metaphorical collapse.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When life feels like it is crumbling around you, the word natas in Job 30:13 offers a strange comfort. It describes a sudden, violent breaking of defenses, much like a siege engine tearing down a wall. This imagery acknowledges that some pain is not gradual but catastrophic, stripping away our security in an instant.
Job uses this term to express his feeling that God’s forces were actively dismantling his stability. Yet, even in this raw depiction of ruin, there is honesty. We do not have to pretend our foundations are unshakable. Bringing our shattered expectations to God allows Him to meet us in the wreckage, where true strength is often found.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they have torn down1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נָתְס֗וּ1×
Key Verses
-
Job 30:13
They mar my path. They promote my destruction without anyone’s help.
This verse uses the word to describe enemies breaking through Job's path and promoting his destruction without help.