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נְחָשׁ

𐤍𐤇𐤔

nᵉchâsh

H5174 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נחש to hiss (as a serpent), to divine (in the root); noun: copper, bronze

Definition

Copper or bronze; refers to a reddish-brown metal, typically copper, and by extension bronze or alloys of copper, used for tools, vessels, weaponry, and ornamentation in the ancient Near East.

Semantic Range

copper; bronze; bronze alloy; tools or objects made of copper/bronze

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root נחש (n-ḥ-sh), which in the nominative typically refers to the metal copper. In Biblical Hebrew, the common noun נחשת (neḥoshet) means 'copper' or by extension 'bronze,' while נְחָשׁ is its Aramaic equivalent, occurring specifically in Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (notably Daniel and Ezra).

Historical & Contextual Notes

נְחָשׁ (nᵉchâsh) appears only in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (Daniel 2:32, 2:35; Ezra 8:27), where it corresponds exactly to the Hebrew noun נְחוּשָׁה (neḥushah) or נחשת (neḥoshet). In the biblical world, copper was a major utilitarian and precious metal; alloys such as bronze (copper mixed mainly with tin) were widely used for implements, weapons, and ritual objects. Translation traditions (e.g., KJV 'brass') can be somewhat misleading, as 'brass' is a later alloy of copper and zinc, not present in the ancient Near East. 'Copper' or 'bronze' are more accurate translations, depending on context. The term does not have cultic or theological significance on its own; it is a material descriptor. In the exilic and post-exilic periods, both Hebrew and Aramaic vocabulary for metals appear, reflecting linguistic exchange and the administrative presence of Aramaic as an imperial language.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to נְחוּשָׁה; copper; brass.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נחש (n-ḥ-sh) — to hiss, to divine; copper, bronze

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5153 נָחוּשׁ bronze-made
H5154 נְחוּשָׁה copper-bronze
H5173 נַחַשׁ act of divination
H5178 נְחֹשֶׁת in the bright-metal
H5180 נְחֻשְׁתָּן Bronze-Thing

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5174-02 נְחָשָׁ֜/א nechasha ANcmsd/Td of bronze the copper 5
H5174-03 וּ/נְחָ֔שׁ unechash AC/Ncmsa and bronze and copper 2
H5174-01 נְחָֽשׁ nechash ANcmsa bronze copper 2

Occurrences in Scripture

9 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5174-01 Daniel 2:32 נְחָֽשׁ nechash ANcmsa bronze copper
H5174-02 Daniel 2:35 נְחָשָׁ֜/א nechasha ANcmsd/Td the bronze the copper
H5174-02 Daniel 2:39 נְחָשָׁ֔/א nechasha ANcmsd/Td of bronze the copper
H5174-02 Daniel 2:45 נְחָשָׁ֤/א nechasha ANcmsd/Td the bronze the copper
H5174-03 Daniel 4:12 וּ/נְחָ֔שׁ unechash AC/Ncmsa and bronze and copper
H5174-03 Daniel 4:20 וּ/נְחָ֔שׁ unechash AC/Ncmsa and-bronze and copper
H5174-02 Daniel 5:4 נְחָשָׁ֥/א nechasha ANcmsd/Td of bronze the copper
H5174-02 Daniel 5:23 נְחָשָׁ֨/א nechasha ANcmsd/Td bronze the copper
H5174-01 Daniel 7:19 נְחָ֔שׁ nechash ANcmsa bronze copper
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