נָחָשׁ
𐤍𐤇𐤔
Nachash
H5176 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name designating two different non-Israelite figures in the Hebrew Bible. Also, an appellative meaning 'serpent.' As a personal name: refers to (1) the Ammonite king, adversary of Saul and the early Israelite monarchy, and (2) the father of Abigail, wife of Jesse or mother of Zeruiah, in certain genealogical traditions. The name itself may derive from the word for 'serpent,' possibly conveying attributes such as cunning or danger, or may simply be a personal name with no direct reference in those narratives.
Semantic Range
personal name—(a) Ammonite king; (b) father of Abigail; noun—serpent, snake; (rare) conjurer, diviner
Root / Etymology
From the root נחשׁ, which as a verb means 'to practice divination, to observe omens'; the noun נָחָשׁ commonly denotes 'serpent.' As a personal name, the etymological connection to 'serpent' may imply symbolic meaning, but this is not always certain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, נָחָשׁ is used as a personal name for (1) the Ammonite king who besieged Jabesh-Gilead (1 Samuel 11), a prominent antagonist in the early monarchy period, and (2) the father of Abigail (2 Samuel 17:25), whose precise relationship to David’s family is debated in scholarship; the name may not indicate Ammonite identity in this context. The recurrence of this name outside Israelite genealogy suggests it was used among neighboring peoples. The meaning 'serpent' is not explicitly referenced in narrative about these individuals, but may have connotations in the naming tradition. In later English translations, the name is sometimes altered or omitted depending on the genealogical identification of Abigail and Zeruiah, but the Hebrew text consistently reads נָחָשׁ. Later tradition replaces or confuses 'Nahash' with 'Jesse' in some passages, impacting interpretation of David’s lineage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as נָחָשׁ; Nachash, the name of two persons apparently non-Israelite; Nahash.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נחשׁ (n-ḥ-sh) — serpent, snake; practice divination, observe omens
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5154 | נְחוּשָׁה | like copper |
| H5172 | נָחַשׁ | intensively practice divination |
| H5175 | נָחָשׁ | the serpent |
| H5177 | נַחְשׁוֹן | Nachshon |
| H5179 | נְחֻשְׁתָּא | Nehushta |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5176-01 |
נָחָשׁ֙ | nachash | HNp |
Nahash | serpent | 9 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5176-01 |
1 Samuel 11:1 | נָחָשׁ֙ | nachash | HNp |
Nahash | serpent |
H5176-01 |
1 Samuel 11:1 | נָחָ֔שׁ | nachash-2 | HNp |
Nahash | serpent |
H5176-01 |
1 Samuel 11:2 | נָחָשׁ֙ | nachash | HNp |
Nahash | serpent |
H5176-01 |
1 Samuel 12:12 | נָחָ֞שׁ | nachash | HNp |
Nahash | serpent |
H5176-01 |
2 Samuel 10:2 | נָחָ֗שׁ | nachash | HNp |
Nahash | serpent |
H5176-01 |
2 Samuel 17:25 | נָחָ֔שׁ | nachash | HNp |
Nahash | serpent |
H5176-01 |
2 Samuel 17:27 | נָחָ֜שׁ | nachash | HNp |
Nahash | serpent |
H5176-01 |
1 Chronicles 19:1 | נָחָ֖שׁ | nachash | HNp |
Nahash | serpent |
H5176-01 |
1 Chronicles 19:2 | נָחָ֗שׁ | nachash | HNp |
of Nahash | serpent |