נֶסֶךְ
𐤍𐤎𐤊
neçek
H5262 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A liquid offering, typically of wine, poured out as a ritual act in the context of worship or sacrifice; by extension, an object formed by pouring molten metal, i.e., an idol or statue. The primary meaning centers on a libation offered to a deity, but in some contexts refers to the product of pouring metal, i.e., a cast or molten image.
Semantic Range
liquid ritual offering, libation, drink offering, poured wine, molten image, cast idol, cast statue
Root / Etymology
From the root נסך (נ-ס-ך), meaning 'to pour out, especially as a ritual act' or 'to cast (metal) by pouring.' The noun נֶסֶךְ derives from this root and denotes either what is poured (a liquid offering) or what is formed by pouring (a cast idol or statue).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, נֶסֶךְ most commonly refers to a drink offering of wine poured out at an altar, often accompanying animal sacrifices in Israelite ritual (e.g., Exodus 29:40; Numbers 28:7-10). In certain contexts, especially those addressing idolatry or Canaanite cultic practices, נֶסֶךְ can denote a cast or molten object, generally an idol (Isaiah 41:29; Habakkuk 2:18), indicating a semantic shift from 'the act/product of pouring out' to 'an object formed by pouring.' The meaning 'libation' remains primary in priestly literature, while 'molten image' is a later or extended sense influenced by the act of pouring molten metal. English translations often render it as 'drink offering' when used of Israelite worship and as 'molten image' or 'idol' in polemical or prophetic critiques of idolatry. The word is distinct from זֶבַח (zevaḥ, 'animal sacrifice') and מִנְחָה (minḥah, 'grain or gift offering'), marking specifically the ritual pouring of liquids. Over time, as sacrificial practices ceased in the post-exilic and especially Second Temple eras, the concrete ritual sense of נֶסֶךְ faded; its secondary meaning as 'cast idol' is already pejorative in the prophetic literature and was not a neutral cultic term.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or נֵסֶךְ; from נָסַךְ; a libation; also a cast idol; cover, drink offering, molten image.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נסך (n-s-k) — to pour out, to cast by pouring
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4537 | מָסַךְ | cast-metal image |
| H4541 | מַסֵּכָה | the cast-metal image |
| H4545 | מַסֶּכֶת | the spread-out textile |
| H5257 | נְסִיךְ | their installed prince |
| H5258 | נָסַךְ | I will pour out |
Word Forms
22 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5262-19 |
וְ/נִסְכֵּי/הֶ֔ם | venisekeyhem | HC/Ncmpc/Sp3mp |
and their drink offerings | and their poured-out offerings | 15 |
H5262-03 |
נְסָכִים֙ | nesakhim | HNcmpa |
drink offerings | poured-out offerings | 8 |
H5262-17 |
וְ/נִסְכָּֽ/הּ | venisekah | HC/Ncmsc/Sp3fs |
and its drink offering | and her poured-offering | 7 |
H5262-21 |
וְ/נִסְכּ֖/וֹ | veniseko | HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
and its drink offering | and his poured offering | 5 |
H5262-06 |
נִסְכּֽ/וֹ | niseko | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his molten image | his poured-offering | 4 |
H5262-02 |
לַ/נֶּ֨סֶךְ֙ | lanesekhe | HRd/Ncmsa |
for the drink offering | for the poured-offering | 3 |
H5262-04 |
נֶ֔סֶךְ | nesekhe | HNcmsa |
a drink offering | poured offering | 3 |
H5262-05 |
נִסְכֵּי/הֶֽם | nisekeyhem | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their drink offerings | their poured-out libations | 3 |
H5262-16 |
וְ/נֵ֕סֶךְ | venesekhe | HC/Ncmsa |
and-a-libation | libation-offering | 2 |
H5262-14 |
וָ/נֶ֖סֶךְ | vanesekhe | HC/Ncmsa |
and drink offering | and poured-offering | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
64 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5262-04 |
Genesis 35:14 | נֶ֔סֶךְ | nesekhe | HNcmsa |
a drink offering | poured offering |
H5262-16 |
Exodus 29:40 | וְ/נֵ֕סֶךְ | venesekhe | HC/Ncmsa |
and-a-libation | libation-offering |
H5262-07 |
Exodus 29:41 | וּ/כְ/נִסְכָּ/הּ֙ | ukhenisekah | HC/R/Ncmsc/Sp3fs |
and like its drink offering | and like her poured-offering |
H5262-16 |
Exodus 30:9 | וְ/נֵ֕סֶךְ | venesekhe | HC/Ncmsa |
and-drink-offering | libation-offering |
H5262-22 |
Leviticus 23:13 | וְ/נִסְכֹּ֥/ה | venisekoh | HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
and its drink offering | and his poured-out offering |
H5262-19 |
Leviticus 23:18 | וְ/נִסְכֵּי/הֶ֔ם | venisekeyhem | HC/Ncmpc/Sp3mp |
and-their-drink-offerings | and their poured-out offerings |
H5262-11 |
Leviticus 23:37 | וּ/נְסָכִ֖ים | unesakhim | HC/Ncmpa |
and drink offerings | and poured-out offerings |
H5262-01 |
Numbers 4:7 | הַ/נָּ֑סֶךְ | hanasekhe | HTd/Ncmsa |
for the drink offering | the poured-out offering |
H5262-19 |
Numbers 6:15 | וְ/נִסְכֵּי/הֶֽם | venisekeyhem | HC/Ncmpc/Sp3mp |
and-their-drink-offerings | and their poured-out offerings |
H5262-06 |
Numbers 6:17 | נִסְכּֽ/וֹ | niseko | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his-drink-offering | his poured-offering |