נַעֲצוּץ
𐤍𐤏𐤑𐤅𐤑
naʻătsûwts
H5285 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A type of thorny bush or bramble, likely referring to a particular species of prickly plant found in arid or marginal lands; generally denotes a bramble, thicket of thorns, or a plant characterized by sharp, spiny protrusions. Used in poetic or metaphorical passages to symbolize desolation, uncultivated land, or obstacles.
Semantic Range
thorn, brier, bramble, thicket of thorns, prickly bush, wild vegetation characterized by sharp spines
Root / Etymology
Root/Noun from נָעַץ or a related but otherwise unused root, possibly meaning 'to prick' or 'to pierce.' The precise etymology is uncertain, as the root does not occur as a verb in the Hebrew Bible. The noun denotes a specific kind of thorn-bush or bramble, emphasizing its sharp, prickling nature.
Historical & Contextual Notes
נַעֲצוּץ appears only a few times in the Hebrew Bible, notably in poetic or prophetic passages (e.g., Isaiah 7:19; 55:13; Micah 7:4), often in parallel with other thorny or wild plants (e.g., שָׁמִיר shāmîr, שַׁיּת shayit), to symbolize desolation, curse, or a return to wilderness conditions. Its meaning is broader than the English 'thorn'—it points to a type of dense, prickly shrub that overtakes abandoned or uncultivated ground. Later traditions sometimes use the term generically for 'thorn,' but contextually it refers to plants commonly encountered in the southern Levant. English translations typically render it as 'brier' or 'thornbush,' but this may obscure the nuanced Hebrew distinctions between types of wild vegetation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to prick; probably a brier; by implication, a thicket of thorny bushes; thorn.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נעצ (n-ʿ-ts) — to prick, to pierce, to stick in
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5285-02 |
הַ/נַּ֣עֲצוּצִ֔ים | hanaatsutsim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the-thornbushes | the prickly brambles | 1 |
H5285-01 |
הַֽ/נַּעֲצוּץ֙ | hanaatsuts | HTd/Ncmsa |
the thorn | the prickly bramble | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5285-02 |
Isaiah 7:19 | הַ/נַּ֣עֲצוּצִ֔ים | hanaatsutsim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the-thornbushes | the prickly brambles |
H5285-01 |
Isaiah 55:13 | הַֽ/נַּעֲצוּץ֙ | hanaatsuts | HTd/Ncmsa |
the thorn | the prickly bramble |