נְצַל
𐤍𐤑𐤋
nᵉtsal
H5338 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To deliver or rescue someone from danger, oppression, or difficulty; to extricate or save, with emphasis on the action of bringing out or freeing someone from a perilous or threatening situation. Used predominantly in Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible to denote physical, social, or existential salvation.
Semantic Range
to deliver, rescue from danger, save from harm or peril, extricate from distress, bring out from a threatening situation
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root נצל, whose core meaning is 'to snatch, rescue, deliver.' The Aramaic form נְצַל corresponds directly to Hebrew נָצַל, both sharing the sense of delivering or rescuing. The formation follows typical Aramaic morphological patterns.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, נְצַל occurs primarily in Aramaic texts, such as Ezra and Daniel, particularly in narratives involving deliverance from royal decrees or supernatural threats (e.g., Daniel's deliverance from the lions' den). The semantic range overlaps with Hebrew נָצַל, though the Aramaic term appears in contexts where foreign rulers or imperial authorities are in view, reflecting the exilic and post-exilic setting. English translations often render נְצַל as 'deliver' or 'rescue,' but these do not always capture the nuance of extrication from an immediate threat. Unlike other common terms for deliverance (e.g., יָשַׁע, which implies broad salvation or help, or פָּלַט, often with a sense of escape), נְצַל emphasizes the act of being snatched out from danger. In later Jewish Aramaic and Targumic texts, the term continues this meaning, further demonstrating continuity of usage. The English term 'rescue' is somewhat adequate, but may not convey the intensity of urgent deliverance implied by נְצַל.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to נָצַל; to extricate; deliver, rescue.
Bantu Hebrew
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נצל (n-ṣ-l) — snatch, rescue, deliver
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5338-01 |
לְ/הַצָּלָ֖ה | lehatsalah | AR/Vhc |
to-deliver | to effect rescue | 1 |
H5338-03 |
וּ/מַצִּ֗ל | umatsil | AC/Varmsa |
and-rescues | and the one who rescues | 1 |
H5338-02 |
לְ/הַצָּלוּתֵֽ/הּ | lehatsaluteh | AR/Vhc/Sp3ms |
to-save-him | to deliver him | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5338-01 |
Daniel 3:29 | לְ/הַצָּלָ֖ה | lehatsalah | AR/Vhc |
to-deliver | to effect rescue |
H5338-02 |
Daniel 6:15 | לְ/הַצָּלוּתֵֽ/הּ | lehatsaluteh | AR/Vhc/Sp3ms |
to-save-him | to deliver him |
H5338-03 |
Daniel 6:28 | וּ/מַצִּ֗ל | umatsil | AC/Varmsa |
and-rescues | and the one who rescues |