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נָשָׁא

𐤍𐤔𐤀

nâshâʼ

H5378 verb

SILEX Entry

Root נשה to impose, to lend, to extract payment

Definition

To lend, especially to lend at interest, or to impose a debt or financial obligation. Also used of extracting payment, demanding repayment, or acting as a creditor. The term primarily relates to financial transactions, emphasizing the aspect of placing a burden or obligation on someone through a loan or credit arrangement. It is distinct from more general verbs meaning simply 'to loan' or 'to borrow' due to its particular focus on extraction or imposition, often with the expectation of return with interest.

Semantic Range

to lend (at interest), to act as a creditor, to impose a financial obligation or debt, to demand repayment, to exact or press for payment

Root / Etymology

From the root נשה, which in other forms can also mean 'to forget,' 'to remove,' or 'to deceive.' In this form, however, the root takes on a commercial nuance of 'imposing a burden,' specifically through financial lending. The derivation of the form as 'to lend (on interest)' diverges from the root's meaning 'to forget' because of a semantic development centered on 'imposition' or 'leaving with a charge.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, נָשָׁא appears in legal and wisdom contexts regarding lending, debts, and obligations. Notably, it often refers to the practice of lending at interest, a matter regulated by Israelite law (Exod 22:24, Deut 23:20). The torah distinguishes between general lending (e.g., הלוה, 'to lend/loan') and נָשָׁא, which carries an added connotation of exacting payment or imposing debt—especially with interest, a practice frequently restricted among Israelites but accepted in relation to foreigners. Later Jewish and Christian English translations often rendered it as 'to charge usury', but the biblical context specifically covers the act of imposing debt with expectation of payment. The word’s association with 'usury' in traditional translations reflects later economic developments and changing attitudes toward interest. The semantic range does not generally include the simple act of borrowing or lending without obligation to interest. The social and ethical connotation of this term underscores the tension in Israelite law between necessity of economic transactions and protection of the economically vulnerable.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root (perhaps identical with נָשָׁא, through the idea of imposition); to lend on interest; by implication, to dun fordebt; [idiom] debt, exact, giver of usury.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נשה (n-š-h) — to impose, to lend, to extract payment

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3449 יִשִּׁיָּה And Yahweh-will-lend
H4519 מְנַשֶּׁה in Forget-causer
H4520 מְנַשִּׁי the Manassite
H4855 מַשָּׁא the loan
H4860 מַשָּׁאוֹן in treachery

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5378-01 נֹשֶׁא֙ noshe HVqrmsa owes creditor 2
H5378-03 יַשִּׁ֣א yashi HVhi3ms will-exalt let him impose a debt 1
H5378-02 וְ/נָֽשָׁא venasha HC/Vqq3ms and he lifts and he imposed a debt 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5378-01 1 Samuel 22:2 נֹשֶׁא֙ noshe HVqrmsa was in debt creditor
H5378-02 1 Kings 8:31 וְ/נָֽשָׁא venasha HC/Vqq3ms and he lifts and he imposed a debt
H5378-01 Isaiah 24:2 נֹשֶׁ֥א noshe HVqrmsa owes creditor
H5378-03 Psalms 89:23 יַשִּׁ֣א yashi HVhi3ms will-exalt let him impose a debt
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