נָשֶׁה
𐤍𐤔𐤄
nâsheh
H5384 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Crippled, dislocated, or incapacitated — specifically used in Genesis 32:32 to describe the sinew (גִּיד) of the thigh that was touched and rendered lame or weakened in the episode of Jacob wrestling with the man at Peniel. The term refers to a state of being made lame or withered, especially referencing muscular, tendon, or joint incapacitation.
Semantic Range
crippled, incapacitated, withered, dislocated, rendered unfit; of a tendon or muscle — injured or incapacitated
Root / Etymology
From the root נשה (to forget, neglect, or abandon) or possibly a denominative from נָשָׁה (to be indebted, to fail). The semantic connection appears to be a state of impaired function or lack of ability, suggesting something rendered useless (as by injury or deformation). Exact etymology is debated; the derivation from 'to fail' may reflect the loss of proper function in the affected limb.
Historical & Contextual Notes
נָשֶׁה is a hapax legomenon, occurring only in Genesis 32:32 where it modifies the word for 'sinew' (gîd). The narrative context explains the term as the outcome of Jacob's hip injury: the tendon or muscle becomes נָשֶׁה, that is, withered, incapacitated, or lamed. This leads to the Israelite dietary custom of not eating the sciatic tendon. While English translations sometimes render it as 'shrank,' 'crippled,' or 'withered,' each conveys the sense of abnormality or dysfunction, though perhaps not the full implication of ritual avoidance and memory of vulnerability inherent in the narrative. Later Jewish tradition expands the term's ritual implications, but in the biblical text, it is descriptive of a physical condition resulting from trauma. The semantic overlap with roots meaning 'to fail' or 'to forget' suggests an underlying sense of something no longer operating in its full function.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נָשָׁה, in the sense of failure; rheumatic or crippled (from the incident to Jacob); which shrank.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נשה (n-š-h) — to fail, to forget, to neglect; to become impaired
| 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
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5384-01 |
הַ/נָּשֶׁ֗ה | hanasheh | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the hip | the incapacitated one | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5384-01 |
Genesis 32:33 | הַ/נָּשֶׁ֗ה | hanasheh | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the hip | the incapacitated one |
H5384-01 |
Genesis 32:33 | הַ/נָּשֶֽׁה | hanasheh-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the hip | the incapacitated one |