נְשִׁי
𐤍𐤔𐤉
nᵉshîy
H5386 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A debt or obligation to pay, typically a sum of money or goods owed by one party to another. The term highlights the state of being owed or the condition of being indebted, and may refer both to the debt itself and to the broader social or legal construct of indebtedness in ancient Israelite society.
Semantic Range
debt, obligation, something owed, state of indebtedness, liability
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root נשה (n-š-h), meaning 'to lend, borrow, or exact interest.' נְשִׁי is a substantive formed from this root, denoting the abstract concept of a debt or something owed.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In ancient Israelite society, נְשִׁי denotes not merely a personal obligation, but often a recognized legal or social relationship between creditor and debtor. The concept of indebtedness was significant in legal codes such as those in the Torah, which legislate the conditions under which debts could be incurred, paid, or forgiven (see Deuteronomy 15:2 regarding remission of debts during the sabbatical year). The use of נְשִׁי is relatively rare, appearing in contexts concerned with economic and social justice. English translations typically render it as 'debt,' though the term can encompass broader obligations than strictly financial ones. The concept differs from related terms such as חוֹב ('debt, obligation'), which may have overlapping or more general uses, and מַשְׁאָה ('loan'), which more directly focuses on the act of lending. During the monarchic and post-exilic periods, debt relationships played a crucial role in social and economic dynamics, sometimes leading to servitude for unpaid obligations. The term is absent in later Judean contexts where Greek or Aramaic terms begin to appear. While the KJV and similar translations use 'debt,' awareness of the broader ancient Near Eastern context of indebtedness—often linked to cycles of poverty and social status—is necessary for full understanding.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נָשָׁה; a debt; debt.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נשה (n-š-h) — to lend, to borrow, to exact interest, to forget
| 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
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5386-02 |
נשי/כי | nshykhy | HNcmsc/Sp2fs |
creditor | your debt | 1 |
H5386-01 |
נִשְׁיֵ֑/ךְ | nisheyekhe | HNcmsc/Sp2fs |
debt | your debt | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5386-02 |
2 Kings 4:7 | נשי/כי | nshykhy | HNcmsc/Sp2fs |
creditor | your debt |
H5386-01 |
2 Kings 4:7 | נִשְׁיֵ֑/ךְ | nisheyekhe | HNcmsc/Sp2fs |
debt | your debt |