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נָתַן

𐤍𐤕𐤍

nâthan

H5414 verb

SILEX Entry

Root נתן to give, to grant, to appoint, to place, to set

Definition

To give, grant, or bestow something upon someone, encompassing a wide range of actions involving the transfer or assignment of items, responsibility, or status to another. The verb נָתַן can also mean to put, place, set, or appoint, depending on context. It frequently denotes making something or someone available, handing over, or apportioning. In a causative sense, it may mean to cause to be, to constitute, or to make (someone or something into a particular state). The semantic range includes both literal actions (giving, placing objects) and metaphorical or extended senses (allotting land, appointing officials, granting favor or permission).

Semantic Range

to give, grant, bestow, hand over, deliver, place, set, put, assign, appoint, permit, dedicate, pay, render, yield, constitute, make, present, ascribe, offer, bestow status or responsibility, allocate, transfer possession or authority

Root / Etymology

The verb נָתַן derives directly from the triliteral Hebrew root נתן, which fundamentally means 'to give.' Formed in the Qal stem, it expresses the action of giving or placing. The core verbal sense persists across derived stems, but intensities or nuances may be added through context or stem (e.g., causative in Hiphil).

Historical & Contextual Notes

נָתַן is one of Biblical Hebrew’s most versatile verbs, found throughout all strata of the Hebrew Bible from earliest narrative through exilic and post-exilic texts. Its meaning is determined by direct object and context; it may describe giving material items (gifts, food, land), abstract concepts (favor, permission, instruction), or actions (handing over into someone's power or custody). Legal and covenantal texts frequently employ it for the bestowal of rights, obligations, or territory (e.g. YHWH grants the land to the ancestors in Genesis and Exodus). In ritual contexts, נָתַן can refer to presenting offerings. Occasionally used in extended idiomatic senses (e.g., 'to give the heart' meaning 'to pay attention'). English translations often render נָתַן as 'give,' 'put,' 'set,' or 'appoint,' but no single English verb captures its breadth of usage. The contextual flexibility of נָתַן contrasts with more specialized Hebrew verbs like שָׁלַח (to send) or יָשִׂים (to set/place), each of which conveys more restricted semantic domains. Over time, נָתַן remained in use into post-biblical Hebrew with similar meanings, though some later rabbinic or liturgical uses may reflect further semantic development.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נתן (n-t-n) — to give, to grant, to place, to set, to appoint

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3129 יוֹנָתָן in Yahweh-has-given
H4976 מַתָּן Mattan
H4977 מַתָּן Gift
H4978 מַתְּנָא gifts
H4979 מַתָּנָה with their gifts

Word Forms

178 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5414-30 נָתַ֥ן natan HVqp3ms gave he gave 187
H5414-131 וַ/יִּתֵּ֥ן vayiten HC/Vqw3ms and he gave and he gave 178
H5414-169 יִתֵּ֨ן yiten HVqi3ms will give he will give 124
H5414-36 נָתַ֨תִּי natati HVqp1cs I have given I gave 117
H5414-152 וְ/נָתַתִּ֣י venatati HC/Vqq1cs and-I-will-give and I will give 105
H5414-21 לָ֧/תֶת latet HR/Vqc to give to give 97
H5414-65 נֹתֵ֗ן noten HVqrmsa is giving the one who gives 89
H5414-06 אֶתֵּ֖ן eten HVqi1cs I will give I will give 79
H5414-84 תִּתֶּן titen HVqi2ms you shall give you will give 64
H5414-148 וְ/נָֽתַן venatan HC/Vqq3ms and put and he gave 58

Occurrences in Scripture

2015 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5414-131 Genesis 1:17 וַ/יִּתֵּ֥ן vayiten HC/Vqw3ms and he gave and he gave
H5414-36 Genesis 1:29 נָתַ֨תִּי natati HVqp1cs I have given I gave
H5414-125 Genesis 3:6 וַ/תִּתֵּ֧ן vatiten HC/Vqw3fs and gave and she gave
H5414-34 Genesis 3:12 נָתַ֣תָּה natatah HVqp2ms you gave you gave
H5414-37 Genesis 3:12 נָֽתְנָה natenah HVqp3fs gave she gave
H5414-80 Genesis 4:12 תֵּת tet HVqc to give to give
H5414-61 Genesis 9:2 נִתָּֽנוּ nitanu HVNp3cp they are given they were given
H5414-36 Genesis 9:3 נָתַ֥תִּי natati HVqp1cs I have given I gave
H5414-65 Genesis 9:12 נֹתֵ֗ן noten HVqrmsa am making the one who gives
H5414-36 Genesis 9:13 נָתַ֖תִּי natati HVqp1cs I have set I gave
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