English · KJV
H5140

נָזַל

nâzal /naw-zal'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto drip, or shed by trickling
KJV usagedistil, drop, flood, (cause to) flow(-ing), gush out, melt, pour (down), running water, stream.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nâzal — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word nâzal, represented by H5140, is a primitive root meaning to drip, or shed by trickling. It conveys a range of actions from a gentle distilling to a powerful gushing out, and is translated as flood, flow, melt, or pour down. It appears 17 times across 16 unique verses, illustrating its use in both literal and figurative contexts.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H5140 is frequently used to describe the movement of water and other substances as a result of divine action. It portrays God's provision for Israel, as He caused waters to flow from the rock in the desert Isaiah 48:21. The word also depicts overwhelming divine power, where mountains melted before the presence of the LORD Judges 5:5. Figuratively, it describes the impartation of spiritual truths, such as when Moses' speech is to distil as the dew Deuteronomy 32:2 or when the skies are called to pour down righteousness Isaiah 45:8.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to clarify the concept of flowing and pouring:

  • H2100 zûwb (to flow freely): This word often appears in parallel with H5140 to emphasize a free-flowing or gushing action. In the wilderness, after God caused water to flow, it also gushed out Isaiah 48:21.
  • H7491 râʻaph (to drip): This term is used to describe a gentle dripping or distillation, often from the sky. The clouds are said to drop H5140 and distil H7491 upon man Job 36:28.
  • H4325 mayim (water): As the substance most commonly associated with flowing, this word is central to understanding H5140. It is used for literal running waters Proverbs 5:15 and for the metaphorical waters of tears that gush from the eyelids Jeremiah 9:18.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H5140 is tied to its depiction of God's direct interaction with the world.

  • Divine Provision and Blessing: The word is used to describe God's life-giving blessings. He promises to pour floods upon the dry ground, an act directly linked to pouring out His Spirit and blessing Isaiah 44:3. The promise of a king whose kingdom will be exalted is described as water being poured from his buckets Numbers 24:7.
  • The Power of God's Word: H5140 is used to illustrate how God's teaching and righteousness are dispensed. Moses' doctrine and speech are described as dropping and distilling upon the people like rain and dew Deuteronomy 32:2.
  • God's Overwhelming Presence: The word can describe a powerful, almost violent, manifestation of God's power over creation. At the crossing of the Red Sea, the floods stood upright as a heap Exodus 15:8. In the context of judgment on Egypt, their rivers and floods were turned into blood Psalms 78:44.

Summary

In summary, H5140 is a dynamic word that encompasses the full spectrum of flowing, from a gentle trickle to a mighty torrent. It serves as a powerful descriptor for God's actions, whether providing life-giving water, dispensing wisdom and righteousness, or demonstrating His awesome power through judgment and miracles. It shows how the natural world is used in Scripture to reveal the multifaceted character of God.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 16 occurrences, inflected in 7 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • נֹזְלִים
  • יִזְּלוּ
  • הִזִּיל
  • נָזְלוּ
  • תִּזַּל
  • יִזַּל
  • נֹזְלֵי

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H2100 זוּב a primitive root; to flow freely (as water), i.e. (specifically) to have a (sexual) flux; figuratively, to waste away; a H7491 רָעַף a primitive root; to drip; distil, drop (down). H4325 מַיִם dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen; [phrase

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 16 verses across 10 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms and Isaiah (3 verses each); never once in the other 29.

1
Exodus
1
Numbers
1
Deuteronomy
1
Judges
1
Job
3
Psalms
1
Proverbs
2
Song of Solomon
3
Isaiah
2
Jeremiah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.