English · KJV
H5197

נָטַף

nâṭaph /naw-taf'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto ooze, i.e. distil gradually; by implication, to fall in drops; figuratively, to speak by inspiration
KJV usagedrop(-ping), prophesy(-et).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nâṭaph — 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 nâṭaph, represented by H5197, is a primitive root meaning to ooze, distil gradually, or fall in drops. It appears 18 times across 14 unique verses. While its literal sense describes a slow dripping, it is figuratively used to mean speaking by inspiration, often translated as to prophesy or to let one's words drop.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The use of H5197 in scripture covers both literal and figurative dropping. In a literal sense, it describes the heavens dropping water in response to God's presence (Judges 5:4, Psalms 68:8). It is also used poetically to describe lips that drop as the honeycomb Song of Solomon 4:11 or hands dropped with myrrh Song of Solomon 5:5. Figuratively, the word is used for speech that flows from a person, as when Job says his speech dropped upon his listeners Job 29:22. This extends to divine communication, where prophets are commanded to drop their word upon the people (Ezekiel 21:2, Amos 7:16).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the two main applications of nâṭaph:

  • H5012 nâbâʼ (to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)): This word is often used in parallel with H5197 to describe the act of delivering a divine message, highlighting the inspired nature of the speech (Amos 7:16, Ezekiel 20:46).
  • H4405 millâh (a word; collectively, a discourse; figuratively, a topic): This term for spoken words or discourse is what is said to have dropped from Job's mouth, emphasizing the content of the speech Job 29:22.
  • H6071 ʻâçîyç (must or fresh grape-juice (as just trodden out)): This word for sweet or new wine is what the mountains are prophesied to drop, linking H5197 to a vision of supernatural abundance and blessing (Amos 9:13, Joel 3:18).

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5197 is evident in its application to divine action and communication.

  • Response of Creation: The heavens are said to drop at the presence of God, illustrating creation's tangible reaction to the Creator's power and majesty (Judges 5:4, Psalms 68:8).
  • Prophetic Utterance: The term describes the very method of prophetic speech. A prophet's word "drops," suggesting it is not their own but is distilled from a divine source. This is used for both true prophecy Ezekiel 21:2 and false prophecy Micah 2:11.
  • Eschatological Blessing: In prophetic visions of the future, the land itself overflows with divine blessing, as mountains drop down new wine, a powerful symbol of restoration and God's favor (Joel 3:18, Amos 9:13).

Summary

In summary, H5197 is a vivid term that moves from the physical to the spiritual. It captures the sense of a substance, whether water, myrrh, or words, being dispensed gradually and with purpose. From the clouds dripping rain to a prophet dripping divine truth, nâṭaph illustrates how both the natural world and human speech can be conduits for the influence and messaging 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 18 occurrences, inflected in 12 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.

  • נָטְפוּ
  • הַטֵּף
  • יַטִּיפוּ
  • תִּטֹּפְנָה
  • הִטִּיפוּ
  • אַטִּף
  • תַּטִּפוּ
  • תַטִּיף
  • מַטִּיף
  • יִטְּפוּ
  • תִּטֹּף
  • נֹטְפוֹת

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.

H5012 נָבָא a primitive root; to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse); prophesy(-ing), H4405 מִלָּה from מָלַל (plural masculine as if from מִלֶּה; a word; collectively, a discourse; figuratively, a topic; [phrase] answe H6071 עָסִיס from עָסַס; must or fresh grape-juice (as just trodden out); juice, new (sweet) wine.

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 14 verses across 9 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Song of Solomon (3 verses); never once in the other 30.

1
Judges
1
Job
1
Psalms
1
Proverbs
3
Song of Solomon
2
Ezekiel
1
Joel
2
Amos
2
Micah

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.