Skip to content
H5310

נָפַץ

nâphats /naw-fats'/ Ask about this word
a primitive root
to dash to pieces, or scatter
be beaten in sunder, break (in pieces), broken, dash (in pieces), cause to be discharged, dispersed, be overspread, scatter.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nâphats — 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 nâphats, represented by H5310, is a primitive root meaning to dash to pieces, or scatter. It appears 22 times in 17 verses, conveying concepts of violent destruction, breaking, dispersal, and widespread distribution. Its usage ranges from the physical act of shattering an object to the strategic scattering of armies and nations.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H5310 is frequently used to depict acts of divine judgment and warfare. God is portrayed as the one who will dash the rebellious in pieces like a potter's vessel Psalms 2:9. In Jeremiah, God declares He will dash fathers and sons against each other Jeremiah 13:14 and uses a chosen instrument as a battle axe to break in pieces nations and kingdoms Jeremiah 51:20. The term also describes the dispersion of people, such as when Saul's army was scattered 1 Samuel 13:11 or in the promise to gather the dispersed of Judah Isaiah 11:12. In a non-violent context, it is used to describe how the whole earth was overspread by the sons of Noah Genesis 9:19.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of breaking and scattering:

  • H7489 râʻaʻ (to spoil by breaking to pieces): This word is used in parallel with H5310 to describe the complete destruction of enemies, as in the command to break them with a rod of iron Psalms 2:9.
  • H7843 shâchath (to ruin or destroy): This term often appears as the result of being broken in pieces. God's "battle axe" is used to break in pieces H5310 nations and to destroy H7843 kingdoms Jeremiah 51:20.
  • H5074 nâdad (to flee or drive away): This word describes the reaction to the action of H5310. When God acts in power, nations are scattered H5310 and people fled H5074 from the tumult Isaiah 33:3.
  • H2904 ṭûwl (to cast down or out): This connects the idea of being broken with being exiled. A "broken" H5310 idol is cast H2904 into a foreign land Jeremiah 22:28.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5310 is primarily linked to divine sovereignty and judgment.

  • Instrument of Divine Will: God uses nations and individuals as instruments to break in pieces other kingdoms, demonstrating His ultimate authority over world powers Jeremiah 51:20. This is vividly illustrated by the title "battle axe" H4661.
  • Prophetic Fulfillment: The scattering H5310 of God's people is a key element in prophecy. The fulfillment of all things in Daniel's vision is tied to the time when God will have "accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people" Daniel 12:7.
  • Purification and Judgment: The act of being "beaten in sunder" is connected to the purging of iniquity H5771. The destruction of pagan altars signifies the removal of sin from Jacob Isaiah 27:9.

Summary

In summary, H5310 is a dynamic term that encapsulates both violent fragmentation and wide dispersal. It is used to describe everything from Gideon's army breaking pitchers Judges 7:19 to God's judgment that dashes nations Psalms 2:9. Whether depicting the shattering of an idol, the scattering of an army, or the overspreading of humanity across the earth, nâphats consistently illustrates the execution of a powerful force that results in breaking apart or spreading out.

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 22 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.

  • נִפַּצְתִּי
  • נְפֻצוֹת
  • נִפֵּץ
  • תְּנַפְּצֵ
  • יְנַפֵּצוּ
  • נַפֵּץ
  • מְנֻפָּצוֹת
  • נָפוֹץ
  • נָפוּץ
  • נָפְצוּ
  • נָפְצָה
  • נָפַץ

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.

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 17 verses across 8 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah (7 verses); never once in the other 31.

1
Genesis
1
Judges
1
1 Samuel
1
1 Kings
2
Psalms
3
Isaiah
7
Jeremiah
1
Daniel

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.