### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **nêts**, represented by `{{H5322}}`, holds a dual meaning as both **blossom** and **hawk**. It is derived from a root suggesting brilliancy or flashing speed. It appears **4 times** across **4 unique verses**, illustrating its distinct applications in both botanical and zoological contexts.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The word's usage is split between these two definitions. In its most frequent use, it refers to the **hawk**, a bird of prey. It is listed among the unclean birds that the Israelites were forbidden to eat in both [[Leviticus 11:16]] and [[Deuteronomy 14:15]]. In [[Job 39:26]], God challenges Job's understanding by asking if the **hawk** flies and stretches its wings toward the south by human wisdom, using the bird's instinct as proof of divine design. The word's other meaning is found in [[Genesis 40:10]], where in the chief butler's dream, a vine budded and its **blossoms** shot forth, signifying rapid growth and coming fruition.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the contexts in which `{{H5322}}` is used:
* `{{H82}}` **ʼâbar** (to soar; fly): This verb is used to describe the action of the hawk in [[Job 39:26]], directly linking `{{H5322}}` to the theme of flight powered by divine wisdom.
* `{{H4327}}` **mîyn** (a sort, i.e. species; kind): This term appears alongside **hawk** in the lists of unclean animals, used to classify creatures "after his kind" ([[Leviticus 11:16]]; [[Deuteronomy 14:15]]), emphasizing a system of divine order.
* `{{H6524}}` **pârach** (to break forth as a bud, i.e. bloom): In [[Genesis 40:10]], this word describes the action of budding that immediately precedes the appearance of **blossoms** `{{H5322}}`, illustrating a sequence of growth.
* `{{H6566}}` **pâras** (to break apart, disperse... stretch (forth, out)): This word describes how the hawk stretches its wings toward the south in [[Job 39:26]], highlighting the specific natural behavior that points to a wisdom beyond man's.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H5322}}` is seen in how it functions in different scriptural contexts.
* **Symbol of Divine Wisdom:** In his discourse with Job, God uses the **hawk** as a prime example of creation operating by a wisdom that man cannot claim. The question, "Doth the **hawk** fly by thy wisdom?" [[Job 39:26]], serves to humble human pride and affirm God's sovereign control over the natural world.
* **Marker of Divine Order:** The classification of the **hawk** as unclean "after his kind" `{{H4327}}` in [[Leviticus 11:16]] and [[Deuteronomy 14:15]] is part of the legal framework establishing holiness through separation and the observance of divinely appointed distinctions.
* **Illustration of Swift Fruition:** In [[Genesis 40:10]], the appearance of **blossoms** in a dream represents a key stage in a rapid, divinely revealed process. It symbolizes a promise of quick fulfillment that moves swiftly from budding to ripe grapes.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H5322}}` is a specific term that, though appearing infrequently, carries two clear and distinct meanings. As the **hawk**, it is used in legal contexts of purity and in poetic passages to illustrate God's unparalleled wisdom in creation. As **blossoms**, it functions as a marker of swift and divinely orchestrated growth. This single word demonstrates how biblical Hebrew uses the natural world to communicate foundational truths about God's order, power, and design.
TRV