### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **nitstsâh**, represented by `{{H5328}}`, refers to a **blossom** or **flower**. It appears only **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in the Bible. This term is used within agricultural metaphors to describe a crucial but vulnerable stage of development, specifically the point before a plant bears mature fruit.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H5328}}` consistently appears in contexts of judgment and premature destruction. In Job, it illustrates the fate of the wicked, who will "cast off his **flower** as the olive" `{{H2132}}`, a metaphor for a life that fails to reach fruition [[Job 15:33]]. Similarly, Isaiah's prophecy describes a judgment that will occur "afore the harvest" `{{H7105}}`, at the precise moment the sour grape is ripening in the **flower** `{{H5328}}`, when the sprigs and branches will be cut down [[Isaiah 18:5]]. In both instances, the flower represents potential that is abruptly halted.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help frame the agricultural and metaphorical context of `{{H5328}}`:
* `{{H6525}}` **perach** (blossom, bud, flower): This word for "bud" is used in immediate proximity to **nitstsâh** in Isaiah's prophecy, highlighting the specific stage of growth before the flower fully opens [[Isaiah 18:5]].
* `{{H1154}}` **beçer** (unripe grape): In Job, the wicked person is said to "shake off his **unripe grape**" `{{H1154}}`, creating a direct parallel with casting off his flower, both signifying unrealized potential [[Job 15:33]].
* `{{H1155}}` **bôçer** (sour grape): This term for an immature grape is described as "ripening in the **flower**" `{{H5328}}` when judgment strikes, connecting the flower directly to the earliest stage of fruit development [[Isaiah 18:5]].
* `{{H2132}}` **zayith** (olive): The olive tree is the specific plant from which the **flower** `{{H5328}}` is cast off in the metaphor of judgment against the wicked [[Job 15:33]].
* `{{H7105}}` **qâtsîyr** (harvest): The timing of judgment in Isaiah is explicitly set "afore the **harvest**" `{{H7105}}`, emphasizing that the destruction of the flower is a decisive act to prevent any future yield.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H5328}}` is centered on the theme of judgment as the prevention of fruition.
* **Symbol of Premature Judgment:** The **flower** is used to symbolize a life or a nation's potential being cut short. By being "cast off" `{{H7993}}` or targeted before the harvest, it represents a definitive end to any hope of a positive outcome ([[Job 15:33]], [[Isaiah 18:5]]).
* **A Life Without Fruit:** The imagery of a destroyed blossom powerfully conveys the concept of a fruitless existence. The actions of the wicked lead to a state where their life, like a flower shaken from an olive tree, fails to produce anything of value and is terminated early.
* **Divine Sovereignty over Growth:** The specific timing mentioned in Isaiah—when the bud is perfect and the grape is ripening in the **flower**—suggests that judgment is not arbitrary but is executed with precision, targeting the very source of future productivity at a critical moment of development [[Isaiah 18:5]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H5328}}` is a rare but potent word. While its literal meaning is simply a **flower** or **blossom**, its scriptural function is to serve as a stark metaphor for judgment. It illustrates how unrighteousness leads to a life cut short, where all potential for a fruitful harvest is destroyed by divine action, leaving behind only the tragedy of unrealized promise.
TRV