נָתַךְ

nâthak /naw-thak'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto flow forth (literally or figuratively); by implication, to liquify
KJV usagedrop, gather (together), melt, pour (forth, out).
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Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word nâthak, represented by H5413, is a primitive root used to describe something that flows forth or is liquified. It appears 21 times across 19 unique verses in the Bible. Its meanings include to pour out, melt, drop, or gather together, and it is applied to both literal substances like water and metal, and figurative concepts like divine wrath and human sorrow.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H5413 most frequently describes the execution of divine judgment. The prophets warn that God's anger and fury will be poured out upon the disobedient, as seen in Jeremiah 7:20. This imagery depicts God's wrath not as a static state, but as an active, overwhelming force (Jeremiah 42:18, Nahum 1:6). The word is also used to illustrate a process of refinement or destruction through melting, where God states that the people of Israel will be melted in the furnace of his wrath Ezekiel 22:21-22. In a literal sense, it can refer to rain being poured upon the earth Exodus 9:33 or to the gathering of money for the temple treasury 2 Kings 22:9.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H5413 is used:

  • H2046 hittûwk (a melting): This noun is derived directly from nâthak and appears alongside it to emphasize the process of being melted in judgment Ezekiel 22:22.
  • H2534 chêmâh (fury, wrath): This is the substance most often described as being "poured out" by nâthak. Scripture repeatedly links God's fury with the action of it being poured forth upon people and places Jeremiah 44:6.
  • H1197 bâʻar (to burn, kindle): The act of pouring out wrath is often followed by fire. God's anger is poured out and then it shall burn and not be quenched Jeremiah 7:20.
  • H8210 shâphak (to spill forth, pour out): A close synonym, shâphak is used to describe the same act of God pouring out His fury, sometimes in parallel with nâthak to reinforce the imagery of judgment Ezekiel 22:22.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5413 is primarily centered on the nature of divine judgment and purification.

  • Active Judgment: The word portrays God's response to sin not as passive displeasure but as an active, flowing judgment. The curse for disobedience is poured upon Israel after they transgressed God's law Daniel 9:11.
  • Purifying Fire: The imagery of melting metal conveys a theme of purification. God gathers His people like silver and brass into a furnace to melt away their filthiness, revealing His intent to address impurity through intense trial (Ezekiel 22:20, Ezekiel 24:11).
  • Sovereignty over Nature and Emotion: The use of nâthak extends to God's control over the natural world, as when rain dropped from heaven 2 Samuel 21:10. It also captures the depth of human suffering, as when Job's roarings are poured out like water Job 3:24.

Summary

In summary, H5413 is a dynamic verb that gives tangible form to abstract concepts. It moves beyond a simple definition of "pouring" to become a powerful metaphor for divine judgment, vividly depicting God's wrath as a liquid force that flows forth and melts away impurity. From the melting of metal in a furnace to the pouring out of rain from the heavens, nâthak illustrates God's active and sovereign power over both the physical and spiritual realms.

Grammatical Forms

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 21 occurrences, inflected in 15 grammatical forms.

  • Niphal Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 3×
  • Qal Imperfect 3rd Singular Feminine 3×
  • Niphal Perfect 3rd Singular Feminine 2×
  • Qal Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Singular Feminine 2×
  • Hiphil Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 1×
  • Hiphil Consecutive Perfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
  • Hiphil Imperfect 2nd Singular Masculine 1×
  • Hiphil Infinitive Construct 1×
  • Hiphil Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×
  • Hophal Imperfect 2nd Plural Masculine 1×
  • Niphal Consecutive Perfect 2nd Plural Masculine 1×
  • Niphal Consecutive Perfect 3rd Singular Feminine 1×

+ 3 rarer forms

Singular
One.
Plural
More than one.
Masculine
Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine
Feminine grammatical gender.
common gender
Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
1st
First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd
Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd
Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect
Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect
A completed act whose results continue.
Infinitive
The verb as a noun — "to do".
Qal
The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Niphal
Simple passive or reflexive of the Qal.
Hiphil
The causative stem — the subject causes the action.
Hophal
The passive of the causative (Hiphil) stem.
Consecutive Imperfect
Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").
Consecutive Perfect
Perfect with vav — continues a sequence into the future.
Construct
Bound to a following noun — "the X of…".

Theographic Context

Biblical Distribution

Appears in 19 verses across 9 books. Most frequent in 2 Chronicles (4 verses).

1
Exodus
1
2 Samuel
1
2 Kings
4
2 Chronicles
2
Job
3
Jeremiah
4
Ezekiel
2
Daniel
1
Nahum

Verse Explorer

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