### 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.
TRV