Word Study for H5428 (נָתַשׁ)

nâthash /naw-thash'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto tear away

KJV usagedestroy, forsake, pluck (out, up, by the roots), pull up, root out (up)

Idioms & phrasesidiom utterly. s

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nâthash — 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 nâthash, represented by H5428, is a primitive root meaning to tear away, destroy, or pluck up by the roots. It appears 21 times across 19 unique verses. The word conveys a sense of forceful and complete removal, often used to describe the uprooting of nations, kingdoms, or people from their land as an act of divine judgment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H5428 is used to illustrate God's absolute authority over nations. In Jeremiah's commission, God sets him over kingdoms "to root out" and to destroy, but also to build and to plant Jeremiah 1:10. The word signifies a severe judgment, as when God warns He will "root up Israel out of this good land" due to their disobedience 1 Kings 14:15. This action is not limited to Israel; God also promises to "pluck out" the evil neighbors who touch Israel's inheritance Jeremiah 12:14. The term can also describe the overthrow of a kingdom, which is "plucked up" to be given to others Daniel 11:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words are used in parallel or contrast to H5428, clarifying its meaning:

H5193 nâṭaʻ (to plant): This word is the direct antonym of nâthash. Scripture frequently pairs them to contrast God's work of establishing his people with his work of uprooting them in judgment. For example, God promises to "plant them, and not pluck them up" as a sign of favor Jeremiah 24:6.
H2040 hâraç (to pull down or in pieces, break, destroy): This term is often used alongside nâthash to intensify the theme of destruction. In Jeremiah's commission, the mandate is to root out, pull down, destroy, and "throw down" Jeremiah 1:10.
H1129 bânâh (to build): As another antonym, bânâh represents creation and establishment, while nâthash represents removal. God's sovereign power is shown in His ability both to "build" and to "pluck up" what He has planted Jeremiah 45:4.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5428 is significant, highlighting key aspects of God's character and His dealings with humanity.

Divine Judgment: The act of "plucking up" is consistently portrayed as a righteous judgment from God in response to sin and disobedience. The LORD "rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation" Deuteronomy 29:28.
Sovereignty over Nations: The word underscores God's ultimate control over the destiny of kingdoms. His authority allows him to "utterly pluck up and destroy" a disobedient nation Jeremiah 12:17, but also to have compassion and return those He has plucked out Jeremiah 12:15.
Promise of Permanent Restoration: The negation of H5428 becomes a powerful promise of future hope and security for God's people. In the time of restoration, God promises that His people "shall no more be pulled up out of their land" Amos 9:15, and the holy city "shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever" Jeremiah 31:40.

Summary

In summary, H5428 nâthash is a dynamic verb that depicts a forceful and final removal, akin to being torn out by the roots. It serves as a primary term for describing divine judgment against sin, demonstrating God's sovereignty to uproot peoples and kingdoms. Its frequent contrast with words like "plant" and "build" establishes a clear biblical theme of covenant consequence: blessing leads to establishment, while disobedience leads to being plucked up. Ultimately, the promise that this action will cease signifies God's final, merciful restoration of His people.

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 21 occurrences, inflected in 13 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Qal Infinitive Construct 4×
Qal Consecutive Perfect 1st Singular common gender 3×
Qal Imperfect 1st Singular common gender 3×
Niphal Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 2×
Hophal Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Singular Feminine 1×
Niphal Imperfect 3rd Singular Feminine 1×
Niphal Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Qal Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Qal Consecutive Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Qal Infinitive Absolute 1×
Qal Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 1×
Qal Participle Singular Masculine Construct 1×

+ 1 rarer form

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").
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".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Niphal: Simple passive or reflexive of the Qal.
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.
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).
Construct: Bound to a following noun — "the X of…".

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 19 verses across 9 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah (11 verses); never once in the other 30.

Deuteronomy

1 Kings

2 Chronicles

Psalms

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

Daniel

Amos

Micah

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, 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.