What does נָטַשׁ (nāṭaš) mean in the Bible?
נָטַשׁ (nāṭaš): To abandon or leave behind, often with force; frequently God's rejection of His people or covenant partner.
Hebrew · H5203
נָטַשׁ
Properly, to pound , i.e. smite ; by implication (as if beating out, and thus expanding) to disperse ; also, to thrust off, down, out or upon (inclusively, reject , let alone , permit , remit , etc.)
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נָטַשׁ H5203
Pronunciation nāṭaš
What does נָטַשׁ (nāṭaš) mean in the Bible?
נָטַשׁ (nāṭaš): To abandon or leave behind, often with force; frequently God's rejection of His people or covenant partner.
Full entry for נָטַשׁ (H5203) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5203?
The BSB source-word alignment has 40 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and spread out (2), forsake (2), He abandoned (2), left (2), abandon (1).
Where does נָטַשׁ (nāṭaš) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 31:28. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Samuel (7), Isaiah (5), Jeremiah (5), Ezekiel (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It and spread out 2× 2 Samuel 5:18, 2 Samuel 5:22
forsake 2× Psalms 94:14, Proverbs 6:20
He abandoned 2× Deuteronomy 32:15, Psalms 78:60
left 2× 1 Samuel 17:20, 1 Samuel 17:22
abandon 1× 1 Samuel 12:22
and abandoned it 1× Ezekiel 31:12
and brought them 1× Numbers 11:31
and deployed themselves 1× Judges 15:9
and do not forsake 1× Proverbs 1:8
and forsaken 1× Jeremiah 7:29
and left it 1× Ezekiel 31:12
and lie fallow 1× Exodus 23:11
and will cast you 1× Jeremiah 23:39
are slack 1× Isaiah 33:23
did you leave 1× 1 Samuel 17:28
even let me 1× Genesis 31:28
forsake us 1× 1 Kings 8:57
had spread out 1× Isaiah 16:8
has forsaken us 1× Judges 6:13
has stopped 1× 1 Samuel 10:2
have forsaken 1× Jeremiah 15:6
I have abandoned 1× Jeremiah 12:7
I will abandon 1× Ezekiel 32:4
I will forsake 1× Jeremiah 23:33
I will leave 1× Ezekiel 29:5
leave me 1× Psalms 27:9
She lies abandoned 1× Amos 5:2
so abandon 1× Proverbs 17:14
So I will forsake 1× 2 Kings 21:14
spread 1× 1 Samuel 4:2
spread out 1× 1 Samuel 30:16
that is drawn 1× Isaiah 21:15
we will let the fields lie fallow 1× Nehemiah 10:31
will be forsaken 1× Isaiah 32:14
will leave 1× Hosea 12:14
You have abandoned 1× Isaiah 2:6
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 31:28 נְטַשְׁתַּ֔נִי to even let me Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular Exodus 23:11 וּנְטַשְׁתָּ֗הּ to and lie fallow Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person feminine singular Numbers 11:31 וַיִּטֹּ֨שׁ to and brought them Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 32:15 וַיִּטֹּשׁ֙ to He abandoned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Judges 6:13 נְטָשָׁ֣נוּ to has forsaken us Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common plural Judges 15:9 וַיִּנָּטְשׁ֖וּ to and deployed themselves Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1 Samuel 4:2 וַתִּטֹּשׁ֙ to spread Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular 1 Samuel 10:2 נָטַ֤שׁ to has stopped Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 12:22 יִטֹּ֤שׁ to abandon Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 17:20 וַיִּטֹּ֤שׁ to left Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 31:28
Aligned rows 40
Books represented 17
Genesis 1 Exodus 1 Numbers 1 Deuteronomy 1 Judges 2 1 Samuel 7 2 Samuel 2 1 Kings 1 2 Kings 1 Nehemiah 1 Psalms 3 Proverbs 3 Isaiah 5 Jeremiah 5 Ezekiel 4 Hosea 1 Amos 1
Source forms
וַיִּנָּטְשׁ֖וּ 2x way·yin·nā·ṭə·šū Judges 15:9, 2 Samuel 5:18
וּנְטַשְׁתִּ֣יךָ 2x ū·nə·ṭaš·tî·ḵā Ezekiel 29:5, Ezekiel 32:4
נִטְּשׁ֖וּ 2x niṭ·ṭə·šū Isaiah 16:8, Isaiah 33:23
תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ 2x tiṭ·ṭōš Proverbs 1:8, Proverbs 6:20
וַיִּטֹּ֨שׁ 1x way·yiṭ·ṭōš Numbers 11:31
וַיִּטֹּשׁ֙ 1x way·yiṭ·ṭōš Deuteronomy 32:15
וַיִּטֹּ֤שׁ 1x way·yiṭ·ṭōš 1 Samuel 17:20
וַיִּטֹּשׁ֩ 1x way·yiṭ·ṭōš 1 Samuel 17:22
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 6x Numbers 11:31, Deuteronomy 32:15, 1 Samuel 17:20, 1 Samuel 17:22
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 3x Judges 15:9, 2 Samuel 5:18, 2 Samuel 5:22
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 3x 2 Kings 21:14, Jeremiah 23:33, Jeremiah 23:39
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 3x 1 Samuel 12:22, Psalms 94:14, Hosea 12:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular 2x Ezekiel 29:5, Ezekiel 32:4
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular 2x Ezekiel 31:12
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural 2x Isaiah 16:8, Isaiah 33:23
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 2x Proverbs 1:8, Proverbs 6:20
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. To abandon or leave behind, often with force; frequently God's rejection of His people or covenant partner.
Strong's H5203
Lexical occurrences 40 verses Word forms 3 forms 17 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Jeremiah 12:7-13 Source Gloss
properly, to pound , i.e. smite ; by implication (as if beating out, and thus expanding) to disperse ; also, to thrust off, down, out or upon (inclusively, reject , let alone , permit , remit , etc.)
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 17
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 13×
Perfect 1Sam 17:28 · Isa 2:6 · 1Sam 10:2 · Jer 12:7 · Jer 15:6 5×
Imperfect 1Sam 12:22 · Hos 12:15 · Ps 94:14 3×
Participle passive 1Sam 30:16 · Isa 21:15 2×
Jussive Prov 1:8 · Prov 6:20 2×
Sequential imperfect Prov 17:14 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 3×
Perfect Isa 16:8 · Isa 33:23 · Amos 5:2 3×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 1×
Perfect Isa 32:14 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
God abandons or rejects His own house and inheritance in judgment
releasing or permitting water to flow, metaphor for releasing conflict or strife
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 40 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
נָטַשׁ is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain