What does נָסָה (nāsāh) mean in the Bible?
נָסָה (nāsāh): Tests character or faith through trial; ranges from God proving His people to Satan tempting toward sin.
Hebrew · H5254
נָסָה
To test ; by implication, to attempt
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נָסָה H5254
Pronunciation nāsāh
What does נָסָה (nāsāh) mean in the Bible?
נָסָה (nāsāh): Tests character or faith through trial; ranges from God proving His people to Satan tempting toward sin.
Full entry for נָסָה (H5254) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5254?
The BSB source-word alignment has 36 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include test (4), I will test (3), tested (3), to test (3), accustomed [to them] (2).
Where does נָסָה (nāsāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 22:1. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (8), Psalms (6), Exodus (5), Judges (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 test 4× Deuteronomy 6:16, Judges 6:39, Isaiah 7:12, Daniel 1:12
I will test 3× Exodus 16:4, Judges 2:22, Ecclesiastes 2:1
tested 3× Genesis 22:1, Psalms 78:18, Psalms 95:9
to test 3× Judges 3:1, Judges 3:4, 2 Chronicles 9:1
accustomed [to them] 2× 1 Samuel 17:39
and test you 2× Deuteronomy 8:2, Deuteronomy 8:16
they tested 2× Exodus 17:7, Psalms 78:41
[alone] to test him 1× 2 Chronicles 32:31
and tested 1× Psalms 106:14
and tested them 1× Daniel 1:14
and try me 1× Psalms 26:2
But they tested 1× Psalms 78:56
do you test 1× Exodus 17:2
He tested them 1× Exodus 15:25
I tested 1× Ecclesiastes 7:23
If one ventures 1× Job 4:2
is testing you 1× Deuteronomy 13:3
test you 1× Exodus 20:20
to test him 1× 1 Kings 10:1
tried 1× Deuteronomy 4:34
venture 1× Deuteronomy 28:56
yet have tested 1× Numbers 14:22
You tested 1× Deuteronomy 33:8
you tested Him 1× Deuteronomy 6:16
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 22:1 נִסָּ֖ה to tested Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 15:25 נִסָּֽהוּ׃ to He tested them Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular Exodus 16:4 אֲנַסֶּ֛נּוּ to I will test Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular Exodus 17:2 תְּנַסּ֖וּן to do you test Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun Exodus 17:7 נַסֹּתָ֤ם to they tested Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural Exodus 20:20 נַסּ֣וֹת to test you Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct Numbers 14:22 וַיְנַסּ֣וּ to yet have tested Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Deuteronomy 4:34 הֲנִסָּ֣ה to tried Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 6:16 תְנַסּ֔וּ to test Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Deuteronomy 6:16 נִסִּיתֶ֖ם to you tested Him Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 22:1
Aligned rows 36
Books represented 13
Genesis 1 Exodus 5 Numbers 1 Deuteronomy 8 Judges 4 1 Samuel 2 1 Kings 1 2 Chronicles 2 Job 1 Psalms 6 Ecclesiastes 2 Isaiah 1 Daniel 2
Source forms
וַיְנַסּ֣וּ 3x way·nas·sū Numbers 14:22, Psalms 78:41, Psalms 78:56
וַיְנַסּוּ־ 2x way·nas·sū- Psalms 78:18, Psalms 106:14
לְנַסּ֥וֹת 2x lə·nas·sō·wṯ Judges 3:1, Judges 3:4
אֲנַסֶּ֤ה 1x ’ă·nas·seh Judges 6:39
אֲנַסֶּ֖ה 1x ’ă·nas·seh Isaiah 7:12
אֲנַסְּכָ֛ה 1x ’ă·nas·sə·ḵāh Ecclesiastes 2:1
אֲנַסֶּ֛נּוּ 1x ’ă·nas·sen·nū Exodus 16:4
הֲנִסָּ֣ה 1x hă·nis·sāh Deuteronomy 4:34
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 5x Numbers 14:22, Psalms 78:18, Psalms 78:41, Psalms 78:56
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular 4x Genesis 22:1, Deuteronomy 4:34, 1 Samuel 17:39, Job 4:2
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct 3x Judges 3:1, Judges 3:4, 2 Chronicles 9:1
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular 2x 1 Kings 10:1, 2 Chronicles 32:31
Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct 2x Exodus 20:20, Judges 2:22
Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular 2x 1 Samuel 17:39, Ecclesiastes 7:23
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural 1x Daniel 1:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular 1x Psalms 26:2
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Tests character or faith through trial; ranges from God proving His people to Satan tempting toward sin.
Strong's H5254
Lexical occurrences 36 verses Word forms 1 form 13 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 22:1-19 Source Gloss
to test ; by implication, to attempt
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Tests character or faith through trial; ranges from God proving His people to Satan tempting toward sin.
to test; by implication, to attempt BDB: test Usage: adventure, assay, prove, tempt, try.
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 1 Aligned forms 13
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 13×
Perfect 1Sam 17:39 · Gen 22:1 · Eccl 7:23 · Deut 6:16 · Deut 28:56 6×
Infinitive construct Exod 20:20 · Judg 2:22 2×
Imperfect Deut 6:16 · Isa 7:12 2×
Sequential imperfect Dan 1:12 1×
Participle active Deut 13:4 1×
Cohortative Judg 6:39 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
God tests Abraham's faith and obedience through a severe trial
Showing 1 selected witness from 36 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
נָסָה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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