What does נָסַע (nāsaʿ) mean in the Bible?
נָסַע (nāsaʿ): Journey rooted in literal tent-striking; God uses it for covenantal movement and Israel's wilderness wandering pattern.
Hebrew · H5265
נָסַע
Properly, to pull up, especially the tent-pins, i.e. start on a journey
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נָסַע H5265
Pronunciation nāsaʿ
What does נָסַע (nāsaʿ) mean in the Bible?
נָסַע (nāsaʿ): Journey rooted in literal tent-striking; God uses it for covenantal movement and Israel's wilderness wandering pattern.
Full entry for נָסַע (H5265) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5265?
The BSB source-word alignment has 146 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include They set out (41), set out (21), they shall set out (4), are to set out (3), broke camp (3).
Where does נָסַע (nāsaʿ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 11:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Numbers (89), Exodus (12), Genesis (12), Deuteronomy (7).
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 They set out 41× Exodus 13:20, Numbers 10:13, Numbers 33:6, Numbers 33:7
set out 21× Genesis 13:11, Genesis 35:21, Genesis 46:1, Exodus 16:1
they shall set out 4× Numbers 2:9, Numbers 2:16, Numbers 2:24, Numbers 2:31
are to set out 3× Numbers 10:5, Numbers 10:6, Joshua 3:3
broke camp 3× Joshua 3:14, 2 Kings 19:36, Isaiah 37:37
they would set out 3× Numbers 9:21, Numbers 9:22
After they had set out 2× Exodus 19:2, Numbers 20:22
and set out 2× Numbers 2:34, Numbers 9:20
As they set out 2× Genesis 35:5, Numbers 10:28
journeyed 2× Genesis 20:1, Exodus 12:37
we set out 2× Deuteronomy 1:19, Ezra 8:31
would set out 2× Exodus 40:36, Numbers 9:17
. . . 1× Psalms 78:52
[the Israelites] set out 1× Numbers 33:3
also moved 1× Exodus 14:19
And [the Israelites] set out 1× Numbers 33:41
and head 1× Deuteronomy 1:40
and head for 1× Numbers 14:25
and headed 1× Deuteronomy 2:1
and left 1× Joshua 3:1
and pulled out 1× Judges 16:14
and pulled them out 1× Judges 16:3
and they set out 1× Numbers 9:23
and those who move 1× Jeremiah 31:24
as people journeyed 1× Genesis 11:2
aside 1× 2 Kings 4:4
be pulled up 1× Isaiah 33:20
came up 1× Numbers 11:31
departed 1× Judges 18:11
had left 1× 2 Kings 19:8
has been picked up 1× Isaiah 38:12
has set out 1× Jeremiah 4:7
He stirred 1× Psalms 78:26
He uproots 1× Job 19:10
is ready to move 1× Numbers 4:15
is to move 1× Numbers 1:51
is to travel 1× Numbers 2:17
journeyed on 1× Genesis 12:9
Later, they set out 1× Genesis 35:16
led 1× Exodus 15:22
left 1× Exodus 17:1
Let us be on our way 1× Genesis 33:12
marching 1× Exodus 14:10
move on 1× Numbers 12:15
moved on 1× Numbers 11:35
pulled up 1× Job 4:21
sets out 1× Numbers 4:5
setting out 1× Numbers 10:29
So they set out 1× Numbers 10:33
so they withdrew 1× 2 Kings 3:27
the king of Assyria had left 1× Isaiah 37:8
The one who quarries 1× Ecclesiastes 10:9
the people wander 1× Zechariah 10:2
Then they set out 1× Numbers 21:4
They are to set out 1× Numbers 2:17
They have moved on 1× Genesis 37:17
They journeyed 1× Numbers 21:11
they moved on 1× Numbers 21:13
they set 1× Numbers 21:12
they traveled 1× Deuteronomy 10:7
to go forward 1× Exodus 14:15
to quarry 1× 1 Kings 5:17
toward 1× Genesis 12:9
traveled 1× Deuteronomy 10:6
traveled on 1× Numbers 22:1
traveling 1× Numbers 10:33
went on 1× Genesis 33:17
when they set out 1× Numbers 10:34
withdrew 1× Exodus 14:19
You uprooted 1× Psalms 80:8
your journey 1× Deuteronomy 1:7
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 11:2 בְּנָסְעָ֣ם to as people journeyed Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural Genesis 12:9 וַיִּסַּ֣ע to journeyed on Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 12:9 וְנָס֖וֹעַ to toward Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute Genesis 13:11 וַיִּסַּ֥ע to set out Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 20:1 וַיִּסַּ֨ע to journeyed Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 33:12 נִסְעָ֣ה to Let us be on our way Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural Genesis 33:17 נָסַ֣ע to went on Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 35:5 וַיִּסָּ֑עוּ to As they set out Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Genesis 35:16 וַיִּסְעוּ֙ to Later, they set out Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Genesis 35:21 וַיִּסַּ֖ע to set out 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 11:2
Aligned rows 146
Books represented 15
Genesis 12 Exodus 12 Numbers 89 Deuteronomy 7 Joshua 4 Judges 3 1 Kings 1 2 Kings 4 Ezra 1 Job 2 Psalms 3 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 2 Zechariah 1
Source forms
וַיִּסְע֖וּ 43x way·yis·‘ū Exodus 13:20, Numbers 10:13, Numbers 20:22, Numbers 21:10
וַיִּסְעוּ֙ 7x way·yis·‘ū Genesis 35:16, Exodus 16:1, Numbers 10:33, Numbers 33:7
וַיִּסַּ֣ע 3x way·yis·sa‘ Genesis 12:9, 2 Kings 19:36, Isaiah 37:37
וַיִּסַּ֞ע 3x way·yis·sa‘ Exodus 14:19, Numbers 10:14
וַיִּסְע֣וּ 3x way·yis·‘ū Exodus 19:2, Joshua 3:1, Joshua 9:17
וְנָסַ֗ע 3x wə·nā·sa‘ Numbers 10:18, Numbers 10:22, Numbers 10:25
יִסְע֖וּ 3x yis·‘ū Exodus 40:36, Numbers 2:31, Numbers 9:17
יִסָּֽעוּ׃ 3x yis·sā·‘ū Numbers 9:19, Numbers 9:20, Numbers 9:22
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 62x Genesis 35:5, Genesis 35:16, Exodus 12:37, Exodus 13:20
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 14x Exodus 40:36, Exodus 40:37, Numbers 2:9, Numbers 2:16
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 11x Genesis 12:9, Genesis 13:11, Genesis 20:1, Genesis 35:21
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 9x Genesis 37:17, Numbers 2:34, Numbers 11:35, Numbers 12:16
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 7x Numbers 9:21, Numbers 10:5, Numbers 10:6, Numbers 10:17
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 6x Genesis 33:17, Numbers 11:31, Numbers 12:15, 2 Kings 19:8
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 4x Numbers 2:17, Numbers 10:18, Numbers 10:22, Numbers 10:25
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 4x Numbers 4:5, Numbers 4:15, Numbers 10:35, Joshua 3:14
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Journey rooted in literal tent-striking; God uses it for covenantal movement and Israel's wilderness wandering pattern.
Strong's H5265
Lexical occurrences 146 verses Word forms 3 forms 42 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
properly, to pull up, especially the tent-pins, i.e. start on a journey
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Journey rooted in literal tent-striking; God uses it for covenantal movement and Israel's wilderness wandering pattern.
properly, to pull up, especially the tent-pins, i.e. start on a journey BDB: pull out Usage: cause to blow, bring, get, (make to) go (away, forth, forward, onward, out), (take) journey, march, remove, set aside (forward), × still, be on his (go their) way.
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 42
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 36×
Imperfect Exod 40:36 · Exod 40:37 · Num 2:9 · Num 2:16 · Num 2:17 · Num 2:24 · Num 2:31 · Num 9:17 · Num 9:18 · Num 9:19 · Num 9:20 · Num 9:22 · Num 9:23 · Isa 33:20 · Josh 3:3 16×
Perfect Deut 10:6 · Deut 10:7 · Gen 37:17 · Num 2:34 · Num 11:35 · Num 12:16 · Num 21:12 · Num 21:13 · Zech 10:2 · 2Kgs 19:8 · Gen 33:17 · Isa 37:8 · Jer 4:7 · Num 11:31 · Num 12:15 15×
Participle active Exod 14:10 · Num 10:29 · Num 10:33 3×
Sequential imperfect Deut 2:24 1×
Cohortative Gen 33:12 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 2×
Perfect Isa 38:12 · Job 4:21 2×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 4×
Imperfect 2Kgs 4:4 · Ps 78:26 · Ps 80:9 3×
Participle active Eccl 10:9 1×
Word Origins
נָסַע 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