נוּץ
𐤍𐤅𐤑
nûwts
H5132 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To sprout or shoot forth, especially of new plant growth such as buds or blossoms appearing on trees or plants; by extension, to burst out, shine briefly, or in some contexts to spring forth quickly (as in movement). The primary sense relates to visible, sudden emergence, whether of foliage, flowers, or by figurative extension, other rapid or brilliant manifestations.
Semantic Range
to blossom, to bud (forth), to burst out, to shoot forth, to spring up (of plants); to flash or shine briefly; (rarely and disputed) to move quickly, to fly or flee
Root / Etymology
Root/Noun formation: נוץ is a verbal root in Biblical Hebrew, most likely related to the idea of sudden outward movement or appearance. The core idea is of something sprouting, blossoming, or shooting forth rapidly. There may be phonological and semantic parallels to related Semitic roots denoting shining, bursting forth, or sprouting, but this specific root is distinct in its botanical sense. The word's imagery of brilliance or flashing (as in color or light) is secondary, arising from the vividness of new blossoms.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, נוּץ occurs predominantly in poetic passages, especially in prophetic literature describing renewal or divine blessing on the land, as in references to the land 'blossoming' or 'bursting forth'—notably Isaiah 27:6 and 35:1-2. While Strong's gloss includes both botanical (bud, blossom) and kinetic (flee, fly away) senses, the overwhelming contextual evidence in Biblical Hebrew points to the botanical/phenomenological sense (i.e., budding forth) as primary; the 'flee/fly' sense appears to be either a rare later development or a confusion with similar-sounding roots (e.g., נוּס H5127 'to flee'). English translations often use 'blossom' or 'bud', adequately capturing the main semantic field, though the underlying image of sudden, radiant emergence is sometimes muted in translation. In post-biblical and later Hebrew, the word is less common, and the botanical meaning generally prevails.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; properly, to flash; hence, to blossom (from the brilliancy of color); also, to fly away (from the quickness of motion); flee away, bud (forth).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נוץ (n-w-ts) — to sprout, to bud, to blossom, to flash forth
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5132-01 |
הֵנֵ֖צוּ | henetsu | HVhp3cp |
had budded | they caused to sprout | 2 |
H5132-02 |
נָצ֖וּ | natsu | HVqp3cp |
they fled | they sprouted forth | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5132-01 |
Song of Songs 6:11 | הֵנֵ֖צוּ | henetsu | HVhp3cp |
had budded | they caused to sprout |
H5132-01 |
Song of Songs 7:13 | הֵנֵ֖צוּ | henetsu | HVhp3cp |
have-given-forth | they caused to sprout |
H5132-02 |
Lamentations 4:15 | נָצ֖וּ | natsu | HVqp3cp |
they fled | they sprouted forth |