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נָזַל

𐤍𐤆𐤋

nâzal

H5140 verb

SILEX Entry

Root נזל to flow, to trickle, to drip

Definition

To flow, to trickle, or to stream; signifies the movement of a liquid (most commonly water) in a descending or continuous manner. Can denote a gentle dripping, the steady flow of a stream, or the pouring out of a substance. May be used literally of water or other liquids, or metaphorically for figurative 'flowing' such as of speech or emotion.

Semantic Range

to drip, to trickle, to flow, to pour down, to stream, to distill, to gush forth, (metaphoric) to cause to flow (as with speech, emotion, blessing)

Root / Etymology

Root: נזל. Derived from the verbal root with the core sense of movement of liquid from a higher to a lower point, especially in a gradual or continuous manner. The lexical meaning in context expands from 'to drip' or 'to trickle' to wider senses of 'to stream' or 'to pour out.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, נָזַל is most often applied to water, whether as dew, rain, or as the movement of water in rivers and brooks. It can describe the gentle dripping of dew (e.g., Song 4:11) or honey, but also the gushing forth of larger flows (Ezek 47:1, poetic contexts). The term may be contrasted with other Hebrew verbs such as זָב (zav, 'to flow' with an emphasis on oozing or continuous discharge, often used in ritual contexts for uncleanness) or שָׁפַךְ (shafakh, 'to pour out', emphasizing the act or force of pouring). The nuance of נָזַל tends to be subtler or more poetic, often chosen to evoke natural imagery, and is found especially in poetic and wisdom literature. English translations sometimes render it as 'drip,' 'distill,' or 'flow,' but these do not always fully capture the varied intensity (from gentle to plentiful) or its metaphorical uses (e.g., flowing speech or sweetness). In later Jewish literature, the root continued to carry both physical and metaphorical implications, including 'to flow' of tears or inspiration. The usage of נָזַל does not shift dramatically over different periods, but is found more in poetic and descriptive contexts than in technical ritual or legal texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to drip, or shed by trickling; distil, drop, flood, (cause to) flow(-ing), gush out, melt, pour (down), running water, stream.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נזל (n-z-l) — to flow, to trickle, to drip

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4208 מַזָּלָה and to the constellations

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5140-08 יִזְּלוּ yizelu HVqi3mp pour down they will flow 5
H5140-03 נֹזְלִ֑ים nozelim HVqrmpa flowing flowing ones 3
H5140-06 וְ/נֹזְלִ֖ים venozelim HC/Vqrmpa and streams and flowing ones 3
H5140-02 נָזְל֖וּ nazelu HVqp3cp flowed down they flowed 1
H5140-05 וְ֝/נֹזְלֵי/הֶ֗ם venozeleyhem HC/Vqrmpc/Sp3mp and their streams and their flowing-ones 1
H5140-07 יִֽזַּל yizal HVqi3ms He shall pour/flow he will flow 1
H5140-04 תִּזַּ֥ל tizal HVqi3fs distill she will flow 1
H5140-01 הִזִּ֣יל hizil HVhp3ms he-caused-to-flow he caused to flow 1

Occurrences in Scripture

16 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5140-03 Exodus 15:8 נֹזְלִ֑ים nozelim HVqrmpa the flowing waters flowing ones
H5140-07 Numbers 24:7 יִֽזַּל yizal HVqi3ms He shall pour/flow he will flow
H5140-04 Deuteronomy 32:2 תִּזַּ֥ל tizal HVqi3fs distill she will flow
H5140-02 Judges 5:5 נָזְל֖וּ nazelu HVqp3cp flowed down they flowed
H5140-06 Isaiah 44:3 וְ/נֹזְלִ֖ים venozelim HC/Vqrmpa and streams and flowing ones
H5140-08 Isaiah 45:8 יִזְּלוּ yizelu HVqi3mp pour down they will flow
H5140-01 Isaiah 48:21 הִזִּ֣יל hizil HVhp3ms he-caused-to-flow he caused to flow
H5140-08 Jeremiah 9:17 יִזְּלוּ yizelu HVqi3mp let drip they will flow
H5140-03 Jeremiah 18:14 נוֹזְלִֽים nozelim HVqrmpa flowing flowing ones
H5140-03 Psalms 78:16 נוֹזְלִ֣ים nozelim HVqrmpa streams flowing ones
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