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נָטָה

𐤍𐤈𐤄

nâṭâh

H5186 verb

SILEX Entry

Root נטה to stretch, to extend, to incline, to bend, to turn aside

Definition

To extend, stretch out, or spread (physically or metaphorically); to incline, turn, or bend (in various directions, either literal or figurative); to direct or apply oneself or something toward a particular purpose; to deviate, turn away, or pervert (morally or in judgment); the word carries a broad semantic field relating to the causing of movement, change of direction, or extension, whether of physical objects, human actions, intentions, or periods of time.

Semantic Range

to stretch out physically, to extend (hand, tent, boundary), to spread, to incline (ear, heart), to bend or bow (down), to direct energies or intentions, to turn (aside, away from a path), to deviate from a course (literally or morally), to pervert (judgment), to decline (as of day or time), to prolong or delay, to pitch (a tent), to offer or apply oneself, to cause to yield

Root / Etymology

From the root נָטָה (natah), a verbal root meaning primarily 'to stretch out, extend, or incline.' The root suggests the idea of movement away from a default position, either by physical extension (as with a hand or tent), direction, or in a figurative sense, deviation or shifting of course or intent.

Historical & Contextual Notes

נָטָה occurs over 200 times in the Hebrew Bible and is used both in concrete and abstract/figurative senses. Concrete uses include stretching out a hand, tent, or boundary line (Genesis 22:10; Exodus 26:13); figuratively, it describes 'inclining' one's heart or ear (Psalm 17:6), or turning aside from a way (Proverbs 4:27). In poetic and prophetic passages, it can signify the extension of time (the lengthening of a day), favor, or even wrath. In legal and moral contexts, נָטָה can mean to pervert or turn aside from justice (Exodus 23:2; Deuteronomy 16:19). English translations often render נָטָה with a range of verbs depending on context (stretch, incline, turn, extend, bend, pervert, etc.), which can blur distinctions evident in Hebrew. The word’s application to the 'declining' or 'turning' of the day (afternoon or evening) arises from the literal sense of the sun bending or inclining toward the horizon (Judges 19:8). Distinctions should be made with related terms such as פנה (panah, 'to turn') or נטה in pi‘el forms, which may intensify the sense of extension or deviation. Over time, the verb's essentially physical meaning extended to metaphoric and legal–moral domains without losing its primary image of change in direction via extension or inclination. It does not denote upright or static, but always some quality of movement or redirection.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application; [phrase] afternoon, apply, bow (down, -ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down, be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread (out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away), wrest, cause to yield.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נטה (n-ṭ-h) — to stretch, extend, incline, bend, turn aside

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3194 יֻטָּה and Extended-Place
H4294 מַטֶּה in the staff
H4295 מַטָּה downward
H4296 מִטָּה the stretched-out bed
H4297 מֻטֶּה bent distortion

Word Forms

66 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5186-50 וַ/יֵּ֣ט vayet HC/Vqw3ms and stretched out and he stretched out 24
H5186-22 נָֽטָה natah HVqp3ms had pitched he stretched out 18
H5186-31 נְטוּיָ֔ה netuyah HVqsfsa outstretched stretched-out 16
H5186-35 נֹטֶ֤ה noteh HVqrmsa stretching out the one stretching out 10
H5186-15 הִטּ֣וּ hitu HVhp3cp they-inclined they caused to turn aside 9
H5186-29 נְטֵ֤ה neteh HVqv2ms Stretch out Stretch out 9
H5186-04 הַ/נְּטוּיָ֔ה hanetuyah HTd/Vqsfsa outstretched the stretched-out (feminine) 9
H5186-07 הַטֵּ֨ה hateh HVhv2ms incline cause to incline 8
H5186-57 וְ/נָטִ֣יתִי venatiti HC/Vqq1cs and-I-will-stretch-out and I stretched out 8
H5186-06 הַֽט hat HVhv2ms incline Cause to incline 6

Occurrences in Scripture

216 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5186-50 Genesis 12:8 וַ/יֵּ֣ט vayet HC/Vqw3ms pitched and he stretched out
H5186-08 Genesis 24:14 הַטִּי hati HVhv2fs lower Cause to stretch out
H5186-50 Genesis 26:25 וַ/יֶּט vayet HC/Vqw3ms and he pitched and he stretched out
H5186-22 Genesis 33:19 נָֽטָה natah HVqp3ms he had pitched he stretched out
H5186-50 Genesis 35:21 וַ/יֵּ֣ט vayet HC/Vqw3ms pitched and he stretched out
H5186-50 Genesis 38:1 וַ/יֵּ֛ט vayet HC/Vqw3ms and turned aside and he stretched out
H5186-50 Genesis 38:16 וַ/יֵּ֨ט vayet HC/Vqw3ms and he turned aside and he stretched out
H5186-50 Genesis 39:21 וַ/יֵּ֥ט vayet HC/Vqw3ms and extended and he stretched out
H5186-50 Genesis 49:15 וַ/יֵּ֤ט vayet HC/Vqw3ms he bowed and he stretched out
H5186-31 Exodus 6:6 נְטוּיָ֔ה netuyah HVqsfsa outstretched stretched-out
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