נֶכֶס
𐤍𐤊𐤎
nekeç
H5233 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Valuables or possessions of significant worth, especially material goods such as property, livestock, precious metals, or resources considered an individual's or community's wealth. The term primarily signifies tangible assets amassed or possessed, often as evidence of economic prosperity.
Semantic Range
wealth, riches, property, material possessions, assets, goods, accumulated resources
Root / Etymology
The word נֶכֶס (nekeṣ) is likely derived from a Semitic root nkś or nkṣ, hypothesized to mean 'to accumulate' or 'to collect,' though this form is not attested elsewhere in Biblical or later Hebrew. Cognate forms appear in other Semitic languages with reference to property or possession. The etymology remains somewhat uncertain due to the lack of a clearly attested root in Hebrew beyond the noun form.
Historical & Contextual Notes
נֶכֶס appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, occurring in the context of listing possessions or referring to wealth as measured in property and material assets (e.g., Ecclesiastes 5:11). Its primary focus is on tangible, countable goods rather than abstract or spiritual wealth. In later Hebrew, the noun becomes more common and develops the sense of 'assets' or 'property' in a broader legal and economic sense, particularly in Rabbinic texts. The standard English translation 'wealth' can capture its basic sense but may sometimes miss the concrete, often material emphasis. Unlike some terms (e.g., חֵלֶק, 'portion,' or עֹשֶׁר, 'riches'), נֶכֶס is less poetically charged and more practically oriented. The term is not used as a direct designation for a social class (such as 'the wealthy') but rather for the possessions themselves.
Translation Consistency
Neḵeṣ primarily refers to tangible valuables and owned goods (property, livestock, precious metals). "Possessions" is the most natural, broadly accurate English term for personal or communal material assets in biblical contexts, and it reads naturally in singular/plural constructions (e.g., "his possessions", "their possessions"). It avoids the abstractness of "wealth" and the legal tone of "property," and keeps consistency across all forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to accumulate; treasure; riches, wealth.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נכש (n-k-ś) — accumulate, gather, collect
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5233-03 |
וּ/נְכָסִ֜ים | unekhasim | HC/Ncmpa |
and possessions | and accumulated assets | and accumulated assets | 3 |
H5233-01 |
בִּ/נְכָסִ֨ים | binekhasim | HR/Ncmpa |
with riches | accumulated assets | in accumulated assets | 1 |
H5233-02 |
נְכָסִ֤ים | nekhasim | HNcmpa |
wealth | accumulated assets | possessions | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5233-01 |
Joshua 22:8 | בִּ/נְכָסִ֨ים | binekhasim | HR/Ncmpa |
with riches | accumulated assets | in accumulated assets |
H5233-03 |
Ecclesiastes 5:18 | וּ/נְכָסִ֜ים | unekhasim | HC/Ncmpa |
and accumulated assets | and accumulated assets | |
H5233-03 |
Ecclesiastes 6:2 | וּ/נְכָסִ֨ים | unekhasim | HC/Ncmpa |
and accumulated assets | and accumulated assets | |
H5233-02 |
2 Chronicles 1:11 | נְכָסִ֤ים | nekhasim | HNcmpa |
wealth | accumulated assets | possessions |
H5233-03 |
2 Chronicles 1:12 | וּ/נְכָסִ֤ים | unekhasim | HC/Ncmpa |
and possessions | and accumulated assets | and accumulated assets |