נָסָה (H5254) — Hebrew Lexicon

נָסָה

𐤍𐤎𐤄

nâçâh

H5254 verb

SILEX Entry

Root נסה to test, to try, to prove, to examine

Definition

To test, try, or evaluate, especially by setting up a situation or challenge, with the intent to reveal quality, reliability, character, or allegiance. The term describes actions by which a person, group, or deity is subjected to examination or placed in circumstances that reveal true nature, loyalty, or capability. It can range from testing faithfulness (often attributed to YHWH 'testing' the people or individuals) to humans testing one another or testing circumstances. The word does not inherently carry the later English sense of 'tempt' as inviting to do wrong, but may overlap when the test involves potential for disloyalty or wrongdoing.

Semantic Range

to test (faith, loyalty, or intention), to try or prove (a person, group, or quality), to attempt, to put on trial, to investigate by experience or challenge; rarely, to tempt (in the sense of providing opportunity for wrongdoing, primarily in later usage)

Root / Etymology

From the root נסה, which expresses the idea of putting to trial or attempting. Though often translated as 'to tempt' or 'to try,' the root essentially conveys the act of investigating, evaluating, or examining, typically under challenging conditions.

Historical & Contextual Notes

נָסָה occurs frequently in contexts where YHWH tests the loyalty or faith of the Israelites, for example Genesis 22:1 (Abraham) and Deuteronomy 8:2. The purpose of such testing varies: sometimes emphasizing pedagogical aims, sometimes loyalty demonstrations. In post-exilic contexts and later Jewish interpretation, the nuance of 'tempt' (i.e., to provoke into wrongdoing) evolved, but in biblical usage the focus is on evaluating faith or obedience, not enticing to sin. Notably, in the Hebrew Bible, 'to tempt' is seldom the best translation, though some English versions adopt this out of tradition. The word should be distinguished from related verbs such as בחן (bachan, 'to examine') and צרף (tsaraph, 'to refine'), which focus more on technical or metallurgical testing, while נסה is broader and encompasses ethical or spiritual trial. In the ancient Near Eastern context, deity-testing of humans is attested elsewhere, but in Israelite texts it is particularly prominent and often occurs in covenantal settings.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to test; by implication, to attempt; adventure, assay, prove, tempt, try.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נסה (n-s-h) — to test, to try, to prove, to examine

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H4531	מַסָּה	in testings
H4532	מַסָּה	in Testing-place

Word Forms

24 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H5254-23`	וַ/יְנַסּ֣וּ	vayenasu	`HC/Vpw3mp`	and they have tested	and they put to the test	5
`H5254-05`	לְ/נַסּ֥וֹת	lenasot	`HR/Vpc`	to test	to test thoroughly	3
`H5254-01`	אֲנַסֶּ֤ה	anaseh	`HVph1cs`	let me test	Let me test	2
`H5254-13`	נִסָּ֖ה	nisah	`HVpp3ms`	he had tested	he thoroughly tested	2
`H5254-10`	נַסּ֣וֹת	nasot	`HVpc`	to test	to put to the test	2
`H5254-17`	נִסִּ֑יתִי	nisiti	`HVpp1cs`	I have tested	I put to the test	2
`H5254-04`	הֲ/נִסָּ֣ה	hanisah	`HTi/Vpp3ms`	has...tried	he thoroughly tested	2
`H5254-07`	לְ/נַסֹּת֖/וֹ	lenasoto	`HR/Vpc/Sp3ms`	to test him	to test him	2
`H5254-11`	נַסֹּתָ֤/ם	nasotam	`HVpc/Sp3mp`	their testing	their rigorous testing	1
`H5254-22`	וַ/יְנַסֵּ֖/ם	vayenasem	`HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3mp`	and tested them	and he put them to the test	1
`H5254-24`	וְ/נַסֵּ֑/נִי	venaseni	`HC/Vpv2ms/Sp1cs`	and try me	and test me	1
`H5254-20`	תְנַסּ֔וּ	tenasu	`HVpi2mp`	you shall test	you all test thoroughly	1
`H5254-18`	נִסִּית/וֹ֙	nisito	`HVpp2ms/Sp3ms`	you tested him	you thoroughly tested him	1
`H5254-19`	נִ֭סּוּ/נִי	nisuni	`HVpp3cp/Sp1cs`	they tested me	they put me to the test	1
`H5254-15`	נִסְּתָ֤ה	nisetah	`HVpp3fs`	would venture	she put to the test	1
`H5254-16`	נִסִּיתֶ֖ם	nisitem	`HVpp2mp`	you tested	you all put to the test	1
`H5254-09`	נַס	nas	`HVpv2ms`	test	he fled	1
`H5254-03`	אֲנַסֶּ֛/נּוּ	anasenu	`HVpi1cs/Sp3ms`	I may test him	I will put him to the test	1
`H5254-02`	אֲנַסְּ/כָ֛ה	anasekhah	`HVph1cs/Sp2ms`		let me thoroughly test you	1
`H5254-12`	נַסֹּתֶ֔/ךָ	nasotekha	`HVpc/Sp2ms`	he might test you	to test you	1
`H5254-21`	תְּנַסּ֖וּ/ן	tenasun	`HVpi2mp/Sn`	do you test	you put to the test	1
`H5254-06`	לְ/נַסֹּֽתְ/ךָ֗	lenasotekha	`HR/Vpc/Sp2ms`	to-test-you	to test you	1
`H5254-08`	מְנַסֶּ֞ה	menaseh	`HVprmsa`	testing	the one who tests	1
`H5254-14`	נִסָּֽ/הוּ	nisahu	`HVpp3ms/Sp3ms`	he tested them	he tested him	1

Occurrences in Scripture

36 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H5254-13`	Genesis 22:1	נִסָּ֖ה	nisah	`HVpp3ms`	tested	he thoroughly tested
`H5254-14`	Exodus 15:25	נִסָּֽ/הוּ	nisahu	`HVpp3ms/Sp3ms`	he tested them	he tested him
`H5254-03`	Exodus 16:4	אֲנַסֶּ֛/נּוּ	anasenu	`HVpi1cs/Sp3ms`	I may test him	I will put him to the test
`H5254-21`	Exodus 17:2	תְּנַסּ֖וּ/ן	tenasun	`HVpi2mp/Sn`	do you test	you put to the test
`H5254-11`	Exodus 17:7	נַסֹּתָ֤/ם	nasotam	`HVpc/Sp3mp`	their testing	their rigorous testing
`H5254-10`	Exodus 20:20	נַסּ֣וֹת	nasot	`HVpc`	to test	to put to the test
`H5254-23`	Numbers 14:22	וַ/יְנַסּ֣וּ	vayenasu	`HC/Vpw3mp`	and they have tested	and they put to the test
`H5254-04`	Deuteronomy 4:34	הֲ/נִסָּ֣ה	hanisah	`HTi/Vpp3ms`	has...tried	he thoroughly tested
`H5254-20`	Deuteronomy 6:16	תְנַסּ֔וּ	tenasu	`HVpi2mp`	you shall test	you all test thoroughly
`H5254-16`	Deuteronomy 6:16	נִסִּיתֶ֖ם	nisitem	`HVpp2mp`	you tested	you all put to the test
`H5254-06`	Deuteronomy 8:2	לְ/נַסֹּֽתְ/ךָ֗	lenasotekha	`HR/Vpc/Sp2ms`	to-test-you	to test you
`H5254-12`	Deuteronomy 8:16	נַסֹּתֶ֔/ךָ	nasotekha	`HVpc/Sp2ms`	he might test you	to test you
`H5254-08`	Deuteronomy 13:4	מְנַסֶּ֞ה	menaseh	`HVprmsa`	testing	the one who tests
`H5254-15`	Deuteronomy 28:56	נִסְּתָ֤ה	nisetah	`HVpp3fs`	would venture	she put to the test
`H5254-18`	Deuteronomy 33:8	נִסִּית/וֹ֙	nisito	`HVpp2ms/Sp3ms`	you tested him	you thoroughly tested him
`H5254-10`	Judges 2:22	נַסּ֥וֹת	nasot	`HVpc`	to test	to put to the test
`H5254-05`	Judges 3:1	לְ/נַסּ֥וֹת	lenasot	`HR/Vpc`	to test	to test thoroughly
`H5254-05`	Judges 3:4	לְ/נַסּ֥וֹת	lenasot	`HR/Vpc`	to test	to test thoroughly
`H5254-01`	Judges 6:39	אֲנַסֶּ֤ה	anaseh	`HVph1cs`	let me test	Let me test
`H5254-13`	1 Samuel 17:39	נִסָּה֒	nisah	`HVpp3ms`	he had tested	he thoroughly tested
`H5254-17`	1 Samuel 17:39	נִסִּ֑יתִי	nisiti	`HVpp1cs`	I have tested	I put to the test
`H5254-07`	1 Kings 10:1	לְ/נַסֹּת֖/וֹ	lenasoto	`HR/Vpc/Sp3ms`	to-test-him	to test him
`H5254-01`	Isaiah 7:12	אֲנַסֶּ֖ה	anaseh	`HVpi1cs`	will I test	Let me test
`H5254-24`	Psalms 26:2	וְ/נַסֵּ֑/נִי	venaseni	`HC/Vpv2ms/Sp1cs`	and try me	and test me
`H5254-23`	Psalms 78:18	וַ/יְנַסּוּ	vayenasu	`HC/Vpw3mp`	and they tested	and they put to the test
`H5254-23`	Psalms 78:41	וַ/יְנַסּ֣וּ	vayenasu	`HC/Vpw3mp`	and they tempted	and they put to the test
`H5254-23`	Psalms 78:56	וַ/יְנַסּ֣וּ	vayenasu	`HC/Vpw3mp`	they tested	and they put to the test
`H5254-19`	Psalms 95:9	נִ֭סּוּ/נִי	nisuni	`HVpp3cp/Sp1cs`	they tested me	they put me to the test
`H5254-23`	Psalms 106:14	וַ/יְנַסּוּ	vayenasu	`HC/Vpw3mp`	they tempted	and they put to the test
`H5254-04`	Job 4:2	הֲ/נִסָּ֬ה	hanisah	`HTi/VNp3ms`	If one attempts	he thoroughly tested
`H5254-02`	Ecclesiastes 2:1	אֲנַסְּ/כָ֛ה	anasekhah	`HVph1cs/Sp2ms`		let me thoroughly test you
`H5254-17`	Ecclesiastes 7:23	נִסִּ֣יתִי	nisiti	`HVpp1cs`		I put to the test
`H5254-09`	Daniel 1:12	נַס	nas	`HVpv2ms`	test	he fled
`H5254-22`	Daniel 1:14	וַ/יְנַסֵּ֖/ם	vayenasem	`HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3mp`	and tested them	and he put them to the test
`H5254-05`	2 Chronicles 9:1	לְ/נַסּוֹת֩	lenasot	`HR/Vpc`	to test	to test thoroughly
`H5254-07`	2 Chronicles 32:31	לְ/נַ֨סּוֹת֔/וֹ	lenasoto	`HR/Vpc/Sp3ms`	to test him	to test him

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