נִסְרֹךְ
𐤍𐤎𐤓𐤊
Niserokhe
H5268 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Niṣrôk: A proper name, designating a Mesopotamian deity referenced in the Hebrew Bible, specifically associated with the Assyrian royal cult. The term functions as a theonym rather than conveying a descriptive meaning; it refers to the god worshiped by Sennacherib following his return to Nineveh. The semantic range is thus restricted to its use as a divine name in a specific narrative context.
Semantic Range
proper name; designation of an Assyrian deity (the god worshiped by Sennacherib); foreign theonym
Root / Etymology
The name נִסְרֹךְ (Niṣrôk) is of foreign, likely Akkadian origin. Its precise root and etymology are uncertain within Hebrew. Ancient sources have linked it with the Assyrian god Nusku (god of fire and light), or, alternatively, with the word for 'eagle' (Akkadian 'nišru'), but neither identification is certain. The term appears to have been adopted into Hebrew as a loanword to refer to a deity of the Assyrian pantheon.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term נִסְרֹךְ appears solely in 2 Kings 19:37 and Isaiah 37:38, in accounts concerning the assassination of Assyrian king Sennacherib. The deity's name is otherwise unattested in extant Mesopotamian texts, leading to scholarly debate regarding its identification—often considered to represent either Nusku, Sin, or a syncretistic local god. The references are polemical rather than descriptive, focusing on the narrative of Sennacherib's demise rather than the character of the deity. English translations historically rendered נִסְרֹךְ as 'Nisroch,' sometimes with explanatory gloss as an 'idol,' but this reflects translation tradition rather than lexical meaning. The word carries no broader semantic range in Biblical Hebrew, and its specificity as a proper noun limits its interpretation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
lemma נְסִרֹךְ first vowel, corrected to נִסְרֹךְ; of foreign origin; Nisrok, a Babylonian idol; Nisroch.
Bantu Hebrew
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נ־ס־ר־ך (uncertain, loanword) (n-s-r-k (uncertain)) — proper name of a deity, foreign theonym
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5268-01 |
נִסְרֹ֣ךְ | niserokhe | HNp |
Nisroch | Nisrok | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5268-01 |
2 Kings 19:37 | נִסְרֹ֣ךְ | niserokhe | HNp |
Nisroch | Nisrok |
H5268-01 |
Isaiah 37:38 | נִסְרֹ֣ךְ | niserokhe | HNp |
Nisroch | Nisrok |