Lexical Summary nasah: To test, to try, to prove, to tempt Original Word: נָסָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance adventure, assay, prove, tempt, try A primitive root; to test; by implication, to attempt -- adventure, assay, prove, tempt, try. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to test, try NASB Translation make a test (1), proved (1), put (1), put to the test (2), tempted (3), test (13), tested (9), testing (3), tried (1), try (1), venture (1), ventures (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [נָסָה] verb Pi`el test, try (Late Hebrew id., Pi`el; ᵑ7 Pa`el נַסִּי; Syriac Pa`el ![]() ![]() Pi`el Perfect3masculine singular נִסָּה Deuteronomy 4:34 3t.; suffix נִסָּהוּ Exodus 15:25; 3feminine singular נִסְּתָה Deuteronomy 28:56; 1singular נִסִּיתִי Ecclesiastes 7:23, + 4 t. Perfect; Imperfect3masculine singular suffix יְנַסֵּם Daniel 1:14; 1singular אֲנַסֶּה Judges 6:39; suffix אֲנַסְּכָה Ecclesiastes 2:2; 3masculine plural יְנַסּוּ Numbers 14:22; 2masculine plural תְּנַסּ֑וּן Exodus 17:2, + 7 t. Imperfect; Imperative נַס Daniel 1:12; suffix נַסֵּנִי Psalm 26:2; Infinitive construct נַסּוֺת Exodus 20:20, + 8 t. Infinitive; Participle מְנַסֶּה Deuteronomy 13:4; — 1 test, try (synonym בחן), absolute 1 Samuel 17:39 (a sword); with בְּ Judges 7:39; Ecclesiastes 2:1; with accusative Daniel 1:12,14; accusative + בְּ 1 Kings 10:1 2Chronicles 9:1; Ecclesiastes 7:23. 2 attempt, assay, try to do a thing, with Infinitive Deuteronomy 4:34; Deuteronomy 28:56; with accusative Job 4:2 (venture a word). 3 test, try, prove, tempt [but not in modern sense of the word: see DrDeuteronomy 6:16; Psalms 453, 483] a. God tests or proves Abraham Genesis 22:1 (E), Israel Exodus 15:25; Exodus 20:20 (E), Exodus 16:4 (J), Deuteronomy 8:2,16; Deuteronomy 13:4; with בְּ Judges 2:22; Judges 3:1,4; tribe of Levi Deuteronomy 33:8 (poem); Hezekiah 2 Chronicles 32:31; psalmist Psalm 26:2. b. Israel tests, or tries God: Exodus 17:2,7; Numbers 14:22 (J), Deuteronomy 6:16; Psalm 78:18; Psalm 78:41; Psalm 78:56; Psalm 95:9; Psalm 106:14; so Ahaz, Isaiah 7:12. Topical Lexicon Nature and Scope of נָסָהThe verb paints the picture of putting something or someone to the proof in order to reveal what is really there. Roughly thirty-six appearances span the Pentateuch, Historical Books, Psalms and Chronicles, always revolving around one of three ideas: (1) God testing people, (2) people testing God, or (3) someone testing a thing or circumstance to discover its suitability. God Tests His People • Genesis 22:1 sets the tone for every later occurrence: “God tested Abraham”. The command to offer Isaac exposed the contents of the patriarch’s heart and anticipated the ultimate provision of a substitute. Human Presumption: Testing God The mirror image of נָסָה appears when people put God on trial: Testing God is always condemned, for it springs from unbelief and demands proof from the One who has already proven Himself. Everyday Usage: Proving What Is Fit נָסָה also operates in ordinary life. David declined Saul’s armor because he had “not tested them” (1 Samuel 17:39). The word stresses careful evaluation before commitment. Theological Threads 1. Divine testing never seeks to induce sin; it seeks to display and strengthen faith. Pastoral and Ministry Implications • Trials are purposeful. Leaders should teach congregations to expect them and to view them as instruments of sanctification rather than signs of divine displeasure. Summary נָסָה weaves through Scripture as a consistent testimony to a holy God who proves His people, a warning against presumption that would put Him on trial, and an encouragement that every trial, rightly received, leads to deeper trust and obedience. Forms and Transliterations אֲנַסְּכָ֛ה אֲנַסֶּ֖ה אֲנַסֶּ֛נּוּ אֲנַסֶּ֤ה אנסה אנסכה אנסנו הֲנִסָּ֣ה הֲנִסָּ֬ה הנסה וְנַסֵּ֑נִי וַיְנַסֵּ֖ם וַיְנַסּ֣וּ וַיְנַסּוּ־ וינסו וינסו־ וינסם ונסני לְנַ֨סּוֹת֔וֹ לְנַסֹּֽתְךָ֗ לְנַסֹּת֖וֹ לְנַסּ֥וֹת לְנַסּוֹת֩ לנסות לנסותו לנסתו לנסתך מְנַסֶּ֞ה מנסה נִ֭סּוּנִי נִסְּתָ֤ה נִסִּ֑יתִי נִסִּ֣יתִי נִסִּיתֶ֖ם נִסִּיתוֹ֙ נִסָּ֖ה נִסָּֽהוּ׃ נִסָּה֒ נַסֹּתֶ֔ךָ נַסֹּתָ֤ם נַסּ֣וֹת נַסּ֥וֹת נַס־ נס־ נסה נסהו׃ נסוני נסות נסיתו נסיתי נסיתם נסתה נסתך נסתם תְּנַסּ֖וּן תְנַסּ֔וּ תנסו תנסון ’ă·nas·sə·ḵāh ’ă·nas·seh ’ă·nas·sen·nū ’ănasseh ’ănassəḵāh ’ănassennū anasseChah anasSeh anasSennu hă·nis·sāh hanisSah hănissāh lə·nas·sō·ṯə·ḵā lə·nas·sō·ṯōw lə·nas·sō·w·ṯōw lə·nas·sō·wṯ lenasSot lenassoteCha lənassōṯəḵā lenassoTo lənassōṯōw lənassōwṯ lənassōwṯōw mə·nas·seh menasSeh mənasseh nas nas- nas·sō·ṯām nas·sō·ṯe·ḵā nas·sō·wṯ nasSot nassoTam nassōṯām nassoTecha nassōṯeḵā nassōwṯ nis·sā·hū nis·sāh nis·sə·ṯāh nis·sî·ṯem nis·sî·ṯî nis·sî·ṯōw nis·sū·nî nisSah nissāh nisSahu nissāhū nisseTah nissəṯāh nissiTem nissîṯem nisSiti nissîṯî nissiTo nissîṯōw Nissuni nissūnî ṯə·nas·sū tə·nas·sūn tenasSu ṯənassū tenasSun tənassūn vaynasSem vaynasSu venasSeni way·nas·sêm way·nas·sū way·nas·sū- waynassêm waynassū waynassū- wə·nas·sê·nî wənassênîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 22:1 HEB: הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְהָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים נִסָּ֖ה אֶת־ אַבְרָהָ֑ם NAS: that God tested Abraham, KJV: that God did tempt Abraham, INT: these God tested Abraham and said Exodus 15:25 Exodus 16:4 Exodus 17:2 Exodus 17:7 Exodus 20:20 Numbers 14:22 Deuteronomy 4:34 Deuteronomy 6:16 Deuteronomy 6:16 Deuteronomy 8:2 Deuteronomy 8:16 Deuteronomy 13:3 Deuteronomy 28:56 Deuteronomy 33:8 Judges 2:22 Judges 3:1 Judges 3:4 Judges 6:39 1 Samuel 17:39 1 Samuel 17:39 1 Kings 10:1 2 Chronicles 9:1 2 Chronicles 32:31 Job 4:2 36 Occurrences |