Lexical Summary nasas: To be lifted up, to be exalted, to be displayed Original Word: נָסַס Strong's Exhaustive Concordance faint A primitive root; to wane, i.e. Be sick -- faint. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be sick NASB Translation sick man (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [נָסַס] verb be sick (?; compare Syriac ![]() ![]() ![]() Qal Participle active (si vera lectio) כִּמְסֹס נֹסֵס Isaiah 10:18 like the wasting away of a sick man (so Thes Ew De Che Di Du). Topical Lexicon Strong’s Hebrew 5263 נָסַס Root Meaning and Semantic Field While the verbal form itself is not attested in the Old Testament, its sense—“to lift up so as to shimmer or gleam” and thus “to raise a beacon or banner”—is preserved in several closely related nouns. These derivatives convey the idea of something elevated and conspicuous, functioning as a rallying point, warning signal, or proclamation of victory. Derivative Forms and Their Occurrences • נֵס (nes) – “banner, signal pole, standard” (for example, Psalm 60:4; Isaiah 11:10). Historical Background: Military and Civic Usage In the ancient Near East banners were usually long poles topped with shining metal or colored cloth. Positioned on hilltops or borne by standard-bearers, they helped troops orient themselves during battle, marked camps, and signaled strategy changes. Outside warfare they announced royal decrees or festive processions. Because the object was held high, sunlight glinting off metal or fabric made it visible from great distances, reinforcing the root idea of “glistening elevation.” Theology of the Banner in Scripture 1. Divine Deliverance Messianic and Eschatological Foreshadowing Isaiah 11:10 looks beyond David’s line to a universal King: “On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will seek Him, and His resting place will be glorious”. The imagery blends royal authority with magnetic attraction: the Messiah Himself becomes the standard to which all nations rally. Jesus applies the same motif to His crucifixion: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14). The pole (nes) of Numbers 21:8 prefigures the cross; whoever looks in faith is healed from the deadly “bite” of sin. Practical Ministry Implications • Gospel Proclamation: Churches serve as contemporary “standard-bearers,” displaying Christ crucified and risen so the lost can orient themselves to truth. Application for Modern Believers 1. Confidence—God’s raised banner guarantees that His purposes will stand despite cultural turbulence. Summary Although the verb נָסַס itself is absent from the biblical text, its legacy saturates Scripture through the vivid image of the banner. From Israel’s early battles to the prophetic vision of a world gathering to Messiah, the concept encapsulates divine revelation, salvation, and mission. The church today lives under that same lifted standard—Christ exalted—summoning all peoples to find refuge, identity, and eternal life in Him. Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance wə·his·si·ḵū — 1 Occ.wə·lin·sōḵ — 1 Occ. yis·sə·ḵū — 1 Occ. yus·saḵ — 2 Occ. han·nə·sū·ḵāh — 1 Occ. lə·nas·sā·ḵāh — 1 Occ. wə·nis·kê·hō·wn — 1 Occ. han·nā·seḵ — 1 Occ. lan·ne·seḵ — 3 Occ. nə·sā·ḵîm — 8 Occ. nis·kê·hem — 3 Occ. nis·kōw — 4 Occ. ū·ḵə·nis·kāh — 1 Occ. ū·ḵə·nis·kōw — 1 Occ. ū·lə·nis·kê·ḵem — 1 Occ. ū·nə·sā·ḵe·hā — 1 Occ. ū·nə·sā·ḵîm — 1 Occ. ū·ḇan·nə·sā·ḵîm — 1 Occ. wā·nā·seḵ — 1 Occ. wā·ne·seḵ — 2 Occ. |