Lexical Summary naphats: To shatter, break, scatter, dash to pieces Original Word: נָפַץ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be beaten in sunder, break in pieces, broken, dash in pieces, dispersed, be overspread, scatterA primitive root; to dash to pieces, or scatter -- be beaten in sunder, break (in pieces), broken, dash (in pieces), cause to be discharged, dispersed, be overspread, scatter. Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [נָפַץ] verb shatter (Late Hebrew id., dash, beat; Assyrian napâƒu, shatter, destroy DlHWB 475; ᵑ7 נְפַע Pa`el shatter, but also נְפַץ Pa`el, id., Syriac  shake, break, so Mandean, NöM. 240, and ZMG xxxii (1878), 406); — Qal Infinitive absolute וְנָפוֺץ with accusative Judges 7:19 and a shattering (= and shattered) the jars; Passive participle עֶצֶב נִבְזֶה נָפוּץ Jeremiah 22:28 (figurative) a vessel to be despised (and) shattered (compare Ew Gie RothstKau); also Participle active נֹפֵץ shatterer of the holy people Daniel 12:7 (Bev MartiKau, reading כִּכְלוֺת יַד נֹפֵץ). Pi`el dash to pieces: Perfect3masculine singular וְנִמֵּץ consecutive Psalm 137:9 with accusative infants ag. (אֶל) rock; 1 singular וְנִמַּצְתִּ֫י of ׳י dashing all in pieces with (ב) Babylon as war-club Jeremiah 51:20,21 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 51:22 (3 t. in verse); Jeremiah 51:23 (3 t. in verse); suffix וְנִמַּצְתִּים אִישׁ אֶלאָֿחִיו Jeremiah 13:14; Imperfect2masculine singular suffix כִּכְלִי יוֺצֵר תְּנַמְּצֵם Psalm 2:9 (i.e. nations); 3 masculine plural נִבְלֵיהֶם יְנַמֵּ֑צוּ Jeremiah 48:12 (symbolic of destroying Moab); Infinitive נַמֵּץ יַדעַֿםקֹֿדֶשׁ Daniel 12:7 when (they) finish shattering the hand (figurative for power) of the holy people, but read possibly נֹפֵץ, see Qal; ** = break up rafts 1 Kings 5:23. Pu`al Participle feminine plural מְנֻמָּצוֺת Isaiah 27:9 like chalk-stones pulverized. II. נָפַץ verb disperse, be scattered (often taken as secondary √ from Niph`al of פוץ, yet compare Late Hebrew נפץ, Qal (Participle), Pi`el, scatter; Syriac Qal Perfect3masculine singular הָעָם מֵעָלַי ׳נ 1 Samuel 13:11 the people were scattered from me; 3 feminine singular נָָֽפְצָה כָלהָֿאָרֶץ Genesis 9:19 (J) thence dispersed all (the population of) the earth; 3 plural נָָֽמְצוּ גּוֺיִם Isaiah 33:3 nations were scattered; Passive participle feminine plural construct נְפֻצוֺת יְהוּדָה Isaiah 11:12 the dispersed of Judah he shall collect ("" נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). נפשׁ (√ of following; compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Fundamental Sense and Imagery נָפַץ conveys vigorous disruptive force: smashing objects, scattering people, or shattering strength. Whether a clay jar, a proud nation, or a covenant people under discipline, the term pictures sudden fragmentation that no human hand can mend. Key Motifs across Scripture 1. Destructive Intervention 2. Dispersion and Regathering 3. Purifying Removal of Idolatry Historical Setting In the Ancient Near East, smashing pottery or weapons was a public, irreversible act signaling conquest or covenant penalty. Prophets employed the same gesture to dramatize judgment on kings (Coniah, Jeremiah 22:28) and empires (Babylon, Jeremiah 51). The recurrence of נָפַץ during the Babylonian crisis underscores how total Judah’s overthrow would be, yet also anticipates the eventual ruin of the very power God used. Prophetic and Eschatological Dimensions Psalm 2 and Daniel 12 bracket the term with messianic expectation and end-time resolution. Messiah’s rod of iron ensures every rebellious structure is crushed, while Daniel foresees Israel’s power “broken” just before final deliverance. Thus נָפַץ explains both the severity of the present age and the certainty of future restoration. Christological Reflections Jesus Christ embodies both sides of נָפַץ. At His first coming He was Himself “pierced” (a voluntary shattering, Isaiah 53), yet He also cleansed the temple, overturning tables. At His return He will execute Psalm 2:9 in fullness, dashing the nations that resist His reign while gathering the dispersed remnant into one flock. Ministry Applications • Preaching: Use the vividness of smashing pottery to awaken hearers to the seriousness of sin and the finality of divine judgment. Summary נָפַץ threads through Scripture as God’s decisive act of breaking and scattering to judge, purify, and ultimately restore. It warns every generation not to trust in fragile human strength, while assuring the faithful that the One who shatters also heals and gathers to Himself. Forms and Transliterations וְנִפֵּ֬ץ וְנִפַּצְתִּ֣י וְנִפַּצְתִּ֤י וְנִפַּצְתִּ֥י וְנִפַּצְתִּ֥ים וְנִפַּצְתִּים֩ וְנָפ֥וֹץ וּנְפֻצ֤וֹת ונפוץ ונפץ ונפצות ונפצתי ונפצתים יְנַפֵּֽצוּ׃ ינפצו׃ מְנֻפָּצ֔וֹת מנפצות נַפֵּ֥ץ נָֽפְצָ֥ה נָפ֗וּץ נָפְצ֖וּ נָפַ֨ץ נפוץ נפץ נפצה נפצו תְּנַפְּצֵֽם׃ תנפצם׃ mə·nup·pā·ṣō·wṯ mənuppāṣōwṯ menuppaTzot nā·p̄aṣ nā·p̄ə·ṣāh nā·p̄ə·ṣū nā·p̄ūṣ naFatz nafeTzah nafeTzu naFutz nap·pêṣ nāp̄aṣ nāp̄əṣāh nāp̄əṣū nappêṣ napPetz nāp̄ūṣ tə·nap·pə·ṣêm tənappəṣêm tenappeTzem ū·nə·p̄u·ṣō·wṯ unefuTzot ūnəp̄uṣōwṯ venaFotz venippatzTi venippatzTim venipPetz wə·nā·p̄ō·wṣ wə·nip·paṣ·tî wə·nip·paṣ·tîm wə·nip·pêṣ wənāp̄ōwṣ wənippaṣtî wənippaṣtîm wənippêṣ yə·nap·pê·ṣū yənappêṣū yenapPetzuLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 9:19 HEB: נֹ֑חַ וּמֵאֵ֖לֶּה נָֽפְצָ֥ה כָל־ הָאָֽרֶץ׃ NAS: the whole earth was populated. KJV: and of them was the whole earth overspread. INT: of Noah these was populated the whole earth Judges 7:19 1 Samuel 13:11 1 Kings 5:9 Psalm 2:9 Psalm 137:9 Isaiah 11:12 Isaiah 27:9 Isaiah 33:3 Jeremiah 13:14 Jeremiah 22:28 Jeremiah 48:12 Jeremiah 51:20 Jeremiah 51:21 Jeremiah 51:21 Jeremiah 51:22 Jeremiah 51:22 Jeremiah 51:22 Jeremiah 51:23 Jeremiah 51:23 Jeremiah 51:23 Daniel 12:7 22 Occurrences |
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pour out, throw down, ᵑ7 נְפַץ; Arabic 
shake (irregular correspondence of sibilants compare Nöl.c.), Ethiopic 
dissipari, aufugere Di 713); — 
soul, life, person, living being, blood, desire, 
breath, sweet odour, 
be high in estimation, become avaricious; III. desire a thing, aspire to it, see breathe, sigh. Assyrian napâšu, get breath, be broad, extended; napištu, life, less frequently soul, living being, person. Vbs. apparently denominative; nouns in all Semitic languages: Phoenician נפש, CISi. 86 B 5, Ethiopic 
; in the following = both soul, person, and tombstone, monument (as representing person, see especially DuvalRev. Sémit. ii (1894), 259 ff.): Late Hebrew נפשׁ see LevyZMG xii (1858), 215; Old Aramaic נפש, Nabataean, Palmyrene נפש, see Lzb325 Cook82; Syriac 
, see 1 Macc 13:27; 13:28; Sabean נפס Levy-OsZMG xix (1865), 255. 290 Mordtmib, xxxii (1878), 202 compare Lihyan., DHMEpigr. Denkm. 67, Min. HomSüdarab. Chrest. 128).