5326. nitsbah

Lexical Summary

nitsbah: To stand firm, to be stationed, to be set up.

Original Word: נִצְבָּה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: nitsbah
Pronunciation: neets-BAH
Phonetic Spelling: (nits-baw')
KJV: strength
NASB: toughness
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to H5324 (נָצַב - set)]

1. fixedness, i.e. firmness

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

strength

(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to natsab; fixedness, i.e. Firmness -- strength.

see HEBREW natsab

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to natsab
Definition
firmness
NASB Translation
toughness (1).

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and Conceptual Field

נִצְבָּה conveys the idea of firmness, durability, or what is set solidly in place. In Scripture it pictures something possessing inner resilience, the quality that enables a structure, kingdom, or person to keep standing when pressures mount.

Canonical Context: Daniel 2:41

The term appears in the Aramaic section of Daniel, within Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the great statue. Daniel interprets the statue’s feet and toes—“partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron” (Daniel 2:41)—as a divided kingdom. Yet, he adds, “some of the strength of the iron will be in it,” the word “strength” translating נִצְבָּה. The empire to come will retain a core toughness, even while riven by internal weakness.

Historical and Prophetic Significance

1. A divided but resilient empire. The imagery fits the Roman Empire, historically characterized by military might (iron) yet beset by social fragmentation (clay).
2. A preview of final world rule. Many interpreters see the feet and toes as an eschatological stage—confederated states showing both hard resolve and brittle instability before Christ’s return.
3. God’s sovereignty over nations. The fleeting “firmness” of human dominion stands in stark contrast to the stone “cut without hands” that strikes the statue and becomes “a mountain that filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:34-35). Earthly strength exists only by divine allowance and will be superseded by the everlasting kingdom of God.

Theological Themes

• Apparent strength can mask fatal weakness when mixed with incompatible elements.
• Only what God establishes truly endures (Psalms 127:1; Hebrews 12:27-28).
• World powers, however formidable, serve the larger redemptive purpose of ushering in the Messianic reign (Revelation 11:15).

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Discernment. Believers are called to recognize the transitory nature of worldly power and not be dazzled by its seeming firmness (1 John 2:17).
2. Hope. The promise that God will replace unstable kingdoms with His unshakable rule fosters steadfast confidence amid cultural upheaval (Hebrews 10:35-36).
3. Integrity. Spiritual leaders must guard against hybrid loyalties—iron mixed with clay—upholding doctrinal purity and ethical consistency (2 Timothy 2:19).

Related Biblical Motifs

• “Rock” imagery contrasts earthly firmness with the absolute solidity of God and His Christ (Deuteronomy 32:4; 1 Corinthians 10:4).
• Prophetic warnings against trusting in horses, chariots, alliances, or any human strength (Psalms 20:7; Isaiah 31:1).
• The ultimate downfall of composite, divided societies (Mark 3:24-25).

Summary

נִצְבָּה in Daniel 2:41 highlights a fleeting human strength God permits for a season. It reminds the faithful that enduring firmness belongs solely to the kingdom “that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44), encouraging unwavering allegiance to Christ, the sure foundation.

Forms and Transliterations

נִצְבְּתָ֥א נצבתא niṣ·bə·ṯā niṣbəṯā nitzbeTa

Englishman's Concordance

Daniel 2:41
HEB: תֶּהֱוֵ֔ה וּמִן־ נִצְבְּתָ֥א דִ֥י פַרְזְלָ֖א
NAS: but it will have in it the toughness of iron,
KJV: in it of the strength of the iron,
INT: will have partly the toughness forasmuch of iron

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5326
1 Occurrence

niṣ·bə·ṯā — 1 Occ.