Lexical Summary natsir: Branch, shoot, protector Original Word: נָצִיר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance preserved From natsar; properly, conservative; but used passively, delivered -- preserved. see HEBREW natsar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom natsar Definition preserved NASB Translation preserved (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [נציר] adjective preserved; — only plural construct נצירי Isaiah 49:6 Kt, Qr נְצוּרֵי q. v. נצר Participle נִצְּרָה Psalm 141:3 see I. נצר Qal Imperative II. נצר (√ of following; compare perhaps Arabic Topical Lexicon Divine Preservation in the Prophetic VocabularyThe noun נָצִיר identifies those whom God has set aside for safekeeping. The term signals not merely survival but purposeful conservation. Whereas other Hebrew words speak of guarding objects or watching locations, נָצִיר focuses on persons whom the LORD preserves for His redemptive agenda. Old Testament Usage Isaiah employs the word once, embedding it in a sweeping salvation oracle (Isaiah 49:6). The Servant will “restore the protected ones of Israel”, a promise that assumes both dispersion and divine custody. This singular appearance does not limit the concept; rather, it stands as a concentrated witness to the broader prophetic motif of a preserved remnant (for example, Isaiah 10:20–21; Micah 2:12; Zephaniah 3:12). The Servant’s mission depends on God’s prior act of protecting a people for Himself. Isaiah 49:6 in Context 1. Restoration of Israel’s tribes: The verse binds נָצִיר to national reconstitution. The preserved ones have endured exile, yet remain traceable as covenant heirs. Theological Threads • Sovereignty and Responsibility: Divine preservation upholds human responsibility by making obedience possible. The remnant must respond, yet its very existence is secured by grace. • Continuity of the Covenant: נָצִיר underscores that the Abrahamic promise never lapses. Even in judgment God keeps a lineage alive to receive further blessing (Romans 11:1–5). • Missionary Momentum: The safeguarded community becomes the launchpad for Gospel light. Preservation and proclamation are twin strands of God’s plan. New Testament Resonance Though the exact Hebrew term does not reappear, its reality echoes in passages such as Luke 1:68–75, where Zacharias blesses God for having “raised up a horn of salvation” in remembrance of His holy covenant. Paul draws the same line from preserved remnant to worldwide mission when he cites Isaiah in Acts 13:47 and applies the Servant’s commission to the Church’s witness among the Gentiles. Historical and Ministry Significance Early Jewish interpreters read Isaiah 49 as confirmation that God would keep a faithful nucleus through whom He would act in the latter days. The early Church—many of whom were “protected ones” in dispersion—identified Jesus as the Servant and themselves as beneficiaries and agents of His saving light. For contemporary ministry the term highlights: 1. Assurance: God preserves individuals and congregations amid cultural exile. Practical Application Pastors and evangelists can draw confidence from נָצִיר when laboring in hostile settings. God still keeps a people for Himself, sometimes hidden, always intentional, ready to be raised up for witness “to the ends of the earth.” Forms and Transliterations וּנְצוּרֵ֥י ונצורי ū·nə·ṣū·rê ūnəṣūrê unetzuReiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 49:6 HEB: [וּנְצִירֵי כ] (וּנְצוּרֵ֥י ק) יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל NAS: and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; INT: the tribes of Jacob preserved of Israel restore 1 Occurrence |
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be fresh, bright, grow green; Ecclus 40:15 נוצר, margin נצר, branch; Late Hebrew נֵצֶר = Biblical Hebrew).