5370. Nergal

Lexical Summary

Nergal: Nergal

Original Word: נֵרְגַּל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Nergal
Pronunciation: NEHR-gahl
Phonetic Spelling: (nare-gal')
KJV: Nergal
NASB: Nergal
Word Origin: [of foreign origin]

1. Nergal, a Cuthite deity

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Nergal

Of foreign origin; Nergal, a Cuthite deity -- Nergal.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
a heathen god
NASB Translation
Nergal (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

נֵרְגָ֑ל proper name, of a divinity (Phoenician נרגל CIS^{i.119. 2}) — worshipped by men of Cuth, 2 Kings 17:30 (see Schr^{COT 2 Kings 17:30} Jen^{Kosmol. 476-490} Muss-Arn^{JBL xi (1892), 168}).

Topical Lexicon

Historical Background

Nergal was a prominent Mesopotamian deity, widely venerated in Babylon, Assyria, and across the ancient Near East as a god of war, plague, and the underworld. Archaeological texts from Nineveh and Babylon link him to the planet Mars and portray him as a bringer of pestilence whose favor was sought for military success and protection from disease. Iconography often showed him armed with a mace or accompanied by lion-like creatures, reinforcing his reputation as a fierce destroyer. By the eighth century BC his cult had spread through the Assyrian empire, and emigrant communities carried his worship wherever they were resettled by imperial policy.

Biblical Occurrence and Context

The name appears once in Scripture, in the catalogue of foreign gods imported into the Northern Kingdom after its fall:

“The men of Avva made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima” (2 Kings 17:30).

After Samaria’s capture (722 BC), the Assyrians repopulated the land with captives from distant provinces (2 Kings 17:24). These communities continued their native cults, producing a syncretistic environment where reverence for the LORD was blended with idolatry. The narrative highlights how this mixture incurred divine displeasure (2 Kings 17:33-41), underscoring the spiritual cause behind Israel’s exile.

Theological Significance

1. Exclusive Lordship of God. The brief mention of Nergal powerfully contrasts the living God of Israel with the powerless idols of the nations. While newcomers feared “the lions” sent by the LORD (2 Kings 17:25), their resort to Nergal and other deities proved futile, amplifying the theme that “all the gods of the nations are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens” (Psalm 96:5).
2. Judgment on Idolatry. Nergal’s presence in Samaria is a testimony to divine judgment already executed on Israel for similar sins (2 Kings 17:7-18). The settlers repeated the same error, illustrating how idolatry inevitably invites chastening, whether practiced by covenant people or Gentile sojourners (Romans 1:21-25).
3. Spiritual Warfare Motif. Because Nergal was viewed as a martial deity, the text implicitly emphasizes that the LORD alone is “a warrior, the LORD is His name” (Exodus 15:3). Earthly or demonic powers that boast in warfare bow before the sovereign King who raises and removes nations at His will.

Lessons for Contemporary Ministry

• Guard against Syncretism. The settlers of Samaria “feared the LORD, yet served their own gods” (2 Kings 17:33). Modern believers must resist blending biblical faith with cultural idols such as materialism, nationalism, or self-promotion.
• Discern Cultural Imports. Like Assyrian resettlement policy, globalization introduces foreign worldviews into the church. Leaders must test every spirit (1 John 4:1) and ground God’s people in Scripture alone.
• Proclaim the Supremacy of Christ. Just as ancient idols collapsed before the proclamation of the true God (Isaiah 46:1), the gospel reveals Jesus Christ as the sole Lord over death, war, and disease—realms once attributed to Nergal (Colossians 2:15).
• Hope in Divine Sovereignty. The same sovereign God who judged Israel also orchestrated the historical setting that opened Samaria to later evangelistic advance (John 4). Even the appearance of pagan deities serves God’s redemptive story.

Related Passages

2 Kings 17:24-41; Exodus 15:3; Psalm 96:5; Isaiah 46:1-9; Romans 1:21-25; 1 John 4:1; Colossians 2:15

Forms and Transliterations

נֵֽרְגַ֑ל נרגל nê·rə·ḡal nereGal nêrəḡal

Englishman's Concordance

2 Kings 17:30
HEB: עָשׂ֖וּ אֶת־ נֵֽרְגַ֑ל וְאַנְשֵׁ֥י חֲמָ֖ת
NAS: of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath
KJV: made Nergal, and the men
INT: of Cuth made Nergal the men of Hamath

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5370
1 Occurrence

nê·rə·ḡal — 1 Occ.