Lexical Summary nisseth: Tested, tried Original Word: נִשֵּׂאת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance gift Passive participle feminine of nasa'; something taken, i.e. A present -- gift. see HEBREW nasa' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originthe same as nasa, q.v. Brown-Driver-Briggs נִשֵּׂאת 2 Samuel 19:43 see נשׂא Niph`al. Topical Lexicon Occurrence and Rendering נִשֵּׂאת appears once, in 2 Samuel 19:42, where the men of Judah answer the men of Israel: “Have we ever eaten at the king’s expense or received anything for ourselves?”. The verb is employed rhetorically—“have we been carried off a gift?”—to deny any material advantage taken from King David. Historical Setting After Absalom’s revolt, David is returning across the Jordan. Judah, David’s own tribe, escorts him, stirring resentment in the other tribes. The single use of נִשֵּׂאת occurs in Judah’s defense: they affirm their closeness to the king while insisting they have accepted no royal favors. The word therefore stands at the center of an inter-tribal dispute that could have reignited civil war had it not been defused. Literary Nuance The repetition “נִשֵּׂאת נִשָּׂאנוּ” gives a sharp, almost legal flavor—“have we in any way taken, have we at all taken?” It is self-abnegating, stressing integrity and innocence. The idiom shows how Hebrew uses the root of “to lift, carry” for “accepting” or “receiving,” emphasizing that a gift weighs morally on the recipient. Theological Implications 1. Integrity in Leadership: Judah’s elders affirm that proximity to the king does not entitle them to special privilege. This anticipates later biblical teaching that authority is stewardship, not license (Matthew 20:25-28; 1 Peter 5:2-3). Practical Ministry Lessons • Accountability: Churches and ministries should be able to echo Judah’s words—no hidden perks, no undue gain. Cross-References 2 Samuel 19:42; Matthew 20:25-28; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Peter 5:2-3; Isaiah 11:3-5 Forms and Transliterations נִשֵּׂ֥את נשאת niś·śêṯ nisSet niśśêṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 19:42 HEB: הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אִם־ נִשֵּׂ֥את נִשָּׂ֖א לָֽנוּ׃ KJV: [cost]? or hath he given us any gift? INT: the king's or gift has anything 1 Occurrence |
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