Lexical Summary nasheh: To forget, to cause to forget Original Word: נָשֶׁה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance which shrank From nashah, in the sense of failure; rheumatic or crippled (from the incident to Jacob) -- which shrank. see HEBREW nashah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom nashah Definition a vein (or nerve) in the thigh NASB Translation hip (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs נָשֶׁה noun [masculine] a vein (or nerve) in the thigh (etymology dubious; on formative compare LagBN 50; Arabic  apparently the portion of the principal vein of the leg which is in the thigh, vulgar sciatic vein, or (modern) sciatic nerve and even sciatica, Lane3033); — only גִּיד הַנָּשֶׁה Gen Genesis 32:33a the sinew of the thigh-vein (or thigh-nerve, אֲשֶׁר עַלכַּֿף הַיָּרֵךְ), compare v33b. — On sacredness of thigh, compare RSSem i. 360; 2nd ed. 380 WeHeid (2), 168. נָשִׁים see אִשָּׁה above Topical Lexicon Biblical Context The Hebrew term נָשֶׁה (nasheh) appears twice, both in Genesis 32:32, designating the sinew or tendon in the thigh that was touched when Jacob wrestled with the angel. The account (Genesis 32:24-32) culminates in Jacob’s transformation to Israel and establishes a lasting dietary custom: “Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon” (Genesis 32:32). Anatomical Identification Ancient and rabbinic sources commonly identify the nasheh with the sciatic nerve or its surrounding connective tissue. Modern Jewish practice removes or de-nerfs this portion from kosher meat, reflecting a millennia-long continuity with the patriarchal narrative. Cultural and Dietary Implications 1. Pre-Sinai Precedent: The prohibition predates the formal Mosaic dietary laws, illustrating that divine instruction can precede codified covenant stipulations (cf. Genesis 7:2 for clean animals before Leviticus). Theological Significance • Memorial of Divine Encounter: The untouched nasheh testifies that meetings with God leave lasting change—Jacob walked with a limp, and Israel refrained from a particular food. Intertextual Connections Hosea 12:4 recalls the struggle at Peniel, reinforcing the narrative’s significance for prophetic self-understanding. The pattern of a physical sign accompanying covenantal moments echoes circumcision (Genesis 17:10-14) and the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:14). Historical Reception Second-Temple literature (e.g., Jubilees 32:13-15) and early rabbinic writings (Mishnah, Chullin 7) codify the prohibition, giving detailed procedures for removing the nasheh. The practice distinguished Israel in exile and diaspora, acting as a culinary boundary marker much like kosher slaughter and blood avoidance. Christological Reflection Jacob’s wounded thigh anticipates the Messiah’s suffering body. Believers recognize in the nasheh a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, whose own scars testify to victory through seeming defeat (John 20:27). Just as Israel abstains from the tendon, Christians partake of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of the ultimate, redemptive wounding (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Ministry Applications • Discipleship: Expect divine encounters to challenge self-reliance; limp-marked faith is authentic faith. Summary Nasheh, though occurring in only one verse, carries enduring weight. It signals God’s sovereignty over body and diet, memorializes a pivotal patriarchal encounter, and prefigures gospel themes of weakness, remembrance, and covenant identity. Forms and Transliterations הַנָּשֶֽׁה׃ הַנָּשֶׁ֗ה הנשה הנשה׃ han·nā·šeh hannāšeh hannaShehLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 32:32 HEB: אֶת־ גִּ֣יד הַנָּשֶׁ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־ NAS: the sinew of the hip which KJV: not [of] the sinew which shrank, which [is] upon the hollow INT: of Israel the sinew of the hip which is on Genesis 32:32 2 Occurrences |
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