5421. natha

Lexical Summary

natha: To stretch out, extend, incline, bend

Original Word: נָתַע
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: natha`
Pronunciation: naw-THAH
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-thah')
KJV: break
NASB: broken
Word Origin: [for H5422 (נָתַץ - broke down)]

1. to tear out

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

break

For nathats; to tear out -- break.

see HEBREW nathats

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to break, break down, or out
NASB Translation
broken (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[נָתַע] verb break, break down, or out; —

Niph`al Perfect3plural שִׁנֵּי כְפִירִים נִתָּ֑עוּ Job 4:10, — Aramaic (?) form, or < textual error for נִתָּ֑צוּ.

Topical Lexicon

Root Meaning and Semantic Range

נָתַע (Strong’s 5421) denotes the violent separation of something once firmly fixed—“to tear out,” “to wrench away,” “to dislocate” or “to break.” The imagery is never gentle; it conveys decisive, forceful removal, leaving what is torn out unable to function as before.

Occurrence in Job 4:10

“The lions may roar and growl, yet the teeth of the young lions are broken.” (Job 4:10)

Here נָתַע pictures the most formidable part of a lion—its teeth—suddenly ripped from their sockets. Eliphaz employs this vivid metaphor to insist that no creature, however fearsome, can withstand God’s moral governance. Once the Almighty intervenes, strength is rendered useless, aggression is silenced, and predatory capacity is dismantled.

Imagery of Divine Judgment

1. Removal of Power: In the Ancient Near East, broken teeth symbolized total disarmament. By invoking נָתַע, Job 4:10 anticipates later texts where the Lord “breaks the teeth of the wicked” (Psalm 3:7) or “shatters the arm of the wicked” (Psalm 10:15). Divine judgment is not cosmetic; it eliminates the instruments of oppression.
2. Moral Reversal: Young lions—in Scripture emblematic of unchecked violence (Proverbs 28:15)—find their cruelty curtailed. נָתַע suggests that God will not merely warn but will uproot evil at its source.
3. Covenant Assurance: For the righteous sufferer, the verb underscores God’s commitment to defend His own. Even when circumstances appear lawless, the Judge of all the earth retains undisputed ability to neutralize every foe.

Comparative Scriptural Resonances

• Psalm 58:6 “O God, shatter their teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the lions, O LORD.” The prayer echoes Job 4:10’s confidence that God dismantles ungodly power.
• Micah 3:5 “...who chew with their teeth…” contrasts prophets who exploit others. Though נָתַע is absent, the motif of disabled teeth reinforces prophetic warnings that exploitation will be curtailed.
• Daniel 7:7, 19 depicts a beast with iron teeth; Revelation 5:5 shows the Lion of Judah whose power is righteous. Job 4:10 frames all hostile “lions” as ultimately subject to the sovereign Lion.

Historical and Literary Significance

Eliphaz speaks within wisdom tradition, employing hunting imagery familiar to a pastoral society. His single use of נָתַע condenses a broad worldview: cosmic order is safeguarded by God’s readiness to uproot evil. The rarity of the verb intensifies its effect—it jolts the reader, much like a lion suddenly rendered toothless.

Applications for Ministry and Discipleship

• Encouragement amid Oppression: Believers facing predatory systems may pray with confidence that God can נָתַע the instruments of abuse.
• Humility for Leaders: Any power—political, economic, or ecclesial—can be “wrenched away” if wielded unrighteously.
• Evangelistic Appeal: Presenting God as the One who breaks the teeth of evil sharpens the call to repentance, while offering safety to the contrite.

Christological and Eschatological Echoes

On the cross, the Messiah disarmed rulers and authorities (Colossians 2:15), fulfilling the pattern of נָתַע by ripping out the “teeth” of sin and death. At His return, He will complete this work, ensuring that every rebellious power is permanently uprooted (1 Corinthians 15:24-26).

Pastoral Reflections

Job 4:10 reminds sufferers that apparent chaos is not final. Divine justice may be unseen in the moment, but the God who can rip out a lion’s teeth is active, decisive, and unfailing. Confidence in His sovereignty breeds patient endurance and resilient hope.

Forms and Transliterations

נִתָּֽעוּ׃ נתעו׃ nit·tā·‘ū nittā‘ū nitTau

Englishman's Concordance

Job 4:10
HEB: וְשִׁנֵּ֖י כְפִירִ֣ים נִתָּֽעוּ׃
NAS: of the young lions are broken.
KJV: of the young lions, are broken.
INT: and the teeth of the young are broken

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5421
1 Occurrence

nit·tā·‘ū — 1 Occ.