נָסַס
to wane, i.e. be sick
Definition
The Hebrew verb נָסַס (nâçaç) means to wane, fade, or become sick, describing a state of physical or metaphorical decline. Its primary sense is to grow faint or weak, often from illness or exhaustion. In its sole biblical occurrence in Isaiah 10:18, it vividly portrays the wasting away of Assyria's glory and army, likened to a sick man wasting away. The word conveys not just a temporary setback but a progressive, debilitating diminishment.
Biblical Usage
This verb is used only once in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 10:18. It appears in a prophetic oracle of judgment against Assyria, describing how the Lord will destroy its glory 'as when a sick man wastes away' (ESV). The context is military and national downfall, using the metaphor of physical sickness to depict total and humiliating defeat. The usage is poetic and metaphorical, emphasizing irreversible decline.
Etymology
נָסַס is a primitive root in Hebrew, meaning it is not derived from another Hebrew word. It is related by meaning to the idea of being sick or faint. Cognates in other Semitic languages, like Arabic, support the sense of being weak or ill. The root conveys a process of wasting or diminishing from a state of strength.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it illustrates God's judgment on human pride and military might. In Isaiah 10:18, it underscores that even the mighty Assyrian empire, an instrument of God's discipline, is subject to His sovereign judgment and will waste away. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading by highlighting the contrast between temporary human power and God's ultimate authority, emphasizing that all glory apart from Him fades like a sickness.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, sickness was often viewed as a sign of divine disfavor or weakness. The metaphor of a wasting sickness for military defeat would resonate strongly, conveying not just loss but shame and divine judgment. It differs from a modern clinical understanding of illness by embedding the physical condition within a spiritual and covenantal framework.
חָלָה (châlâh, H2470) — a more common general term for being sick or weak. דָּלַל (dâlal, H1809) — to hang down, languish, or fade, often used for physical or economic decline. כָּהָה (kâhâh, H3543) — to grow dim or faint, typically for eyes or lights, implying loss of vitality.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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