נְסַךְ
a libation
Definition
The Hebrew word נְסַךְ (nᵉçak) refers specifically to a 'libation' or 'drink offering' poured out as part of ancient Israelite worship. It is the Aramaic form of the more common Hebrew word נֶסֶךְ (H5262), carrying the same core meaning. In its single biblical occurrence in Ezra 7:17, it denotes offerings of wine to be poured out on the altar alongside grain and animal sacrifices. This act symbolized the dedication of a valuable liquid to God, completing a sacrificial presentation.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Ezra 7:17. In this context, King Artaxerxes commands that items be purchased for use in the Jerusalem temple, including animals, grain, and 'drink offerings' (נְסַךְ). The usage is administrative and liturgical, detailing the supplies needed for the re-established worship system after the exile. It appears in an Aramaic section of the Bible (Ezra 4:8–6:18; 7:12–26), reflecting its official use in the Persian imperial correspondence regarding temple worship.
Etymology
נְסַךְ is the Aramaic cognate of the Hebrew noun נֶסֶךְ (H5262, nesek). Both derive from the verbal root נָסַךְ (H5258), meaning 'to pour out.' This root connection highlights the primary action involved in the ritual—pouring a liquid, typically wine, onto an altar or the ground as an offering. The Aramaic form was adopted into the biblical text in the post-exilic period during Persian administration.
Semantic Range
Though used only once, this word connects to the significant biblical theme of sacrificial worship. Drink offerings (libations) were a standard component of Israel's worship, often accompanying burnt and grain offerings (e.g., Numbers 15:1–10). They represented the complete consecration of a person's sustenance to God. In the New Testament, Paul uses the imagery of being 'poured out like a drink offering' (Philippians 2:17; 2 Timothy 4:6) to describe total, sacrificial devotion to God's service, showing the conceptual continuity.
In the ancient Near East, libations were a common religious practice, involving the pouring of wine, water, oil, or blood to honor a deity. In Israelite culture, drink offerings of wine were a prescribed part of the sacrificial system (Leviticus 23:13, Numbers 28–29). The offering was poured out at the base of the altar (Sirach 50:15), symbolizing the gift being given entirely to God, not consumed by the priests or worshippers. Its mention in an imperial decree (Ezra 7:17) shows the Persian king's sanction and provision for the proper worship of Yahweh.
נֶסֶךְ (nesek, H5262) — The standard Hebrew term for 'drink offering,' used frequently in the Pentateuch and Prophets. יַיִן (yayin, H3196) — The 'wine' that was typically the substance of the libation. קָרְבָּן (qorban, H7133) — The broader term for 'offering' or 'sacrifice,' which includes drink offerings.
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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