נְטִישָׁה
a tendril (as an offshoot)
Definition
The Hebrew word נְטִישָׁה refers to a tender, young shoot or tendril, specifically a new growth that sprouts from a vine. In Isaiah 18:5, it describes the delicate, new branches of a grapevine that are pruned or cut off, symbolizing God's judgment. In Jeremiah 5:10, the term is used metaphorically for the people of Judah as 'branches' that are to be stripped away due to their unfaithfulness. In Jeremiah 48:32, it appears in a prophecy against Moab, lamenting the destruction of its vineyards and the cutting off of its fruitful shoots, representing the cessation of prosperity and joy.
Biblical Usage
This word is used three times in the prophetic books of Isaiah and Jeremiah. It consistently appears in agricultural metaphors of judgment. In Isaiah 18:5, it is part of a vivid image of God pruning a vine. In Jeremiah 5:10 and 48:32, it is used in oracles of destruction against Judah and Moab, respectively, symbolizing the removal of a people's vitality and fruitfulness. The pattern is one of divinely ordained cutting off of new growth.
Etymology
Derived from the root נָטַשׁ (nāṭash, H5203), which means 'to leave, forsake, or let go.' The noun form נְטִישָׁה carries the sense of something that is 'let go' or sent out from the main plant—hence a tender offshoot or tendril. This connection highlights the idea of separation, whether natural growth or violent removal.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it is employed by the prophets to illustrate God's sovereign judgment. The imagery of cutting off tender shoots portrays God's action as both precise (targeting new growth) and severe, ending potential and life. It underscores themes of covenant faithfulness, where God 'prunes' His unfaithful people (Jeremiah 5:10) and judges enemy nations (Jeremiah 48:32). Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of these prophecies by emphasizing the fragility of what is destroyed and the totality of God's corrective action.
In an agrarian society, a vine's tender new growth (נְטִישָׁה) represented future hope, potential harvest, and prosperity. Its deliberate destruction was a catastrophic loss, making it a powerful metaphor for the ruin of a community. The modern reader might see 'branch' as a static part of a plant, but the original context conveys a sense of vulnerable, living potential being severed.
זְמוֹרָה (zemôrâh, H2156) — a more general term for a vine branch or shoot, not necessarily emphasizing the tender, new growth. כַּפְרִיר (kap̄rîyr, H3713) — a village or hamlet, but in Song of Solomon 7:12 used poetically for 'tendrils' or blossoms, sharing a similar delicate, sprouting concept.
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.
Full methodology & sources →