נִצָּב
fixed, i.e. a handle
Definition
נִצָּב (nitstsâb) is a Hebrew noun meaning 'fixed' or 'stationary object,' specifically referring to a handle or haft. It appears only once in the Old Testament, in Judges 3:22, where it describes the handle of Ehud's sword that became lodged in King Eglon's body. As a passive participle derived from the root נָצַב (nātsav), meaning 'to stand' or 'to take one's stand,' the word carries the sense of something firmly set or established. In this singular biblical usage, it denotes the part of a weapon designed to be gripped and held fast.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in the historical narrative of Judges 3:22. It occurs in the context of Ehud's assassination of King Eglon, specifically describing the 'haft' (handle) of his short sword. The usage is purely descriptive and material, relating to the construction of a weapon in a military/political narrative. No other books or contexts employ this specific noun form.
Etymology
נִצָּב is the passive participle (Niphal stem) of the root verb נָצַב (H5324, nātsav), which fundamentally means 'to stand,' 'to station oneself,' 'to take a stand,' or 'to be fixed.' The participle form thus denotes something that is 'stationed' or 'fixed in place.' This derivation clearly connects the concept of a handle—an object made to be firmly gripped—to the root idea of stability and fixed positioning. Related words from this root include מַצָּב (matstsâv, H4679), meaning 'station' or 'garrison.'
Semantic Range
In the context of Judges 3:22, the 'haft' or handle (נִצָּב) refers to a specific part of a short sword (likely a 'gomed' or dagger). Understanding this term highlights the practical, close-combat nature of Ehud's weapon. The detail that the handle followed the blade into the wound (perhaps due to a lack of a guard) underscores the force and decisiveness of the act. This mundane object becomes a critical detail in a pivotal narrative of deliverance in the book of Judges.
יָד (yād, H3027) — A much more common word for 'hand,' but can also refer to a handle or part of an object meant to be grasped (e.g., Exodus 37:27). נִצָּב is a more specific, technical term for a fixed handle.
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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