Lexical Summary
nadach: To drive away, scatter, banish, thrust out
Original Word:נָדַח
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:nadach
Pronunciation:naw-dakh'
Phonetic Spelling:(naw-dakh')
KJV: banish, bring, cast down (out), chase, compel, draw away, drive (away, out, quite), fetch a stroke, force, go away, outcast, thrust away (out), withdraw
NASB:driven, outcasts, driven away, scattered, banished, banished one, drive
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to push off
2. used in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (to expel, mislead, strike, inflict, etc.)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
banish, bring, cast down out, chase, compel, draw away, drive away, out,
A primitive root; to push off; used in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (to expel, mislead, strike, inflict, etc.) -- banish, bring, cast down (out), chase, compel, draw away, drive (away, out, quite), fetch a stroke, force, go away, outcast, thrust away (out), withdraw.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto impel, thrust, banish
NASB Translationbanish (1), banished (3), banished one (3), bring down (1), dispersed (1), drawn away (2), drive (3), driven (11), driven away (5), hunted (1), led...astray (1), outcast (2), outcasts (6), scatter (1), scattered (4), seduce (2), seduced (1), seduces (1), straying away (1), swinging (1), swings (1), thrust (1), thrust down (1), will not be cast out (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (especially Deuteronomy, Jeremiah and later) (Late Hebrew
id., beguile, Hiph, Niph`al; Aramaic (rare) = Biblical Hebrew; Ethiopic
;
thrust; Arabic
is
drive a ship to
shore); —
Imperfect2 Samuel 14:14; InfinitiveDeuteronomy 20:19; — transitive
impel (i.e.wield) an axe, followed byDeuteronomy 20:19;
thrust away, banish followed by2 Samuel 14:14.
Perfect3feminine singularJob 6:13, etc.; (ImperfectJeremiah 23:12 see );Participle2 Samuel 14:14;Micah 4:6 2t.;Ezekiel 34:4,16, etc. OnIsaiah 11:12;Isaiah 56:8;Psalm 147:2 see Ki Köi. 317; —
be impelled:be impelled with the axeDeuteronomy 19:5.
be thrust out, banished: of dispersion in exile, followed byJeremiah 40:12;Jeremiah 43:5 ("" ); followed byJeremiah 49:5 ("" ); compare also figurativeJob 6:13is banished from me, i.e. is non-existent; especially Participlebanished one(s), outcast(s), as accusative of congnate meaning with verb with 2Samuel 14:14; withMicah 4:6;Deuteronomy 30:4;Zephaniah 3:19;Nehemiah 1:9; , withIsaiah 11:12 ("" ); withIsaiah 56:8; withPsalm 147:2; with2 Samuel 14:13;Ezekiel 34:4,16 (both "" ); withIsaiah 27:13 (""id.); see alsoIsaiah 16:3,4;Jeremiah 49:36;outcast = neglected one, figurative of ZionJeremiah 30:17 ("" ).
driven away (from herd, i.e.)strayingDeuteronomy 22:1.thrust away, aside fromto idiolatryDeuteronomy 4:19;Deuteronomy 30:17 (followed by ).
ParticipleIsaiah 8:22thrust into darkness.
Perfect consecutive2 Samuel 15:14;Jeremiah 23:3;Jeremiah 29:14, etc.;Imperfect suffix 2Chronicles 21:11 +2 Kings 17:21 Qr;Deuteronomy 13:14, etc.;Imperative suffixPsalm 5:11;InfinitivePsalm 62:5, etc.; —
thrust, move, impel, figurative, object2 Samuel 15:14 (followed by .
thrust out, banish, especially of exile, subject , with accusative followed byDeuteronomy 30:1;Jeremiah 46:28;Jeremiah 16:15 ("" ); followed byJeremiah 8:3;Jeremiah 24:9;Jeremiah 29:18;Daniel 9:7 +Ezekiel 4:13 (omitted by Co);Jeremiah 23:3 ("" ),Jeremiah 23:8 ("" , )Jeremiah 29:14 ("" , ), soJeremiah 32:37; alsoJeremiah 27:10 ("" ),Jeremiah 27:15 ("" ), compareJeremiah 23:2 (Judah under figure of flock, subject evil shepherd, "" ),Jeremiah 50:17 (Israel as sheep, subject enemies as lions); of driving out priests 2 Chronicles 13:9; invaderJoel 2:20 (followed by ); wickedPsalm 5:11 ("" ); good man from his eminencePsalm 62:5 (followed by ).
thrust away, aside, from to idolatry, with accusative,Deuteronomy 13:14; followed byDeuteronomy 13:6;Deuteronomy 13:11;2 Kings 17:21 Qr (Kt see ); compare 2 Chronicles 21:11 ("" ).
compel, force, subject adulteress (by flattery), followed by accusativeProverbs 7:21 ("" ).
Participlechased, hunted,Isaiah 13:14, simile of fugitive Babylonians.
Topical Lexicon
OverviewOccurring about fifty-one times, נָדַח functions as a narrative thread that moves from conquest through exile to promised restoration. The word’s range—thrusting out, scattering, driving away, luring astray—allows Scripture to speak with vivid unity about both physical displacement and spiritual defection.
Israel’s Conquest of Canaan
At the birth of the nation, נָדַח is used for the removal of hostile peoples from the promised land. “I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites” (Exodus 34:11). The verb frames the conquest as the work of God Himself, not merely Israel’s military prowess. Every victory thus reinforces the covenant promise first given to Abraham.
Covenant Curses: Exile and Dispersion
The same verb later describes what befalls Israel when the covenant is violated: “The LORD will scatter you among the peoples” (Deuteronomy 4:27). Dispersion is the negative mirror of conquest; the land that was once cleared for them now clears them out. Historical fulfillment is traced through the Assyrian exile of the northern kingdom, the Babylonian captivity of Judah, and the broader Diaspora hinted at by Moses (“Even if you have been banished to the ends of the heavens,”Deuteronomy 30:4).
Psalmists and prophets interpret these events theologically. “You have scattered us among the nations” (Psalm 44:11) is not mere lament but confession that divine judgment is righteous. Jeremiah repeats the refrain, announcing that covenant-breaking shepherds “have scattered My flock and driven them away” (Jeremiah 23:2).
Apostasy and Seduction
In several texts נָדַח depicts spiritual seduction. False prophets (Deuteronomy 13:5), foreign gods (Deuteronomy 4:19), and the adulterous woman (Proverbs 7:21) all “turn” or “entice” the unsuspecting from fidelity to the LORD. Idolatry thus becomes a form of internal exile—hearts are driven from their rightful home in God before bodies ever leave the land.
Pastoral Imagery: Straying Sheep
Prophetic shepherd imagery employs נָדַח to diagnose and to promise cure. Ezekiel hears God pledge, “I will seek the lost, bring back the strays” (Ezekiel 34:16). Zechariah notes that, in the absence of faithful leadership, “the people wander like sheep” (Zechariah 10:2). The metaphor exposes negligent leaders and magnifies the compassion of the divine Shepherd who personally regathers His flock.
Banished Persons and Social Justice
The term surfaces in legal or royal contexts concerning individuals driven away unjustly, such as the “banished” whom David fails to restore (2 Samuel 14:13-14). The concern extends beyond national destiny to the fate of marginalized persons, reminding rulers that their policies must mirror God’s inclusive mercy.
Eschatological Gathering
The prophets do not let dispersion have the last word. Isaiah announces, “He will…collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12).Deuteronomy 30:3-4,Jeremiah 23:3-8, andIsaiah 27:13 converge on the conviction that the same God who scatters for judgment will gather for salvation. The New Testament echoes the theme when Jesus speaks of “other sheep” He must bring (John 10:16), implying the final, global reversal of נָדַח.
Theological Reflections
1. Divine Sovereignty. Whether enemies are expelled or Israel is exiled, נָדַח underscores that history moves at God’s command.
2. Moral Accountability. Exile is never arbitrary; idolatry and injustice provoke it.
3. Grace Beyond Judgment. Promised regathering anticipates the gospel’s worldwide scope, revealing that judgment is penultimate.
4. Consistency of Scripture. From Torah to Prophets the same vocabulary frames sin, judgment, and hope, highlighting a unified redemptive storyline.
Ministry Implications
• Evangelism and Missions: The church participates in God’s regathering project, calling spiritual exiles home through the gospel.
• Shepherd Leadership: Pastors guard against teachings that “entice” believers away and actively “bring back the strays” in imitation ofEzekiel 34:16.
• Discipline and Restoration: Congregational discipline mirrors covenant patterns—temporary removal aims at ultimate restoration.
• Compassion for the Displaced: Refugees, prodigals, and the socially marginalized embody today’s “banished”; ministries of welcome demonstrate the heart of the Shepherd who gathers.
Thus נָדַח serves Scripture as both warning and promise: God drives out unfaithfulness, yet He relentlessly gathers the driven-away to Himself.
Forms and Transliterations
אַדִּיחֵ֖ם אַדִּיחֵ֥ם אדיחם הִדִּ֑יחוּ הִדִּיחֲךָ֛ הִדִּיחָ֖ם הִדַּ֥חְתִּי הִדַּ֧חְתִּי הִדַּחְתִּ֖ים הִדַּחְתִּ֣יךָ הִדַּחְתִּ֣ים הִדַּחְתִּ֥ים הִדַּחְתֶּם֙ הִדַּחְתָּ֣ם הַדִּיחִ֤י הַדִּיחֵ֑מוֹ הַנִּדַּ֙חַת֙ הַנִּדַּ֣חַת הדחתי הדחתיך הדחתים הדחתם הדיחו הדיחי הדיחך הדיחם הדיחמו הנדחת וְהִדִּ֤יחַ וְהִדַּחְתִּ֥י וְהִדַּחְתִּיו֮ וְהַנִּדָּחִ֖ים וְהַנִּדָּחָ֖ה וְהַנִּדָּחָה֙ וְנִדְּחָ֨ה וְנִדַּחְתֶּם֙ וְנִדַּחְתָּ֗ וְנִדַּחְתָּ֛ וַיַּדִּ֛יחוּ וַיַּדַּ֖ח וַתַּדִּח֔וּם והדחתי והדחתיו והדיח והנדחה והנדחים וידח וידיחו ונדחה ונדחת ונדחתם ותדחום יִדַּ֥ח ידח לְהַדִּֽיחֲךָ֙ לְהַדִּיחַ֮ לִנְדֹּ֤חַ להדיח להדיחך לנדח מְנֻדָּֽח׃ מֻדָּ֔ח מדח מנדח׃ נִֽדַּחֲךָ֖ נִֽדַּחֲכֶ֜ם נִדְּחֵ֥י נִדְּחָ֥ה נִדְּחֽוֹ׃ נִדְּחוּ־ נִדָּֽח׃ נִדָּחִ֔ים נִדָּחַ֔י נִדָּחָה֙ נדח׃ נדחה נדחו־ נדחו׃ נדחי נדחים נדחך נדחכם תַּדִּיחֶֽנּוּ׃ תדיחנו׃ ’ad·dî·ḥêm ’addîḥêm addiChem had·dî·ḥê·mōw had·dî·ḥî haddiChemov haddiChi haddîḥêmōw haddîḥî han·nid·da·ḥaṯ hannidDachat hanniddaḥaṯ hid·daḥ·tām hid·daḥ·tem hid·daḥ·tî hid·daḥ·tî·ḵā hid·daḥ·tîm hid·dî·ḥă·ḵā hid·dî·ḥām hid·dî·ḥū hiddachTam hiddachTem hidDachti hiddachTicha hiddachTim hiddaḥtām hiddaḥtem hiddaḥtî hiddaḥtîḵā hiddaḥtîm hiddichaCha hiddiCham hidDichu hiddîḥăḵā hiddîḥām hiddîḥū lə·had·dî·aḥ lə·had·dî·ḥă·ḵā lehaddiaCh ləhaddîaḥ lehaddichaCha ləhaddîḥăḵā lin·dō·aḥ linDoach lindōaḥ mə·nud·dāḥ menudDach mənuddāḥ mud·dāḥ mudDach muddāḥ nid·da·ḥă·ḵā nid·da·ḥă·ḵem nid·dā·ḥāh nid·dā·ḥay nid·dā·ḥîm nid·dāḥ nid·də·ḥāh nid·də·ḥê nid·də·ḥōw nid·də·ḥū- nidDach niddachaCha niddachaChem niddaChah niddaChai niddaChim niddāḥ niddāḥāh niddaḥăḵā niddaḥăḵem niddāḥay niddāḥîm niddeChah niddeChei niddeCho niddechu niddəḥāh niddəḥê niddəḥōw niddəḥū- tad·dî·ḥen·nū taddiChennu taddîḥennū vaiyadDach vaiyadDichu vattaddiChum vehanniddaChah vehanniddaChim vehiddachTi vehiddachTiv vehidDiach veniddachTa veniddachTem veniddeChah wat·tad·di·ḥūm wattaddiḥūm way·yad·daḥ way·yad·dî·ḥū wayyaddaḥ wayyaddîḥū wə·han·nid·dā·ḥāh wə·han·nid·dā·ḥîm wə·hid·daḥ·tî wə·hid·daḥ·tîw wə·hid·dî·aḥ wə·nid·daḥ·tā wə·nid·daḥ·tem wə·nid·də·ḥāh wəhanniddāḥāh wəhanniddāḥîm wəhiddaḥtî wəhiddaḥtîw wəhiddîaḥ wəniddaḥtā wəniddaḥtem wəniddəḥāh yid·daḥ yidDach yiddaḥ
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