Lexical Summary
necek: Drink offering, libation
Original Word:נֶסֶךְ
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:necek
Pronunciation:NEH-sek
Phonetic Spelling:(neh'-sek)
KJV: cover, drink offering, molten image
Word Origin:[fromH5258 (נָסַך - To pour out)]
1. a libation
2. also a cast idol
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
cover, drink offering, molten image
Or necek {nay'-sek}; fromnacak; a libation; also a cast idol -- cover, drink offering, molten image.
see HEBREWnacak
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — absolute
Genesis 35:14 6t.;
Exodus 29:40;
Exodus 30:9;
Ezekiel 45:17;
Numbers 4:7;
Joel 1:13; construct
Numbers 28:7; suffix
Isaiah 48:5, etc.; plural
Jeremiah 7:18 9t.; suffix
Numbers 29:31,
Numbers 29:39, etc.; —
drink-offering, with (on Jacob's at Bethel)Genesis 35:14 (E); elsewhere in worship of only P and related documents; once of vessels of holy tableNumbers 4:7; elsewhere in classificationsLeviticus 23:37;Numbers 29:39, usually offered with theExodus 29:40;Leviticus 23:13;Leviticus 23:18;Numbers 15:5;Numbers 15:7;Numbers 15:10;Numbers 15:24;Numbers 28:7;Numbers 28:14;Numbers 28:31;Numbers 29:18;Numbers 28:21;Numbers 28:24;Numbers 28:27;Numbers 28:30;Numbers 28:33;Numbers 28:37, especiallyNumbers 28:9,10,15,24;Numbers 29:6,11,16,19,22,25,28,31,34,38;Exodus 29:41;Numbers 28:8; but sometimes also with ()Numbers 6:15,17;Numbers 15:15,10; usually + ; elsewhere only1 Chronicles 29:21; 2Chronicles 29:35;Ezekiel 45:17;Joel 1:9,13;Joel 2:14. Offered to other gods2 Kings 16:13,15;Isaiah 57:6;Jeremiah 7:18;Jeremiah 19:13;Jeremiah 32:29;Jeremiah 44:17,18,19 (twice in verse);Jeremiah 44:25;Ezekiel 20:28;Psalm 16:4.
molten images,Isaiah 41:29;Isaiah 48:5;Jeremiah 10:14;Jeremiah 51:17. — Combinations are: , (see verb);Isaiah 57:6.
Topical Lexicon
Essence of the Drink Offering (נֶסֶךְ)נֶסֶךְ designates the liquid, normally wine, that was poured out at the altar to accompany prescribed sacrifices. Unlike the blood of an animal, it was never consumed by worshipers or priests; it was wholly yielded to God, symbolizing complete consecration and joyful communion. In every context the action is directed God-ward—either as true devotion or as an idolatrous counterfeit.
Liturgical Role in the Mosaic Covenant
From Sinai onward, נֶסֶךְ accompanies the burnt offering (Leviticus 23:13), the daily tamid (Numbers 28:7–8), Sabbath and festival sacrifices (Numbers 28–29), and vows of freewill offerings (Numbers 15:5, 7, 10). The quantity varies with the value of the animal, emphasizing graded responsibility:
• One-quarter hin for a lamb (Numbers 28:14)
• One-third hin for a ram (Numbers 15:6–7)
• One-half hin for a bull (Numbers 15:9–10)
“Then the drink offering shall be a fourth of a hin of wine for the lamb. You shall pour it out as a drink offering to the LORD in the Holy Place” (Numbers 28:7).
Association with Wine and Agricultural Gratitude
Because the libation consisted of wine, it linked the altar directly with the vineyard harvest, turning agricultural bounty into praise. Joel calls for renewed worship after locust devastation: “The wine has been withheld from My house” (Joel 1:9), showing that when the נֶסֶךְ ceased, national blessing had ebbed. Conversely, restored libations inJoel 2:14 herald mercy and plenty.
Nesek within the Annual Festivals
• Passover week (Numbers 28:16–24)
• Feast of Weeks (Numbers 28:26–31)
• Feast of Trumpets (Numbers 29:1–6)
• Day of Atonement (Numbers 29:7–11)
• Feast of Booths (Numbers 29:12–38)
The repeated libations integrate each feast into the rhythm of daily surrender, reminding Israel that every season of redemption, rest, and rejoicing is grounded in a life poured out to God.
Idolatrous Counterfeits and Prophetic Reproof
The prophets expose נֶסֶךְ given to false gods:
• “I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood” (Psalms 16:4).
• “Among the smooth stones of the ravine is your portion… to them you have poured out grain offerings and poured out drink offerings” (Isaiah 57:6).
• Jeremiah repeatedly denounces libations to the “queen of heaven” (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17–19, 25).
Such passages assume familiarity with the lawful libation and use its misuse to indict covenant treachery. The same act—poured wine—becomes either worship or abomination depending on the object of devotion.
Wisdom Literature and the Fragility of Earthly Joy
Ecclesiastes alludes to libations when urging the righteous to “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart” (Ecclesiastes 9:7), an echo of Deuteronomy’s festival joy. The implication is that when one’s life is rightly ordered before God, even ordinary meals become sanctified offerings.
Typological and Christological Reflections
Paul appropriates the imagery: “Even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad” (Philippians 2:17; cf.2 Timothy 4:6). The apostle’s self-giving mirrors the altar libation, elevating נֶסֶךְ from ritual act to personal ministry pattern. Ultimately, the Lord Jesus embodies the libation in His Passion: “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20). As the wine was emptied beside the slain animal, so Christ’s blood completes and surpasses all earlier sacrifices.
Practical Ministry Applications
1. Wholehearted Worship: The total loss of the liquid challenges believers to withhold nothing from God.
2. Joyful Surrender: Because wine represents gladness, the offering teaches that obedience is not reluctant but celebratory.
3. Guarded Devotion: Prophetic warnings against false libations call the church to test every act of worship by scriptural fidelity.
4. Sacrificial Leadership: Those who serve are to emulate Paul, spending themselves for the faith of others.
Representative References
Exodus 29:40;Leviticus 23:18, 37;Numbers 15:5–10;Numbers 28:7–15, 24, 31;Numbers 29:6, 11, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 37;Deuteronomy 32:38;1 Samuel 1:24;2 Kings 16:13, 15;1 Chronicles 29:21;Ezra 7:17;Nehemiah 10:37, 39; Psalms 16:4;Isaiah 57:6;Jeremiah 7:18;Jeremiah 44:17, 19;Joel 1:9, 13;Joel 2:14;Hosea 9:4;Amos 5:11;Zephaniah 1:13.
Forms and Transliterations
הַנָּ֑סֶךְ הנסך וְהַנֵּסֶךְ֒ וְנִסְכִּ֖י וְנִסְכֵּהֶ֡ם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֑ם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֔ם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֖ם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֗ם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֡ם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶֽם׃ וְנִסְכָּֽהּ׃ וְנִסְכֹּ֥ה וְנִסְכּ֖וֹ וְנִסְכּֽוֹ׃ וְנִסְכּוֹ֙ וְנֵ֕סֶךְ וָנֶ֔סֶךְ וָנֶ֖סֶךְ וָנָֽסֶךְ׃ וּבַנְּסָכִ֖ים וּכְנִסְכָּהּ֙ וּכְנִסְכּוֹ֙ וּלְנִסְכֵּיכֶ֖ם וּנְסָכִ֖ים וּנְסָכֶֽיהָ׃ ובנסכים והנסך וכנסכה וכנסכו ולנסכיכם ונסך ונסך׃ ונסכה ונסכה׃ ונסכהם ונסכו ונסכו׃ ונסכי ונסכיה׃ ונסכיהם ונסכיהם׃ ונסכים לַנֶּ֖סֶךְ לַנֶּ֙סֶךְ֙ לנסך נְסָכִ֑ים נְסָכִ֖ים נְסָכִֽים׃ נְסָכִים֒ נְסָכִים֙ נִסְכֵּיהֶ֣ם נִסְכֵּיהֶֽם׃ נִסְכּ֑וֹ נִסְכּ֖וֹ נִסְכּֽוֹ׃ נֶ֔סֶךְ נֶ֙סֶךְ֙ נֶ֥סֶךְ נסך נסכו נסכו׃ נסכיהם נסכיהם׃ נסכים נסכים׃ han·nā·seḵ hanNasech hannāseḵ lan·ne·seḵ lanNesech lanneseḵ nə·sā·ḵîm ne·seḵ nesaChim nəsāḵîm Nesech neseḵ nis·kê·hem nis·kōw niskêhem niskeiHem nisKo niskōw ū·ḇan·nə·sā·ḵîm ū·ḵə·nis·kāh ū·ḵə·nis·kōw ū·lə·nis·kê·ḵem ū·nə·sā·ḵe·hā ū·nə·sā·ḵîm ūḇannəsāḵîm uchenisKah uchenisKo ūḵəniskāh ūḵəniskōw uleniskeiChem ūləniskêḵem unesaCheiha unesaChim ūnəsāḵehā ūnəsāḵîm uvannesaChim vaNasech vaNesech vehanneseCh veNesech venisKah veniskeHem veniskeiHem venisKi venisKo venisKoh wā·nā·seḵ wā·ne·seḵ wānāseḵ wāneseḵ wə·han·nê·seḵ wə·nê·seḵ wə·nis·kāh wə·nis·kê·hem wə·nis·kî wə·nis·kōh wə·nis·kōw wəhannêseḵ wənêseḵ wəniskāh wəniskêhem wəniskî wəniskōh wəniskōw
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
