Lexical Summary
natsab: To stand, set, establish, station
Original Word:נָצַב
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:natsab
Pronunciation:naw-tsab'
Phonetic Spelling:(naw-tsab')
KJV: appointed, deputy, erect, establish, X Huzzah (by mistake for a proper name), lay, officer, pillar, present, rear up, set (over, up), settle, sharpen, establish, (make to) stand(-ing, still, up, upright), best state
NASB:set, standing, stood, stand, deputies, charge, erected
Word Origin:[a prim root]
1. to station, in various applications (literally or figuratively)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
appointed, deputy, erect, establish
A prim root; to station, in various applications (literally or figuratively) -- appointed, deputy, erect, establish, X Huzzah (by mistake for a proper name), lay, officer, pillar, present, rear up, set (over, up), settle, sharpen, establish, (make to) stand(-ing, still, up, upright), best state.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto take one's stand, stand
NASB Translationarises (1), attending (1), best (1), charge (2), deputies (4), deputy (1), erected (2), establish (2), established (1), fix (1), fixed (1), officers (1), pillar (1), present yourself (1), presiding (1), set (15), settled (1), stand (5), standing (14), stands (1), station myself (1), station yourself (1), stationed (1), stood (9), stood erect (1), takes stand (2), waiting (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Nahum 2:8 dubious; perhaps textual error; see .
see below .
verb (Late Hebrewid. (rare), nountaking a stand; Phoenician (Punic) , ,monument Lzb325; Nabataean, Palmyreneset up; Zinjirliid., statue, all Lzb325 Cook82; Palmyreneimage, Nabataeanid., DHMVOJ viii (1894), 12, compare Lzbl.c.; perhaps Assyriannaĉbu Tel Amarna, WklTA 24*b; Aramaic ,
; Arabic
set up, erect,
sign, mark, way-mark; Sabeancippus CISiv. 23 SabDenkm95 DHMZMG xxx (1876), 115 f. DerenbJas, 1883, Aug.-Sept. 244; Minaeanstatue (= HOMSüdar. Chrest. 128); —
Perfect3feminine singularPsalm 45:10,Genesis 37:7;Proverbs 8:2; 2masculine singularExodus 7:15 2t.; 3 pluralExodus 15:8, consecutiveExodus 33:8; ParticipleGenesis 24:13 +, feminineZechariah 11:161 Samuel 1:26; masculine pluralExodus 5:20 +; feminine plural1 Samuel 1:26; —
station oneself, take one's stand, for definite purpose, with location (by, on)Genesis 24:13,43;Genesis 28:13;Exodus 7:15;Exodus 33:21;Exodus 34:2 (all J),Exodus 17:9;Exodus 18:14 (E),Numbers 23:6,17 (JE);Amos 7:7;Amos 9:1;Proverbs 8:2; ofIsaiah 3:13taketh his stand to plead; with locationExodus 5:20;Psalm 82:1 (of God), compareNumbers 22:23,31,34;1 Samuel 1:26;Deuteronomy 29:9; withNumbers 16:27 (JE),Judges 18:16,17; absoluteLamentations 2:4 (on text see Löhr).
stand = be stationed (by appointment, or in fulfilment of duty), with person (sitting or lying)Genesis 45:11 Samuel 4:20;1 Samuel 22:6,7,17;Isaiah 21:8stand at my watchman's post ("" );Psalm 45:10; absolute2 Samuel 13:31.
take an upright position, stand,Exodus 33:8 (E; + location), compareGenesis 37:7 (E; of sheaf); of waters,Exodus 15:8 (song).
be stationed =appointed over (),1 Samuel 22:9;Ruth 2:5,6; with Samuelpresiding over ()them1 Samuel 19:20. Hence
(as appointed, deputed), only1 Kings 4:5,7;1 Kings 5:7;1 Kings 5:30;1 Kings 9:23; 2Chronicles 8:10 (all of Solomon's officers; so also 2 Chronicles 8:10 Qr, < Kt ),1 Kings 22:48 (of Edom).
stand firm, figurativePsalm 39:6every man, (even)the firm-standing, is wholly vanity (but expression strange, and text dubious);Psalm 119:89 (of 's word);that which stands firmZechariah 11:16 (Israel under figure of sheep), but dubious; We GASm leave untranslated; Now proposesdiseased.
Perfect1 Kings 16:34; 2masculine singularGenesis 21:29;Psalm 74:17; 3masculine pluralJeremiah 5:26;ImperfectJoshua 6:26,Deuteronomy 32:8 (dubious; in poetry for Ew§ 233a Di; rhythmical shortening Ges§ 109k; read Dr DaSynt. p. 94),2 Samuel 18:18; suffixLamentations 3:12Imperative feminine singularJeremiah 31:21;Infinitive construct1 Samuel 13:21;1 Chronicles 18:3;Participle1 Samuel 15:12 (but read We Dr Bu Kit HPS): —
station, set: with accusative, ewesGenesis 21:28;Genesis 28:29 (E;apart), trapJeremiah 5:26; figurativeset me before thee ()Psalm 41:13;set me as a targetLamentations 3:12.
set up, erect pillar ()Genesis 35:14,20 (E),2 Samuel 18:18, +2 Kings 17:10; altarGenesis 33:20 (E), stone-heap2 Samuel 18:17; monument ()1 Samuel 15:12; city-gates (with ),Joshua 6:26 (JE) =1 Kings 16:34.
cause to stand erect, waters,Psalm 78:13 (compare
Exodus 15:8).
fix, establish boundary (subject )Deuteronomy 32:8;Psalm 74:17;Proverbs 15:15; dominion1 Chronicles 18:3 (of king). —1 Samuel 13:21 is dubious; AVsharpen, RVset; Kit 'gerade machen'; Klo substantive, see below; compare HPS.
Perfect3masculine singularNahum 2:8it is fixed, determined (Kl Or), but very dubious; perhaps proper name, or epithet, of queen, compare We Now GASm, q. v.;ParticipleGenesis 28:12 (E)a ladder set up on the earth;Judges 9:6, read GFM, see below — compare also
[] (see Biblical Hebrew ); — emphaticDaniel 2:41.
Topical Lexicon
Overview of Usageנָצַב occurs about seventy-four times across the Hebrew Scriptures. It pictures a deliberate and often official “standing” that can be physical, legal, covenantal, or even cosmic in scope. The verb may be active (“to station, set, appoint”), reflexive (“to present oneself”), or descriptive (“to be firmly fixed”). Whether applied to persons, objects, armies, or abstract realities, נָצַב consistently conveys purposeful stability under divine oversight.
Standing before God: Covenant and Worship
Israel is repeatedly summoned to “stand” before the Lord as an act of covenant accountability.Deuteronomy 29:10 gathers every stratum of the nation: “All of you are standing today before the LORD your God…”. Centuries later, Jehoshaphat echoes the same posture: “We will stand before this temple and before You, for Your name is in this temple” (2 Chronicles 20:9). In worship settings, Levites “stand in the house of the LORD” (Psalm 135:2) and priests daily present themselves for service, reflecting a ministry of constant readiness.
Divine Sovereignty and Judicial Presence
God Himself “stands” to judge and to save. “The LORD takes His place to contend and stands to judge the people” (Isaiah 3:13).Psalm 82:1 portrays Him presiding over the divine council, whilePsalm 109:31 assures the afflicted that “He stands at the right hand of the needy one.” Such texts reveal נָצַב as a vocabulary of divine intervention—both in righteous judgment and merciful advocacy.
Human Readiness and Obedience
Leaders are “set” or “appointed” (נָצַב) to their tasks. Joshua is told, “Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation and commission him” (Numbers 27:19). Prophets also assume this stance; Samuel instructs Israel, “Now therefore stand here, that I may confront you before the LORD” (1 Samuel 12:7). The same verb governs vocational excellence: “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings” (Proverbs 22:29).
Military and Defensive Uses
Armies and sentries “take their stand” in battle (cf.2 Samuel 18:4). Strategic positioning in warfare echoes both dependence upon and obedience to divine command. When Pharaoh approaches the Nile, Moses is told, “Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him” (Exodus 7:15), showing that even confrontation with earthly power begins with divinely ordered stance.
Cosmic and Inanimate Stability
נָצַב describes creation’s obedience. “The flowing waters stood upright like a heap” at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:8). Joseph’s dream reports, “My sheaf rose and stood upright” (Genesis 37:7).Psalm 119:89 elevates the concept to heavenly permanence: “Your word, O LORD, is everlasting; it is firmly fixed in the heavens.”
Prophetic Opposition and Rebellion
The same verb can depict hostile alignment. “The kings of the earth take their stand…against the LORD and against His Anointed” (Psalm 2:2). Here נָצַב exposes the futility of resisting God’s sovereign rule—He who appoints is able also to depose.
Messianic and Ecclesial Echoes
InPsalm 45:9 the royal bride “stands” at the king’s right hand, foreshadowing the Church’s honored place beside Messiah. Micah’s prophecy that the Shepherd-King will “stand and shepherd” (Micah 5:4, root showing conceptual overlap) continues the theme: the One who appoints others ultimately takes His own stand among His people.
Ministry Applications
1. Readiness: Like the priests, believers are called to live natsab lives—ever prepared for worship and service.
2. Stability: God’s word and promises “stand” unshaken; they invite trust amid cultural flux.
3. Appointment: Leadership in church or community is never self-generated; it is a divine setting in place.
4. Intercession: Standing “between the living and the dead” (Numbers 16:48) models Christ-like mediation and urges persistent prayer.
5. Witness: The covenant assembly inDeuteronomy 29 challenges modern congregations to present themselves corporately before God, affirming shared accountability.
Representative References
Genesis 24:13;Genesis 37:7;Exodus 7:15;Exodus 15:8;Numbers 27:19;Deuteronomy 29:10;1 Samuel 12:7;2 Samuel 18:4;2 Chronicles 20:9;Job 1:6;Psalm 2:2;Psalm 45:9;Psalm 82:1;Psalm 109:31;Psalm 119:89;Psalm 135:2;Proverbs 22:29;Isaiah 3:13.
Summary
נָצַב weaves through Scripture as a call to be firmly positioned under God’s authority, whether in worship, leadership, warfare, or daily vocation. It reminds the faithful that both stability and appointment originate in the Lord who Himself “stands” to judge, to defend, and ultimately to redeem.
Forms and Transliterations
הִ֭צַּבְתָּ הִצִּ֣יב הִצִּ֥יבוּ הִצַּ֖בְתָּ הַנִּצֶּ֤בֶת הַנִּצָּ֖ב הַנִּצָּ֥ב הַנִּצָּב֣וֹת הַנִּצָּבִ֑ים הַנִּצָּבִ֗ים הַנִּצָּבִ֣ים הַנִּצָּבִ֤ים הַנִּצָּבִ֨ים הַנִּצָּבִים֙ הַנִּצָּבָה֙ הַצִּ֧יבִי הנצב הנצבה הנצבות הנצבים הנצבת הצבת הציב הציבו הציבי וְ֝יַצֵּ֗ב וְהֻצַּ֖ב וְנִ֨צְּב֔וּ וְנִצַּבְתָּ֖ וְנִצַּבְתָּ֥ וַֽיַּצֶּב־ וַיַּצִּ֧בוּ וַיַּצִּיבֵ֔נִי וַיַּצֵּ֣ב וַיַּצֵּ֧ב וַיַּצֵּ֨ב וַיַּצֶּב־ וַתַּצִּיבֵ֖נִי וּלְהַצִּ֖יב והצב ויצב ויצב־ ויצבו ויציבני ולהציב ונצבו ונצבת ותציבני יַצִּ֥יב יַצֵּב֙ יצב יציב לְהַצִּ֥יב להציב מַצִּ֥יב מֻצָּ֖ב מֻצָּ֣ב מצב מציב נִצְּב֥וּ נִצְּבָ֥ה נִצָּ֑בָה נִצָּ֖ב נִצָּ֣ב נִצָּ֤ב נִצָּ֥ב נִצָּֽבָה׃ נִצָּב֙ נִצָּבִ֖ים נִצָּבִ֗ים נִצָּבִ֤ים נִצָּבִ֥ים נִצָּבִים֙ נצב נצבה נצבה׃ נצבו נצבים han·niṣ·ṣā·ḇāh han·niṣ·ṣā·ḇîm han·niṣ·ṣā·ḇō·wṯ han·niṣ·ṣāḇ han·niṣ·ṣe·ḇeṯ hanniṣṣāḇ hanniṣṣāḇāh hanniṣṣāḇîm hanniṣṣāḇōwṯ hanniṣṣeḇeṯ hannitzTzav hannitztzaVah hannitztzaVim hannitztzaVot hannitzTzevet haṣ·ṣî·ḇî haṣṣîḇî hatzTzivi hiṣ·ṣaḇ·tā hiṣ·ṣî·ḇū hiṣ·ṣîḇ hiṣṣaḇtā hiṣṣîḇ hiṣṣîḇū hitzTzavta hitzTziv hitzTzivu lə·haṣ·ṣîḇ ləhaṣṣîḇ lehatzTziv maṣ·ṣîḇ maṣṣîḇ matzTziv muṣ·ṣāḇ muṣṣāḇ mutzTzav niṣ·ṣā·ḇāh niṣ·ṣā·ḇîm niṣ·ṣāḇ niṣ·ṣə·ḇāh niṣ·ṣə·ḇū niṣṣāḇ niṣṣāḇāh niṣṣāḇîm niṣṣəḇāh niṣṣəḇū nitzTzav nitzTzavah nitztzaVim nitztzeVah nitztzeVu ū·lə·haṣ·ṣîḇ ūləhaṣṣîḇ ulehatzTziv vaiyatzTzev vaiyatztziVeni vaiyatzTzivu vattatztziVeni vehutzTzav venitztzavTa veNitztzeVu veyatzTzev wat·taṣ·ṣî·ḇê·nî wattaṣṣîḇênî way·yaṣ·ṣêḇ way·yaṣ·ṣeḇ- way·yaṣ·ṣî·ḇê·nî way·yaṣ·ṣi·ḇū wayyaṣṣêḇ wayyaṣṣeḇ- wayyaṣṣîḇênî wayyaṣṣiḇū wə·huṣ·ṣaḇ wə·niṣ·ṣaḇ·tā wə·niṣ·ṣə·ḇū wə·yaṣ·ṣêḇ wəhuṣṣaḇ wəniṣṣaḇtā wəniṣṣəḇū wəyaṣṣêḇ yaṣ·ṣêḇ yaṣ·ṣîḇ yaṣṣêḇ yaṣṣîḇ yatzTzev yatzTziv
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