Lexical Summary
nasha: To deceive, to lead astray, to beguile
Original Word:נָשָׁא
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:nasha'
Pronunciation:naw-shaw'
Phonetic Spelling:(naw-shaw')
KJV: beguile, deceive, X greatly, X utterly
NASB:made, debt, debtor, deceive, exacting
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to lead astray, i.e. (mentally) to delude, or (morally) to seduce
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
beguile, deceive, greatly, utterly
A primitive root; to lead astray, i.e. (mentally) to delude, or (morally) to seduce -- beguile, deceive, X greatly, X utterly.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto lend on interest, be a creditor
NASB Translationdebt (1), debtor (1), deceive (1), exacting (1), made (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. only
; — (kindred with I. , from which, however, the forms can hardly be derived (conjectures Wecompare 2. 351)); —
Perfect3pluralIsaiah 19:13 the princeshave been beguiled ("" , ).
PerfectJeremiah 49:16, suffixGenesis 3:13, Obadiah 3; 2masculine singularJeremiah 4:10; 3plural suffix Obadiah 7;Imperfect only jussive 2Chronicles 32:15, soPsalm 55:16 Qr (see below);2 Kings 18:29;Isaiah 36:14, suffix2 Kings 19:10;Isaiah 37:10; 2masculine pluralJeremiah 37:9;Infinitive absoluteJeremiah 4:10; —beguile, usually with accusative of personGenesis 3:13 (J; not elsewhere Hexateuch);Jeremiah 49:16; Obad 3:7;2 Kings 19:10let not thy God beguile thee =Isaiah 37:10, of Hezekiah 2Chronicles 32:15 (compare below),Jeremiah 37:9do not deceive yourselves; also followed by person2 Kings 18:29 =Isaiah 36:14 (= 2 Chronicles 32:15, see above),Jeremiah 29:8;Jeremiah 4:10thou hast utterly beguiled this people;Psalm 55:16 Kt apparently =desolations (be) upon them! (but elsewhere only in proper name, of a location, compare p. 445 above), < Qr Ew Ol Pe De NowHup, compare ,let death (beguile them, i.e.)come deceitfully upon them! Brüll Che, compare Bae, conjectures plausibly .
Topical Lexicon
Semantic Range and Core IdeaThe verb נָשָׁא (nasha) denotes the act of misleading, beguiling, or causing someone to wander from what is true and trustworthy. Although the root can be connected to financial exploitation in a few cognate contexts, in the fifteen canon occurrences it always speaks of moral or spiritual deception—whether perpetrated by another party or embraced as self-deception.
First Appearance: The Proto-Deception
Genesis 3:13 sets the theological tone: “The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’”. Here nasha introduces sin to the human story. The verb underlines that the Fall was not merely a mistake; it was the result of deliberate distortion of God’s word. Every later use echoes this primal tragedy, reminding readers that deception is bound up with rebellion against the Lord.
Political Propaganda and Enemy Intimidation
Several occurrences cluster around the Assyrian crisis of Hezekiah’s reign:
•2 Kings 18:29;Isaiah 36:14 – Rabshakeh warns, “Do not let Hezekiah deceive you,” insisting that Judah’s king cannot secure divine deliverance.
•2 Kings 19:10;Isaiah 37:10 – Sennacherib’s letter repeats the charge.
•2 Chronicles 32:15 – The Chronicler records the same taunt.
Nasha here exposes imperial propaganda designed to shake faith in the covenant God. The repetition in Kings, Chronicles, and Isaiah highlights the danger of trusting political spin over prophetic assurance. God vindicates His own reputation by overthrowing Sennacherib, proving that the Lord, not military might, defines reality.
False Prophets and Religious Delusion
Jeremiah contests a parade of voices that misuse divine language:
•Jeremiah 4:10 twice laments, “Ah, Lord GOD! Surely You have utterly deceived this people.” The prophet’s anguish recognizes that false optimism about peace has taken root.
•Jeremiah 29:8 warns the exiles, “Do not let your prophets and diviners who are among you deceive you.”
•Jeremiah 37:9 cautions the remnant, “Do not deceive yourselves,” whileJeremiah 23:39 shows that those who persist in counterfeit visions will be cast off.
In these texts nasha confronts religious manipulation. The prophet calls the community back to tested revelation, exposing any message that contradicts God’s covenantal warnings.
National Pride and Self-Deception
Obadiah uses nasha to indict Edom:
•Obadiah 1:3 – “The pride of your heart has deceived you.”
•Obadiah 1:7 – Allies will betray Edom, revealing the folly of its self-confidence.
Jeremiah 49:16 echoes this oracle against Edom. These passages show that nasha may be reflexive; the heart can deceive itself through arrogance and supposed invulnerability. Divine judgment unmasks such illusions.
Theological Trajectory
1. Deception originates with the serpent and continues wherever God’s word is displaced.
2. External threats (Assyria), internal authorities (false prophets), and inward pride (Edom) all employ deception.
3. The Lord consistently exposes and reverses nasha, preserving His truth, protecting His people, and punishing rebels.
4. The prevalence of nasha reinforces the doctrine of total depravity: humanity is not merely misinformed but willingly misled unless God intervenes.
Ministry Implications
• Discernment: Shepherds and congregations must evaluate every message—political, cultural, or religious—by the whole counsel of Scripture, lest they be “tossed about by every wind of teaching.”
• Integrity: Leaders must avoid any speech or strategy that manipulates God’s flock; the Lord detests nasha even when cloaked in pious language.
• Humility: Pride is fertile soil for deception. Believers guard their hearts by continual repentance and dependence on grace.
• Hope: God’s triumph over Assyria and His future judgment of Edom assure the faithful that truth will finally prevail. The antidote to nasha is not skepticism but confident trust in the One who is “the Way and the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6).
Conclusion
Strong’s Hebrew 5377 unmasks a perennial threat to covenant faithfulness. From Eden to the exilic prophets, nasha warns that misplacing trust—whether in the tempter, worldly power, spiritual charlatans, or self—invites ruin. Yet each occurrence also magnifies the Lord’s unwavering commitment to truth, calling every generation to cling to His word and walk in the light.
Forms and Transliterations
הִשִּׁ֤יא הִשִּׁיא֛וּךָ הִשִּׁיאֶ֔ךָ הִשִּׁיאַ֖נִי הִשֵּׁ֜אתָ הַשֵּׁ֨א השא השאת השיא השיאוך השיאך השיאני יַשִּׁ֥א יַשִּׁ֥יא יַשִּׁ֧יאוּ יַשִּׁאֲךָ֣ יַשִּׁיא֩ ישא ישאך ישיא ישיאו נִשְּׁא֖וּ נָשֹׁ֑א נשא נשאו תַּשִּׁ֤אוּ תשאו haš·šê hashShe haššê hiš·šê·ṯā hiš·šî hiš·šî·’a·nî hiš·šî·’e·ḵā hiš·šî·’ū·ḵā hishSheta hishShi hishshiAni hishshiEcha hishshiUcha hiššêṯā hiššî hiššî’anî hiššî’eḵā hiššî’ūḵā nā·šō naSho nāšō niš·šə·’ū nishsheU niššə’ū taš·ši·’ū tashShiu tašši’ū yaš·ši yaš·šî yaš·ši·’ă·ḵā yaš·šî·’ū yashShi yashshiaCha yashShiu yašši yaššî yašši’ăḵā yaššî’ū
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