Lexical Summary
nasha: To deceive, to beguile, to lead astray
Original Word:נָשָׁא
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:nasha'
Pronunciation:naw-shaw'
Phonetic Spelling:(naw-shaw')
KJV: X debt, exact, giver of usury
NASB:deceive, deceived, come deceitfully, deluded, utterly deceived
Word Origin:[a primitive root (perhaps identical withH5377 (נָשָׁא - made), through the idea of imposition)]
1. to lend on interest
2. (by implication) to demand payment for debt
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
debt, exact, giver of usury
A primitive root (perhaps identical withnasha', through the idea of imposition); to lend on interest; by implication, to dun for debt -- X debt, exact, giver of usury.
see HEBREWnasha'
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto beguile, deceive
NASB Translationcome deceitfully (1), deceive (8), deceived (3), deluded (1), utterly deceived (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. [] (compare Arabic
postpone, delay; sell on credit; "" form of I. , see Ges
§ 75oo); —
Participle active (analogous )1 Samuel 22:2 every man that hada creditor;Isaiah 24:2against whom is a ceditor, and pluralNehemiah 5:7 Kt ( Qr, from ), + accusative of congnate meaning with verb .
Imperfect3masculine singularPsalm 89:23an enemy shall not act the creditor against him, make exactions of him ("" ). —1 Kings 8:31; 2Chronicles 6:22 see (5).
I. (compare I. ); —
Perfect1singularJeremiah 15:10; 3pluralJeremiah 15:10;ParticipleExodus 22:24 4t.; pluralNehemiah 5:10,11 +Nehemiah 5:7 Qr (Kt , see I. ), suffixIsaiah 50:1; —lend, usually with person:Jeremiah 15:10I have not lent, and they have not lent to me,Deuteronomy 24:11;Nehemiah 5:7 (Qr; + accusative of congnate meaning with verb),Nehemiah 5:10;Nehemiah 5:11 (both + accusative of thing); participle as substantivecreditor, usurerExodus 22:24 (E),2 Kings 4:1;Isaiah 24:2;Isaiah 50:1;Psalm 109:11.
Imperfect3masculine singularDeuteronomy 15:2who lendeth to his neighbour; 2 masculine singularDeuteronomy 24:10 whenthou lendest to thy neighbour (+ accusative of congnate meaning with verb).
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Scope of Meaningנָשָׁא (nashah) describes the act of pressing a person for repayment, becoming a creditor, or exacting interest. The verb can therefore touch legal, social, and moral spheres, moving from the strictly economic (lending at interest) to the broader idea of compelling an oath or extracting tribute.
Old Testament Occurrences
•1 Samuel 22:2 – The distressed who rallied to David were “in debt,” already under the weight of creditors. Nashah highlights the social fracture that God would later address through David’s just reign.
•1 Kings 8:31 – Solomon’s temple prayer foresees situations where one neighbour “is required to take an oath” over a dispute. The verb stresses the gravity of forcing accountability before God’s altar.
•Nehemiah 5:7 – Nehemiah rebukes nobles who “exact usury,” showing how nashah exposes covenant unfaithfulness when God’s people forget compassion for brothers in financial hardship.
•Psalm 89:22 – Concerning the Davidic king, “No enemy will exact tribute from him”. Nashah is a mark of oppression that will be absent under the Lord’s anointed.
•Isaiah 24:2 – In the coming judgment “so it will be with the lender, so with the borrower; with the creditor, so with the debtor” (paraphrase of). Nashah shows that worldly hierarchies collapse under divine leveling.
Historical and Cultural Background
Credit in the Ancient Near East often entailed steep interest and harsh collection. By contrast, Israel’s Torah limited interest among Israelites (Exodus 22:25;Leviticus 25:35-37;Deuteronomy 23:19-20). Nashah therefore signals a practice the law sought to restrain. Its use in narrative (1 Samuel), praise (Psalm 89), and prophetic oracle (Isaiah 24) reflects a prophetic critique of exploitative economics and a vision of a society shaped by covenant mercy.
Theological Emphases
1. Covenant Justice: Where nashah occurs negatively, it clashes with Yahweh’s stipulations for equitable community life.
2. Kingship and Messiah:Psalm 89 contrasts oppressive extraction with the secure rule of the promised king, prefiguring Christ whose reign brings freedom rather than exploitation.
3. Eschatological Reversal:Isaiah 24 places creditor and debtor on equal footing in divine judgment, foreshadowing the ultimate settling of accounts before God.
Ministry and Discipleship Implications
• Stewardship and Lending: Believers are cautioned to avoid financial practices that ensnare others. The spirit ofDeuteronomy 15:7-11 encourages generosity over exacting interest.
• Advocacy for the Vulnerable: Nashah underscores the need to defend those burdened by oppressive debt—an application echoed inJames 5:4.
• Integrity in Oaths and Contracts: Solomon’s prayer (1 Kings 8:31) reminds the Church that business dealings fall under divine scrutiny; honesty and fairness honor the Lord.
Echoes in the New Testament
While nashah itself is Hebrew, the ethical trajectory continues: Jesus teaches, “lend, expecting nothing in return” (Luke 6:35), and the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:23-35) condemns merciless creditors. Thus the gospel amplifies the Old Testament call away from oppressive exaction toward grace-filled generosity.
Summary
נָשָׁא presents a vivid picture of creditor power and its potential abuse, serving as a litmus test for covenant faithfulness, an indicator of righteous or unrighteous rule, and a prophetic signpost pointing to the just and liberating reign of the Messiah.
Forms and Transliterations
וְנָֽשָׁא־ ונשא־ יַשִּׁ֣א ישא מַשָּׁ֥א משא נֹשֶׁ֥א נֹשֶׁא֙ נשא maš·šā mashSha maššā nō·še nōše noShe venasha wə·nā·šā- wənāšā- yaš·ši yashShi yašši
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