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H5138 · Hebrew · Old Testament
נָזִיד
nāzîyd
Noun, masculine
Stew, Pottage

Definition

Nāzîyd (נָזִיד) means boiled pottage, stew — a thick dish of lentils or legumes. From zîyd (to boil). Appears in Genesis and 2 Kings.

Usage & Theological Significance

Genesis 25:29-34: Esau sells his birthright for red lentil stew. Hebrews 12:16-17 cites this as warning: 'godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights.' The pottage represents immediate gratification traded for eternal inheritance. Esau's 'I am about to die' was hyperbole — he was hungry, not dying. Yet he treated eternal blessing as worthless. The warning is perpetually relevant: don't trade heavenly inheritance for earthly satisfaction. In 2 Kings 4:38-41, Elisha miraculously heals poisoned stew — death-dealing nāzîyd becomes nourishing.

Key Bible Verses

Genesis 25:34 Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank and left. So Esau despised his birthright.
Hebrews 12:16 See that no one is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights.
2 Kings 4:40 'There is death in the pot!' But Elisha put flour in and said, 'Serve it.' And there was nothing harmful.

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