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H5376 · Hebrew · Old Testament
נְשָׂא
Nesa
Verb (Aramaic)
To carry / lift / bear (Aramaic)

Definition

The Aramaic verb nesa is the Aramaic cognate of the Hebrew nasa (to lift, carry, bear). It appears in the Aramaic sections of the Old Testament (Daniel and Ezra) with the same range of meanings: to lift up, carry, raise, or bear a burden.

Usage & Theological Significance

The Aramaic nesa appears in Daniel's court narratives, where the lifting and carrying of royal decrees, images, and responsibilities reflect the political structures of Babylon and Persia. That the same root appears in both Hebrew and Aramaic underscores the theological continuity across language barriers: God's purposes of lifting, sustaining, and bearing His people forward do not change whether the language is Hebrew or Aramaic. The book of Daniel demonstrates that God's sovereignty over kingdoms — His lifting up and bringing low of nations — operates regardless of the language in which history is recorded. He is Lord of both Israel and the Gentile nations.

Key Bible Verses

Daniel 2:35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
Ezra 5:3 At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, 'Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?'
Daniel 7:4 The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being.
Ezra 6:5 Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to Jerusalem.
Daniel 5:20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.

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