5256. nesach
Lexical Summary
nesach: drawn

Original Word: נְסַח
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ncach
Pronunciation: neh-sakh
Phonetic Spelling: (nes-akh')
NASB: drawn
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H5255 (נָסַח - tear away)]

1. pull down

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
pull down

(Aramaic) corresponding to nacach -- pull down.

see HEBREW nacach

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to nasach
Definition
to pull away
NASB Translation
drawn (1).

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Scope of Usage

Strong’s Hebrew 5256 נְסַח appears once in Scripture, in the Aramaic portion of Ezra 6:11. There it denotes a structural beam pulled from a man’s own house and used as the very instrument of his punishment. The solitary occurrence fixes the term within a royal decree yet carries lasting theological weight.

Biblical Context

King Darius I confirmed Cyrus’ earlier authorization for rebuilding the Jerusalem temple. To safeguard that sacred work, he commanded: “I hereby decree that if anyone changes this edict, a beam is to be pulled from his house, and he is to be impaled on it, and his house is to be made into a pile of rubble.” (Ezra 6:11) The נְסַח is the “beam” uprooted from the offender’s dwelling. Thus the word is embedded in a context of covenant-like sanction, where civil authority protects divine purposes.

Historical Background

Persian law often matched the punishment to the crime, a feature known as talionic justice. By decreeing that the violator’s own timber become the stake of execution, Darius underscored two principles:

1. Total reversal—what supported his life now enacts his death.
2. Public warning—household ruin testifies to all future generations that opposing God’s house invites destruction of one’s own.

Archaeological evidence shows impalement was practiced in the ancient Near East long before crucifixion was refined by the Romans. Ezra records the earliest biblical intersection of this method with Israel’s post-exilic history.

Theological Significance

1. Protection of Worship: The lone use of נְסַח serves the larger narrative of Ezra—God providentially secures legitimate worship. Any threat, whether political or personal, meets swift justice (compare Esther 7:10).
2. Sanctity of Decrees: Because the Persian king’s order aligns with God’s redemptive plan, tampering with it becomes tantamount to rebellion against the Lord Himself. This foreshadows New Testament warnings not to add to or subtract from divine revelation (Revelation 22:18–19).
3. Retributive Principle: The imagery of a beam torn from the offender’s house reflects Proverbs 26:27, “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it.” Divine justice often turns human schemes back upon their originators.

Christological Hints

While Ezra 6:11 primarily addresses temporal discipline, the notion of a wooden instrument bearing judgment anticipates the ultimate redemptive act where Christ “carried our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). The contrast is striking: the impaling beam in Ezra destroys the guilty, whereas the cross exalts the Innocent who saves the guilty.

Practical and Ministry Applications

• Guarding God’s Work: Church leaders are reminded that ministries birthed by the Lord must not be altered for personal convenience. The cost of tampering can be severe, even if consequences are not as immediate as in Ezra’s day.
• Integrity in the Home: Since the נְסַח comes from the offender’s residence, the passage calls believers to ensure their households support, rather than undermine, God’s purposes (Joshua 24:15).
• Preaching on Divine Justice: The verse offers a vivid illustration when teaching on sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7), emphasizing that God’s justice is neither arbitrary nor detached from historical reality.

Related Biblical Motifs

Impalement / Crucifixion – Numbers 25:4; Deuteronomy 21:22–23; Acts 5:30

House Turned to Rubble – Joshua 6:26; 2 Kings 10:27

Decrees of Kings Serving God’s Plan – Ezra 1:1–4; Nehemiah 2:1–8; Isaiah 45:1

Conclusion

Though נְסַח appears only once, its narrative placement amplifies the immutable connection between divine purpose and human responsibility. The beam that upheld a roof becomes the instrument of judgment when one sets himself against the restoration of true worship. In every age, God defends His dwelling among His people and vindicates His word.

Forms and Transliterations
יִתְנְסַ֥ח יתנסח yiṯ·nə·saḥ yitneSach yiṯnəsaḥ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Ezra 6:11
HEB: פִּתְגָמָ֣א דְנָ֔ה יִתְנְסַ֥ח אָע֙ מִן־
NAS: a timber shall be drawn from his house
KJV: let timber be pulled down from
INT: edict this shall be drawn A timber from

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5256
1 Occurrence


yiṯ·nə·saḥ — 1 Occ.

5255
Top of Page
Top of Page