---
title: נֵס — standard · The Tanakh dictionary
description: נֵס (5251), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 21 times: standard. BDB 1906: standard, ensign, signal, sign. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# נֵס

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«נֵס» in the Tanakh dictionary: **standard** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 21 times · **Key:** 5251 · **BDB:** נֵס²

### Glosses

a.standard (14); standard (4); \[the\].sail (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

standard [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5251/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

standard, ensign, signal, sign [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5251/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.\[m.\] standard, ensign, signal, sign (NH id., flag, usually sign, i.e. miracle; 𝔗 נֵס, נִסָּא sign, miracle);—נ׳ abs. Nu 21:8 +; cstr. Is 31:9; sf. נִסִּי Ex 17:15; Is 49:22;— standard, as rallying-point, י׳ נִסִּי Ex 17:15 (E), י׳ my standard (name of altar); conspicuously set on hill Is 30:17 (sim. of solitariness; ‖ תֹּרֶן עַל־רֹאשׁ הָהָר); signal of war \[v. SchumacherZPV ix. 232, Across the Jordan, 104 f.\] (especially to the nations, for destruction or deliverance of Judah, Is Je), נָשָׂא נ׳ לַגּוֹיִם Is 5:26; 11:12 cf. 18:3 (on mts., ‖ תָּקַע שׁוֹפָר); אֶל־עַמִּים אָרִים נ׳ 49:22 (‖ אֶשָּׂא אֶל־גּוֹיִם יָדִי),—in all these subj. י׳; cf. עֹמֵד לְנֵס עַמִּים Is 11:10 (of Mess. kg.); שְׂאוּ נ׳ 13:2 (on mt.) 31:9, Je 50:2; 51:12 (c. אֶל־ against), v 27 (‖ תִּקְעוּ שׁוֹפָר בַּגּוֹיִם), הָרִימוּ נ׳ עַל־עַמִּים Is 62:10, cf. Je 4:21 (‖ קוֹל שׁוֹפָר); נָתַתָּה … נ׳ לְהִתְנוֹסֵס ψ 60:6 thou hast set a standard (only) for fleeing. signal, שְׂאוּ נ׳ צִיּ֫וֹנָה Je 4:6 (i.e. to direct refugees to Zion). standard, as pole, supporting serpent of bronze Nu 21:8, 9 (JE). ensign, signal, שֵׁשׁ … מִמִּצְרַיִם הָיָה מִפְרָשֵׁךְ לִהְיוֹת לָךְ לְנֵס Ez 27:7 byssus from Egypt was thy sail, to serve thee for an ensign (so DaToy; on lack of pennon on ancient ships v. Co; \> del. Co Berthol); so (since sails were the only ensign) = sail Is 33:23 (Che Di al.; \> pennon Ges Hi Ew De Du). sign (cf. NH) = warning Nu 26:10 (P).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 21 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (4 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (3 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «נֵס» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5251/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Jeremiah 4:21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/JER.4.21/)

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עַד־מָתַ֖י אֶרְאֶה־נֵּ֑ס אֶשְׁמְעָ֖ה ק֥וֹל שׁוֹפָֽר׃ס

*Word for word:* until when? will.I.see a.standard will.I.hear \[the\].sound of.a.trumpet

*JPS 1917:* How long shall I see the standard, shall I hear the sound of the horn?

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[Exodus 17:15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO.17.15/)

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וַיִּ֥בֶן מֹשֶׁ֖ה מִזְבֵּ֑חַ וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ נִסִּֽי׃

*Word for word:* and he.built Moses an.altar and he.called name its Yahweh standard \[is\].my

*JPS 1917:* And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Adonai-nissi.

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