---
title: נָסָה — test · The Tanakh dictionary
description: נָסָה (5254), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 36 times: test. BDB 1906: vb. Pi. test, try. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# נָסָה

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«נָסָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **test** — 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:** 36 times · **Key:** 5254 · **BDB:** נָסָה

### Glosses

put (4); put.to.the.test (4); they.put.to.the.test (4)

### Meaning (OSHB)

test [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5254/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. Pi. test, try [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5254/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. Pi. test, try (NH id., Pi.; 𝔗 Pa. נַסִּי; Syriac Pa. ܢܰܣܺܝ; cf. Ethiopic መንሱት temptation);— Pf. 3 ms. נִסָּה Dt 4:34 + 3 times; sf. נִסָּהוּ Ex 15:25; 3 fs. נִסְּתָה Dt 28:56; 1 s. נִסִּיתִי Ec 7:23, + 4 times Pf.; Impf. 3 ms. sf. יְנַסֵּם Dn 1:14; 1 s. אֲנְסֶּה Ju 6:39; sf. אֲנַסְּכָה Ec 2:2; 3 mpl. יְנַסּוּ Nu 14:22; 2 mpl. תְּנַסּ֑וּן Ex 17:2, + 7 times Impf.; Imv. נַס Dn 1:12; sf. נַסֵּנִי ψ 26:2; Inf. cstr. נַסּוֹת Ex 20:20, + 8 times Inf.; Pt. מְנַסֶּה Dt 13:4;— test, try (syn. בחן), abs. 1 S 17:39 (equipment); c. בְּ Ju 6:39 Ec 2:1; c. acc. Dn 1:12, 14; acc. + בְּ 1 K 10:1 = 2 Ch 9:1, Ec 2:1; 7:23. attempt, essay, try to do a thing, c. Inf. Dt 4:34 (c. לְ) 28:56; c. acc. Jb 4:2 (venture a word). test, try, prove, tempt \[but not in modern sense of the word: v. Dr Dt 6:16; ψ 453, 483\] God tests or proves Abr. Gn 22:1 (E), Isr. Ex 15:25; 20:20 (E), 16:4 (J), Dt 8:2, 16; 13:4; c. בְּ Ju 2:22; 3:1, 4; tribe of Levi Dt 33:8 (poem); Hezekiah 2 Ch 32:31; psalmist ψ 26:2. Isr. tests, or tries God: Ex 17:2, 7; Nu 14:22 (J), Dt 6:16 ψ 78:18, 41, 56; 95:9; 106:14; so Ahaz, Is 7:12.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 33 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «נָסָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5254/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 78:41](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.78.41/)

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וַיָּשׁ֣וּבוּ וַיְנַסּ֣וּ אֵ֑ל וּקְד֖וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל הִתְווּ׃

*Word for word:* and they.returned and they.put.to.the.test God and the.holy.\[one\] of.Israel they.pained

*JPS 1917:* And still again they tried God, and set bounds to the Holy One of Israel.

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[Isaiah 7:12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.7.12/)

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וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אָחָ֑ז לֹא־אֶשְׁאַ֥ל וְלֹֽא־אֲנַסֶּ֖ה אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃

*Word for word:* and he.said Ahaz not I.will.ask and not I.will.put.to.the.test (et) Yahweh

*JPS 1917:* But Ahaz said: 'I will not ask, neither will I try the LORD.'

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