---
title: נָשַׁךְ — bite · The Tanakh dictionary
description: נָשַׁךְ (5391), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 11 times: bite. BDB 1906: vb. bite. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# נָשַׁךְ

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«נָשַׁךְ» in the Tanakh dictionary: **bite** — 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:** 11 times · **Key:** 5391 · **BDB:** נָשַׁךְ

### Glosses

it (3); it.will.bite (2); bite (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

bite [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5391/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. bite [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5391/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. bite (NH = BH, but also transp. נְכַשׁ Hiph.); Assyrian našâku DlHWB 486; 𝔗 נְכֵית (especially of snakes); Syriac ܢܟܰܬ, ܢܟܶܬ; Ethiopic ነሰከ Di 642; BaZMG xliii (1889), 188 cp. Arabic نَكَثَ, undo threads, untwist rope, disintegrate, dissolve);— Pf. 3 ms. נָשַׁךְ Nu 21:9, sf. וּנְשָׁכוֹ consec. Am 5:19, וּנְשָׁכָם consec. 9:3; Impf. 3 ms. יִשֹּׁךְ Ec 10:11, יִשֹּׁ֑ךְ Pr 23:32, sf. יִשְּׁכֶנּוּ Ec 10:8; Pt. act. נֹשֵׁךְ Gn 49:17; pl. נֹשְׁכִים Mi 3:5, sf. נֹשְׁכֶיךָ Hb 2:7; pass. נָשׁוּךְ Nu 21:8;—bite, chiefly of serpent, c. acc., Am 5:19; 9:3 Gn 49:17 (poem in J), Nu 21:8 (pt. pass., abs.), v 9, Ec 10:8 also v 11 (abs.), Pr 23:32 (sim. of wine); fig. of prophets הַנּ׳ בְּשִׁנֵּיהֶם Mi 3:5 who are biting with their teeth, and crying, Peace! fig. of oppression, etc., נֹשְׁכֶיךָ Hb 2:7 (with play on sense thy debtors, those that give thee interest). Pf. 3 pl. וְנִשְּׁכוּ אֶתְכֶם Je 8:17 and they shall bite you fatally (fig.); Impf. 3 mpl. וַיְנַשְּׁכוּ אֶת־הָעָם Nu 21:6 and they bit the people fatally (both of serpents).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 11 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 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 «נָשַׁךְ» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5391/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 23:32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.23.32/)

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אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃

*Word for word:* end its like a.snake it.will.bite and like a.viper it.will.sting

*JPS 1917:* At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like a basilisk.

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[Ecclesiastes 10:8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.8/)

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חֹפֵ֥ר גּוּמָּ֖ץ בּ֣וֹ יִפּ֑וֹל וּפֹרֵ֥ץ גָּדֵ֖ר יִשְּׁכֶ֥נּוּ נָחָֽשׁ׃

*Word for word:* \[one.who\].digs a.pit in it he.will.fall and \[one.who\].breaks.through a.wall it will.bite.him a.snake

*JPS 1917:* He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a fence, a serpent shall bite him.

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