natsach · direct, oversee

What it means

natsach (נָצַח) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “direct, oversee”.

Direct: be in charge of a work or of the music of worship. From this word comes the title "for the director" of many psalms.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To take charge of directing a work or the singing and music of the psalms.
2. What continues always, without interruption.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

To be in charge, to direct: a work, the workers or the music of worship. The participle with a preposition, לַמְנַצֵּחַ, heads many psalms: “for the director”. BDB: to be preeminent, enduring; in the intensive form, to direct, to be in charge.

• “For the director”, title of psalms Psalms 4:1Psalms 42:1Psalms 84:1
• Leading the music with lyres 1 Chronicles 15:21
• Directing the work of the temple Ezra 3:82 Chronicles 34:12
• The overseers of the workers 2 Chronicles 2:2
• Perpetual, lasting Jeremiah 8:5

How we translate it

“Director” 56 times in the titles of the psalms: לַמְנַצֵּחַ is “For the director” (Psalm 4:1), without adding ‘of the choir’, because the Hebrew does not say it. Outside the Psalms, “direct”, “who directed” or “to lead” (1 Chronicles 15:21); in Jeremiah 8:5 it is a passive form meaning lasting, and is translated “perpetual”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• director ×56
• direct ×4
• who directed ×2
• lead ×1
• perpetual ×1
• were directing ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• 1 Chronicles×2
• 2 Chronicles×4
• Ezra×2
• Psalms×55
• Jeremiah×1
• Habakkuk×1

• 1 Chronicles 15:21

  and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with lyres on Sheminith, to lead.

• 1 Chronicles 23:4

  Of these, twenty-four thousand were to direct the work of the house of YHWH, and six thousand were supervisors and judges,

• 2 Chronicles 2:2

  Solomon counted seventy thousand men as carriers, and eighty thousand men as stonecutters in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred who directed them.

• 2 Chronicles 2:18

  He made of them seventy thousand carriers, eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred who directed, to make the people work.

• 2 Chronicles 34:12

  The men were working with faithfulness in the work. Over them were appointed Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to direct; and the Levites, all who understood instruments of song,

• 2 Chronicles 34:13

  were over the carriers and were directing all who did work in every service; and of the Levites there were scribes, supervisors, and gatekeepers.

• Ezra 3:8

  And in the second year of their coming to the house of Elohim at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers, the priests and the Levites, and all who had come from the captivity to Jerusalem, began; and they appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to direct the work of the house of YHWH.

• Ezra 3:9

  And Jeshua, his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, stood up as one to direct those doing the work in the house of Elohim; the sons of Henadad, their sons and their brothers, the Levites.

• Psalms 4:1

  For the director. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David. When I call, answer me, Elohim of my righteousness. In distress you gave me room; show me favor and hear my prayer.

• Psalms 5:1

  For the director. For the flutes. A psalm of David. Give ear to my sayings, YHWH; consider my murmuring.

• Psalms 6:1

  For the director. With stringed instruments, on the eighth. A psalm of David. YHWH, do not rebuke me in your anger, nor correct me in your fury.

• Psalms 8:1

  For the director. On the Gitit. A psalm of David. YHWH, our Lord, how magnificent is your name in all the earth, you who have set your splendor above the heavens.

• Psalms 9:1

  For the director. Almut labben. A psalm of David. I will give thanks to YHWH with all my heart; I will recount all your wonders.

• Psalms 11:1

  For the director. Of David. In YHWH I have taken refuge; how do you say to my soul, “Flee to your mountain, bird”?

• Psalms 12:1

  For the director. On the eighth. A psalm of David. Save, YHWH, for the faithful one is gone; for the trustworthy have vanished from among human beings.

• Psalms 13:1

  For the director. A psalm of David. How long, YHWH? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

• Psalms 14:1

  For the director. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no Elohim.” They have become corrupt, they have made abominable their deeds; there is no one who does good.

• Psalms 18:1

  For the director. Of the servant of YHWH, of David, who spoke to YHWH the words of this song on the day YHWH delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: “I love you, YHWH, my strength.

• Psalms 19:1

  For the director. A psalm of David. The heavens recount the glory of El, and the vault proclaims the work of his hands.

• Psalms 20:1

  For the director. A psalm of David. May YHWH answer you in the day of distress; may the name of the Elohim of Jacob set you on high.

• Psalms 21:1

  For the director. A psalm of David. YHWH, in your strength the king is glad, and in your salvation how greatly he is jubilant.

• Psalms 22:1

  For the director. On The Doe of the Dawn. A psalm of David. My El, my El, why have you abandoned me? Far from my salvation are the words of my roaring.

• Psalms 31:1

  For the director. A psalm of David. In you, YHWH, I have taken refuge; let me not be ashamed ever; in your righteousness bring me to safety.

• Psalms 36:1

  For the director. Of the servant of YHWH, of David. A declaration of transgression to the wicked within my heart: there is no dread of Elohim before his eyes.

• Psalms 39:1

  For the director. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David. I said, “I will keep my ways from sinning with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a muzzle while the wicked is before me.”

• Psalms 40:1

  For the director. Of David. A psalm. I waited and waited for YHWH, and he inclined to me and heard my cry for help.

• Psalms 41:1

  For the director. A psalm of David. Happy is the one who considers the poor; in the day of evil YHWH will let him escape.

• Psalms 42:1

  For the director. A maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer longs for channels of water, so my soul longs for you, Elohim.

• Psalms 44:1

  For the director. Of the sons of Korah. A maskil. Elohim, with our ears we have heard; our fathers have recounted to us the work you worked in their days, in the days of old.

• Psalms 45:1

  For the director. On The Lilies. Of the sons of Korah. A maskil. A song of loves. My heart overflows with a good word; I speak my works to the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful scribe.

• Psalms 46:1

  For the director. Of the sons of Korah. On Alamot. A song. Elohim is for us a refuge and strength, a help in distresses very easily found.

• Psalms 47:1

  For the director. Of the sons of Korah. A psalm. All you peoples, clap your hands; shout to Elohim with the voice of shouts of joy.

• Psalms 49:1

  For the director. Of the sons of Korah. A psalm. Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

• Psalms 51:1

  For the director. A psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Show me favor, Elohim, according to your loyal love; according to the abundance of your mercies blot out my transgressions.

• Psalms 52:1

  For the director. A maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast of evil, mighty man? The loyal love of El is all the day.

• Psalms 53:1

  For the director. On Mahalat. A maskil of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no Elohim.” They have become corrupt and have done abominable injustice; there is no one who does good.

• Psalms 54:1

  For the director. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?” Elohim, by your name save me, and by your might judge me.

• Psalms 55:1

  For the director. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David. Give ear, Elohim, to my prayer, and do not hide yourself from my supplication.

• Psalms 56:1

  For the director. On The Silent Dove of the Distant Ones. Of David. A Miktam, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Show me favor, Elohim, for a mortal tramples me; all the day fighting, he oppresses me.

• Psalms 57:1

  For the director. Do Not Destroy. Of David. A Miktam, when he fled from before Saul in the cave. Show me favor, Elohim, show me favor, for in you my soul has taken refuge; and in the shadow of your wings I take refuge until the calamities pass by.

And 25 more times.