nesech · libation

What it means

nesech (נֶסֶךְ) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “libation”.

An offering of wine or another liquid poured out. Also a cast image.

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. Wine or other drink poured as an offering.
2. A metal idol.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Libation: the wine (or other liquid) poured out as an offering together with the burnt offering. It comes from נָסַךְ (pour out). BDB brings together here another use of the same root, the cast image, made of poured metal.

• A libation of wine with the burnt offering Exodus 29:40Numbers 15:5Numbers 29:16
• A libation on a standing stone Genesis 35:14
• Libations to other gods Jeremiah 7:18Psalms 16:4
• The libation cut off from the house of YHWH Joel 1:9
• Cast images Isaiah 41:29

Historical and cultural background

The law fixed the amount: with each lamb, “a libation of a quarter of a hin of wine” (Exodus 29:40; Numbers 15:5). Jacob “poured out a libation” on the standing stone at Bethel (Genesis 35:14).

How we translate it

“Libation” 30 times and “libations” 30, the form this edition sets for נֶסֶךְ. In Isaiah 41:29 and a few other passages, where the word names metal idols, “cast image” or “cast images”.

How it is translated

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

• libation ×30
• libations ×30
• cast image ×3
• are their cast images ×1

Related words

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

Where it appears

• Genesis×1
• Exodus×3
• Leviticus×3
• Numbers×34
• 2 Kings×2
• 1 Chronicles×1
• 2 Chronicles×1
• Psalms×1
• Isaiah×3
• Jeremiah×10
• Ezekiel×2
• Joel×3

• Genesis 35:14

  Jacob set up a standing stone in the place where he had spoken with him, a standing stone of stone; he poured out a libation on it and poured oil on it.

• Exodus 29:40

  And a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil, and a libation of a quarter of a hin of wine, for the one lamb.

• Exodus 29:41

  The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, with the same grain offering as the morning and with the same libation you shall offer with it, for a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to YHWH.

• Exodus 30:9

  You shall not offer on it strange incense, or burnt offering or grain offering, and a libation you shall not pour on it.

• Leviticus 23:13

  and its grain offering, two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a fire offering to YHWH, a pleasing aroma; and its libation of wine, a fourth of a hin.

• Leviticus 23:18

  And with the bread you shall present seven lambs without defect, a year old, and one young bull and two rams; they shall be a burnt offering to YHWH, with their grain offering and their libations, a fire offering, a pleasing aroma to YHWH.

• Leviticus 23:37

  These are the appointed times of YHWH, which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present a fire offering to YHWH, burnt offering and grain offering, sacrifice and libations, each day’s matter on its day,

• Numbers 4:7

  And over the table of the Presence they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put on it the plates, and the spoons, and the bowls, and the jars for the libation; and the continual bread shall be on it.

• Numbers 6:15

  and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread smeared with oil, and their grain offering and their libations.

• Numbers 6:17

  And he shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of peace to YHWH, with the basket of unleavened bread; and the priest shall offer its grain offering and its libation.

• Numbers 15:5

  and wine for the libation, a quarter of a hin, you shall offer with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.

• Numbers 15:7

  and wine for the libation, a third of a hin, you shall present, a pleasing aroma to YHWH.

• Numbers 15:10

  and wine you shall present for the libation, half a hin, a fire offering of pleasing aroma to YHWH.

• Numbers 15:24

  then if it was done by oversight, without the knowledge of the community, all the community shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to YHWH, with its grain offering and its libation according to the rule, and one male goat for a sin offering.

• Numbers 28:7

  Its libation shall be a quarter of a hin for the one lamb; in the holy place pour out a libation of intoxicating drink to YHWH.

• Numbers 28:8

  And the second lamb you shall offer at twilight; like the grain offering of the morning and like its libation you shall offer it, a fire offering of pleasing aroma to YHWH.

• Numbers 28:9

  On the day of the Sabbath: two lambs a year old, without defect, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its libation.

• Numbers 28:10

  It is the burnt offering of each Sabbath, besides the continual burnt offering and its libation.

• Numbers 28:14

  And their libations shall be half a hin for a bull, and a third of a hin for a ram, and a quarter of a hin for a lamb, of wine. This is the burnt offering of each month for the months of the year.

• Numbers 28:15

  And one male goat as a sin offering to YHWH; besides the continual burnt offering it shall be offered, and its libation.

• Numbers 28:24

  Like these you shall offer each day for seven days the food of the fire offering of pleasing aroma to YHWH; besides the continual burnt offering it shall be offered, and its libation.

• Numbers 28:31

  Besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering you shall offer them —they shall be without defect for you— and their libations.

• Numbers 29:6

  besides the burnt offering of the month and its grain offering, and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their libations, according to their rule, for a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to YHWH.

• Numbers 29:11

  one male goat as a sin offering, besides the sin offering of expiation and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their libations.

• Numbers 29:16

  and one male goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its libation.

• Numbers 29:18

  and their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the rule;

• Numbers 29:19

  and one male goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering and their libations.

• Numbers 29:21

  and their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the rule;

• Numbers 29:22

  and one male goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering and its libation.

• Numbers 29:24

  their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the rule;

• Numbers 29:25

  and one male goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its libation.

• Numbers 29:27

  and their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the rule;

• Numbers 29:28

  and one male goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering and its libation.

• Numbers 29:30

  and their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the rule;

• Numbers 29:31

  and one male goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its libations.

• Numbers 29:33

  and their grain offering and their libations for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to their rule;

• Numbers 29:34

  and one male goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its libation.

• Numbers 29:37

  their grain offering and their libations for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the rule;

• Numbers 29:38

  and one male goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering and its libation.

• Numbers 29:39

  These you shall offer to YHWH at your appointed times, besides your vows and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings, and for your libations, and for your peace offerings.”

And 24 more times.