Biblica Analytica

נָשַׁל

na.shal (H5394)

to slip

7 verses 4 books OT 7 / NT 0
AI Word Study

# Analysis of נָשַׁל (nashal): "to slip" The Hebrew verb נָשַׁל carries the basic meaning "to slip," describing the physical action of something losing its grip or falling away from a secure position. With only seven occurrences in the biblical text, this is a relatively rare word, suggesting it was used selectively when authors needed to convey this particular type of movement or loss of control. The rarity of this term in Scripture indicates it filled a specific semantic niche—distinct from more common verbs describing falling, dropping, or losing. Rather than describing a complete fall or deliberate removal, נָשַׁל seems to capture the particular moment or action of something slipping away, implying an unexpected or gradual loss of stability. This precision in meaning would have made it valuable for describing situations where the manner of losing grip or position mattered to the narrative or instruction at hand. Without access to the specific contexts of all seven biblical occurrences, the limited data confirms only the core sense of "to slip." The word's narrow usage frequency suggests biblical writers reserved it for circumstances where this particular action—neither a violent drop nor a controlled release, but rather a slipping away—best served their communicative purpose.

AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.

Exodus 3:5

He said, “Don’t come close. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.”

Deuteronomy 7:1

When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, and casts out many nations before you—the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—seven nations greater and mightier than you;

Deuteronomy 7:22

Yahweh your God will cast out those nations before you little by little. You may not consume them at once, lest the animals of the field increase on you.

Deuteronomy 19:5

as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood and his hand swings the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and hits his neighbor so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live.

Deuteronomy 28:40

You will have olive trees throughout all your borders, but you won’t anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives will drop off.

Joshua 5:15

The prince of Yahweh’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals, for the place on which you stand is holy.” Joshua did so.

2 Kings 16:6

At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drove the Jews from Elath; and the Syrians came to Elath, and lived there, to this day.