Word

נָגַשׁ

nâgash · H5066 · Hebrew · 125 occurrences

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Meanings

to be close

State in which objects are close to other objects in space

Examples
Job 41:16 “One is so close to another That no air can come between them.
to be close, to meet

State in which humans are close to other humans in time

Examples
Amos 9:13 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When the plowman will overtake the reaper, And the one who treads grapes will overtake him who sows the seed; When the mountains will drip grape juice, And all the hills will come apart.
to approach, to come near, to draw near, to come forward

Action by which humans move to a location closer to a point of reference

Examples
Genesis 18:23 Abraham approached and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
Genesis 19:9 But they said, “Get out of the way!” They also said, “This one came in as a foreigner, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them!” So they pressed hard against Lot and moved forward to break the door.
Genesis 27:21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come close, so that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”
to move away

Action by which humans move to a location further away from a point of reference

Examples
Genesis 19:9 But they said, “Get out of the way!” They also said, “This one came in as a foreigner, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them!” So they pressed hard against Lot and moved forward to break the door.
Isaiah 49:20 “The children you lost will yet say in your ears, ‘The place is too cramped for me; Make room for me that I may live here.’
to bring, to bring close, to bring near, to present, to offer

Causative action by which humans cause (other) humans, animals and objects to move to a location closer to a point of reference

Examples
Genesis 27:25 So he said, “Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, that I may bless you.” And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank.
Genesis 48:10 Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. And Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
Genesis 48:13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him.
to come near > to be likely to happen

Literally: to come near; state in which an event is likely to happen to someone

Examples
Psalm 91:7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you.
to bring about, to present

Literally: to bring near; causative action by which humans cause an event to happen to other humans

Examples
Isaiah 41:21 “Present your case,” the LORD says. “Bring forward your evidence,” The King of Jacob says.
Amos 6:3 Are you postponing the day of disaster, And would you bring near the seat of violence?
Amos 9:10 “All the sinners of My people will die by the sword, Those who say, ‘The catastrophe will not overtake or confront us.’

How it’s used In 6 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Who or what does itSubject

125 occurrences in 45 groups

Not stated: you (more than one) 20
Not stated: he, she or it 17
Not stated: they 15
Not stated: you (one person) 12
עַםpeople 6
Not stated (participle) 5
Other words · 36 groups that occur once or twice (48) 48

What it acts on, or what is saidObject

30 occurrences in 28 groups

מִנְחָהgrain offering, gift, tribute 4
אֵפוֹדlinen apron 3
Other words · 26 groups that occur once or twice (29) 29

With prepositionsPrepositional phrases

77 occurrences in 62 groups

אֵלto, toward+ נִיme 11
אֵלto, toward+ וֹhim 8
לto/for+ מִלְחָמָהwar, battle 5
אֵלto, toward+ מִזְבֵּחַaltar 4
לto/for+ נִיme 4
Other words · 57 groups that occur once or twice (63) 63

With adverbsAdverbs

19 occurrences in 9 groups

לֹאnot 8
אַלnot, do not 3
Other words · 7 groups that occur once or twice (8) 8

What is done to itIt is the object

4 occurrences in 3 groups

אָמַרto say 2
הָיָהto be, to become 1
כָּרַתto cut off, to make (a covenant) 1

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

6 occurrences in 4 groups

בin/on/with 2
לto/for 2
מִןfrom 1
עַדto, as far as, until 1

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

In the other Testament 3 words

ἐγγίζω engízō · G1448 · to draw near, to come near, to approach: Greek ἐγγίζω renders Hebrew נָגַשׁ as the standard LXX equivalent for approach/draw near semantics, reflecting both literal spatial approach and cultic/theophanic drawing near contexts.
προσέρχομαι prosérchomai · G4334 · to move toward, to approach, to come near to: Greek προσέρχομαι (prosérchomai, G4334) serves as the standard LXX rendering of Hebrew נָגַשׁ (nâgash, H5066), both denoting the act of drawing near or approaching, whether physically (coming closer spatially) or in a cultic/worship context (approaching God or the altar); the Greek term extends the semantic range slightly into figurative worship and assent, but the core spatial-approach meaning overlaps directly with the Hebrew.
προσάγω proságō · G4317 · to lead before, to bring into the presence of, to bring to: Hebrew נָגַשׁ and Greek προσάγω share the core semantics of causing approach or bringing near, both in physical spatial movement and in presentational contexts (bringing offerings, bringing persons forward); the Greek term extends to cultic access/approach to God, a semantic domain the Hebrew verb also occupies in contexts like priestly approach (Leviticus 21:17-18, Ezekiel 44:13).

Semantic domains 4 entries

Space002002001017: נָגַשׁ denotes drawing near in the spatial sense of coming close to a person or place, as when Abraham approaches the LORD to intercede for Sodom (Genesis 18:23) or Jacob comes close to his father Isaac (Genesis 27:22).
Time002002002010: The domain classification here reflects an idiomatic temporal use of the word for a time drawing near (a day or moment "approaching"), a sense less directly attested among the citations sampled here than its dominant spatial use.
Move002002001012: The word denotes the act of approaching as a motion toward someone, as in the men of Sodom pressing hard against Lot and moving forward to break the door (Genesis 19:9), tying the word to directed physical movement.
Happen002002003003: The domain classification here reflects an idiomatic use of the word for a matter "coming near" in the sense of an event drawing close to occurring, a sense not directly among the citations sampled here.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H5066. nagash [נָגַשׁ]125 verb draw near, approach, less frequently synonym of קרב q. v.…

H5066. nagash
[נָגַשׁ]125 verb draw near, approach, less frequently synonym of קרב q. v. (Late Hebrew id. Hiph`il (rare) and derivatives ); —
Qal68 Imperfect יִגַּשׁ Exo 24:14 +, יִגָּ֑שׁ Psa 91:7, וַיִּגַּשׁ Gen 18:23 +; 3 feminine singular וַתִּגַּשׁ Gen 33:7; Gen 33:2masculine singular תִּגַּשֿׁ Isa 65:5; Isa 65:3masculine plural יִגְּשׁוּ Isa 41:1 +, יִגָּ֑שׁוּ Exo 24:2, יִגַּ֑שׁוּ Job 41:8 (Baer; van d. H. יִנָּ֑שׁוּ); 3 feminine plural וַתִּגַּשְׁןָ Gen 33:6, etc.; Imperative גַּשׁ 2Sa 1:15, גֶּשֿׁ Gen 19:9, גְּשָׁה Gen 27:21 Gen 27:2t.; feminine singular גְּשִׁי; Rth 2:14, etc.; Infinitive construct לָגֶ֫שֶׁת Jdg 20:23 +; suffix גִּשְׁתּוֺ Gen 33:3; גִּשְׁתָּם Exo 28:43 Exo 28:2t.; — draw or come near, 1 human subject: followed by אֶלֿ person Gen 27:22; Gen 43:19; Gen 44:18; Gen 45:4 (all J), Exo 19:15 (of sexual intercourse), Exo 24:2; Num 32:16; Jos 14:6 (all E), Exo 34:30; Jos 21:1 (P), + 10 t. elsewhere (not D), + Psa 91:7 (subject pestilence personified); of priestly approach to ׳י Eze 44:13, compare Jer 30:21b, also followed by אֶלֿ of altar Exo 28:43; Exo 30:20; Lev 21:23 and absolute, Lev 21:21 (all P or H); followed by אֶלֿ of thing also Num 8:16; followed by עַדֿ person Gen 33:3 (J), of thing Jdg 9:52; followed by עַלֿ person Eze 9:6, of thing Eze 44:13; followed by בְּ person Isa 65:5 (|| אֶלֿ קָרַב); in Amo 9:10 read בַעֲדֵנוּ תִּגַּשׁ (for תַּגִּישׁ ᵑ0 Hiph`il compare We GASm Dr Now; || קִדֵּם); followed by לַמִּלְחָמָה draw near for battle Jdg 20:23; Jer 46:3; 2Sa 10:13 = 1Ch 19:14 (+ לִפְנֵי person); followed by accusative of person 1Sa 9:18; 1Sa 30:21, of thing Num 4:19 (P), but accusative difficult; Dr reads אֶלֿ for אֶתֿ 1Sa 9:18; Num 4:19, compare Klo HPS; in 1Sa 30:21 Dr takes אֶתֿ = with; followed by הֲלוֺם hither, 1Sa 14:38; Rth 2:14; absolute Gen 18:23; Gen 27:21; Gen 29:10; Gen 33:6-7, Gen 45:4 (all J), Exo 24:2 (E), Jos 8:11 (E; + ויבאו), + 9 t. (not P, D),+ Gen 27:26-27, (E), Jos 3:9 (J), 2Sa 1:15; 2Ch 29:31 (all Imperative followed by 2nd Imperative), + Gen 19:9 (J), Lev 21:21 (twice in verse) (H), 2Ki 4:27 (all followed by Infinitive purpose); Note especially גֶּשׁהָֿ֫לְאָה Gen 19:9 lit approach thither! i.e. move away ! compare וְאֵשׁ֑בָה גְּשָׁהלִֿי Isaiah 46:20 move away for me (make room for me that I may dwell (|| הַמָּקוֺם צַרלִֿי).
2 inanimate subject אֶחָד יִגַּ֫שׁוּ בְּאֶחָד Job 41:8 one to another they approach (fit closely together; of scales of crocodile ). —
Qal not in D.
Niph`al Perfect נִגַּשׁ Gen 33:7 +; 3 feminine singular וְנִגְּשָׁה Deu 25:9; Deu 25:3masculine plural נִגְּשׁוּ Exo 34:32 +; נִגַּשְׁתֶּם 2Sa 11:20-21, Participle plural נִגָּשִׁים Exo 19:22; — draw near =
Qal (and substitute for it in D): — followed by אֶלֿ person Deu 25:9; 1Ki 20:13; Ezr 9:1, of priestly approach to Yahweh Exo 19:22 (J), Jer 30:21; followed by אֶלֿ of thing Exo 20:21; Exo 24:2 (both E), 2Sa 11:20-21, אֶלהַֿמִּשְׁמָּט Deu 25:1; followed by בְּ person Amo 9:13; followed by לַמִּלְחָמָה 1Sa 7:10; absolute Gen 33:7 (J), Deu 20:2 (|| קרב), Deu 21:5; Exo 34:32 (P), so figurative of worship Isa 29:13.
Hiph`il Perfect3masculine singular suffix consecutive וְהִגִּישׁוֺ Exo 21:6 (twice in verse), וְהִגִּישָׁהּ Lev 2:8; Lev 2:3plural הִגִּ֫ישׁוּ 2Sa 17:29; 2Sa 17:2masculine plural הִגַּשְׁתֶּם Amo 5:25; Imperfect jussive יַגֵּשׁJob 40:19; וַיַגֶּשֿׁ Gen 27:25; וַיַּגַּ֑שׁ Jdg 6:19; Jdg 6:3feminine singular תַּגִּישׁ Amo 9:10, וַתַּגֵּשׁ 1Sa 28:25; 2Sa 13:11; 2Sa 13:3masculine plural יַגִּ֫ישׁוּ Isa 41:22; Isa 41:2masculine plural תַּגִּ֫ישׁוּ Mal 1:8, תַּגִּישׁוּן Mal 1:8, וַתַּגִּישׁוּן Amo 6:3, etc.; Imperative masculine singular הַגִּ֫ישָׁה Gen 27:25 +; masculine plural הַגִּ֫ישׁוּ 1Sa 13:9 +; Participle מַגִּישׁ Mal 2:12; plural construct מַגִּישֵׁי Mal 3:3, etc.; — cause to approach, bring near, bring, followed by אֶלֿ person (usually object accusative of thing, rarely person Exo 21:6 (twice in verse); 1Sa 15:32; Gen 48:10 compare Gen 48:13): — Gen 48:10, Gen 48:13 (E), Exo 21:6 (twice in verse) (E), 1Sa 13:9; 1Sa 14:34; 1Sa 15:32; 2Sa 13:11 (+ Infinitive purpose), 2Ki 4:5-6, followed by אֶלהַֿמִּוְבֵּךְַ Lev 2:8 (P; of sacrifice); עַלמִֿזְבְּחִי Mal 1:7 (sacrifice); לְ person Gen 27:25 (twice in verse) (E), 1Sa 30:7; 2Sa 17:29 (read ᵐ5 וַיַּגִּישׁוּ Th We Klo Kit, compare Dr), of sacrifice Amo 5:25; Mal 2:12; Mal 3:3; לִפְנֵי person 1Sa 28:25; 2Ch 29:23; no preposition Exo 32:6 (J), 1Sa 14:18, 1Sa 14:34; 1Sa 23:9; 1Sa 30:7; Jdg 6:19 (following אֶלֿ הוציא), Amo 6:3; 1Ki 5:1; Lev 8:14 (P), of sacrifice also Mal 1:8 (לִזְבֹּחַ), Mal 1:8 (|| הקריב); figurative (object proofs, evidences) Isa 41:21 (|| קרב), Isa 41:22 (+ וַיַּגִּידוּ), compare Isa 45:21 (|| הַגִּידוּ); חַרְבּוֺ יַגֵּשׁ הָעשֹׁוֺ Job 40:19 let him that made him (the hippotamus) draw near his sword, is dubious; Du חֲבֵרָו נֹגֵשׂ [י]הֶעָשׂוּ who is made ruler of its fellows (other conjectures see Di Bu); Amo 9:10 read תִּגַּשׁ
Qal q. v. ).
Hoph`al Perfect3masculine plural הֻגַּ֑שׁוּ לאֹלִֿנְחֻשְׁתַּיִם 2Sa 3:34 (Ginsb הֻגָּ֫שׁוּ thy feet have not been brought near (put into) fetters; Participle לשׁמי מֻגָּשׁ Mal 1:11 it (impersonal) is offered to my name.
Hithpa`el Imperative masculine plural הִתְנַגְּשׁוּ Isa 45:20 draw near! (|| יָבֹאוּ הִקָּֽבְצוּ).
נֵד see II. נדד. נֹד see נוד.

Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain

Topical studies with this word 4 entries

Move82 occurrences Space38 occurrences Time1 occurrence Happen4 occurrences

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0