Lexicon
נָשַׁב
na.shav
H5380
H:V Hebrew

to blow

3
Occurrences
3
Books
Hebrew
Language

na.shav describes blowing upon something and, in one scene, driving away approaching birds.

The attested uses chiefly describe blowing: the spirit of the LORD blows upon grass in Isaiah 40:7, and he blows his spirit so that waters flow in Psalm 147:18. In Genesis 15:11, the Hiphil form occurs where Abram drives away birds of prey from the corpses.

Senses in use

  1. Blowing upon or setting waters in motion · dominant

    In Isaiah 40:7, the Qal perfect occurs in the clause where the spirit of the LORD blows upon the grass, followed by its withering. In Psalm 147:18, the Hiphil imperfect occurs as he blows his spirit and the waters flow; the APB renders these clauses with “blew upon it” and “he blows his spirit.”

  2. Driving away approaching birds · occasional

    In Genesis 15:11, the Hiphil sequential imperfect occurs after birds of prey come down upon the corpses; the APB renders the resulting action, “Abram drove them away.”

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the term with “blew upon it” in Isaiah 40:7 and “he blows his spirit” in Psalm 147:18, while Genesis 15:11 reads “Abram drove them away.” These renderings confirm the clauses' actions rather than isolate a precise English equivalent in every case.

Passages featuring this word

Across Scripture