Lexical Summary
nathach: To cut, divide, or piece
Original Word: נָתַח
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nathach
Pronunciation: naw-thakh'
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-thakh')
KJV: cut (in pieces), divide, hew in pieces
NASB: cut, cut pieces
Word Origin: [a primitive root]
1. to dismember
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
cut in pieces, divide, hew in pieces
A primitive root; to dismember -- cut (in pieces), divide, hew in pieces.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto cut up, cut in pieces, divide by joints
NASB Translationcut (6), cut pieces (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[ only
(Dr1811, 7; Late Hebrew id., Pi`el; rare); —
Perfect Leviticus 8:20, consecutive Leviticus 1:6,12; Imperfect3masculine singular 1 Kings 18:33, suffix 1 Samuel 11:7, Judges 19:29, etc.; — cut up, in pieces, with accusative of animals 1 Samuel 11:7, of woman Judges 20:6 (all these to be sent about as token for assembling warriors; on significance of the practice compare RSSem i. 383; 2nd ed. 402); elsewhere usually + , cut up into pieces, of woman Judges 19:29; of sacrificial animals 1 Kings 18:23,33 (accusative only), Exodus 29:17; Leviticus 1:6,12; Leviticus 8:20 (all P).
Topical Lexicon
Term Overview נָתַח occurs nine times in the Hebrew Scriptures and always describes the deliberate cutting of a body into portions. Whether enacted upon an animal for worship or upon a human or ox for judicial or martial summons, the action is purposeful, solemn, and weighty.
Cultic Use in the Mosaic Sacrificial System
Exodus 29:17; Leviticus 1:6, 12; and Leviticus 8:20 employ the verb for the priestly dismemberment and orderly arrangement of a burnt offering. The priest did not merely butcher; he rendered every piece accessible to the consuming fire on the altar. The procedure assured that nothing escaped the flame, portraying total surrender to God. In Leviticus 1:12 the priest “cut the animal into pieces, and … arrange[d] them”, revealing that worship in Israel embraced both inward devotion and careful external obedience.
Symbolism of Consecration and Atonement
Because the whole animal was reduced to parts and then wholly consumed, נָתַח underscores entire consecration. Every portion of life—represented by every portion of the sacrifice—belongs on the altar. This anticipates the once-for-all offering of Jesus Christ, whose body was likewise given wholly, fulfilling the pattern of the burnt offering (Hebrews 10:5-10). Pastoral ministry may draw on this verb to urge believers toward unreserved dedication: “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1).
Occurrence in Israel’s Tribal Crisis Narratives
Judges 19:29 and 20:6 present a graphic inversion of sacrificial order: the Levite dismembers his murdered concubine, sending her pieces to the tribes. The act functions as an alarm, forcing communal response to covenant violation. The same motif appears in 1 Samuel 11:7 when Saul “took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them … throughout the territory of Israel”. Here נָתַח becomes a covenantal summons. The dismembered flesh is a visible curse evoking Genesis 15 imagery: may this fate befall those who refuse loyalty.
Covenantal Call to Action
Both narratives display Israel’s social structure: tribes rallied when confronted with tangible proof of outrage or impending judgment. The verb therefore frames communal accountability. Ministry application: the church must sometimes employ vivid, though not literal, warnings to awaken complacent hearts to corporate sin or mission.
Prophetic Contest on Mount Carmel
Elijah’s instructions before the prophets of Baal likewise use נָתַח. “Let them choose one bull … cut it into pieces” (1 Kings 18:23, 33). By ordering the bull divided yet un-ignited, Elijah ensures that any fire must descend from heaven. The divided sacrifice dramatizes the impotence of Baal and the sovereignty of the LORD, who alone answers by fire.
Theological and Practical Reflections
1. Whole-hearted Worship: As the sacrifice was sectioned so that nothing remained untouched, believers are called to yield every aspect of life to God’s sanctifying fire.
2. Seriousness of Covenant: The grisly token in Judges and Samuel warns that covenant breaches incur real consequences. Grace does not negate holiness.
3. Leadership and Mobilization: Both Saul and Elijah employed נָתַח-actions to galvanize God’s people. Spiritual leadership today still requires clear, sometimes startling, calls to decision.
4. Typology of Christ: The meticulous division of the burnt offering prefigures the perfect, fully surrendered body of Christ. Unlike the sacrificial pieces left in ashes, His resurrected body now lives forever, securing believers’ complete acceptance before God.
Thus נָתַח weaves through worship, warfare, judgment, and redemption, consistently pointing to the necessity of wholehearted dedication to the LORD who alone is worthy of every “piece” of our lives.
Forms and Transliterations
וְנִתַּ֤ח וְנִתַּ֥ח וִֽינַתְּחֻ֗הוּ וַֽיְנַתְּחֵ֗הוּ וַֽיְנַתְּחֶ֙הָ֙ וַיְנַתַּח֙ וָֽאֲנַתְּחֶ֔הָ ואנתחה וינתח וינתחה וינתחהו ונתח נִתַּ֖ח נתח תְּנַתֵּ֖חַ תנתח nit·taḥ nitTach nittaḥ tə·nat·tê·aḥ tenatTeach tənattêaḥ vaanatteCheha vaynatTach vaynatteCheha vaynatteChehu venitTach vinatteChuhu wā’ănattəḥehā wā·’ă·nat·tə·ḥe·hā way·nat·taḥ way·nat·tə·ḥe·hā way·nat·tə·ḥê·hū waynattaḥ waynattəḥehā waynattəḥêhū wə·nit·taḥ wənittaḥ wî·nat·tə·ḥu·hū wînattəḥuhū
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