Nahum 1:13 — Word Study
WLCוְעַתָּ֕ה אֶשְׁבֹּ֥ר מֹטֵ֖הוּ מֵֽעָלָ֑יִךְ וּמוֹסְרֹתַ֖יִךְ אֲנַתֵּֽק׃
BSAnowʻattâh [at this time, in this moment] to breakshâbar▸ [shatter, rupture] yokemôwṭ [rod, burden] uponʻal bondmôwçêr to tearnâthaq▸ [pull away, separate]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֕ה | and now | Conjunction, adverb |
| אֶשְׁבֹּ֥ר | I will break | Verb, Qal, imperfect first person common singular |
| מֹטֵ֖הוּ | yoke-bar his | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| מֵֽעָלָ֑יִךְ | from on you | Preposition, preposition, suffix |
| וּמוֹסְרֹתַ֖יִךְ | and fetters your | Conjunction, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| אֲנַתֵּֽק׃ | I will tear apart | Verb, Piel, imperfect first person common singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | For I will now break their yoke from your neck and tear away your shackles.” |
| KJV | For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder. |
| ASV | And now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder. |
| YLT | And now I break his rod from off thee, And thy bands I do draw away. |
| WEB | Now I will break his yoke from off you, and will burst your bonds apart.” |
| BBE | And now I will let his yoke be broken off you, and your chains be parted. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of the verbs — see How Translations Differ.
The main verb leads the sentence, with a subordinate phrase describing an additional action, emphasizing God's decisive intervention.
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Nahum 1:13
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Promise of Deliverancegenerated
Nahum 1:13 expresses God's assurance to Judah that He will break the yoke of oppression from their necks and remove their shackles. This promise comes in the context of God's judgment against Nineveh, indicating a shift from affliction to liberation for His people. The surrounding verses highlight God's sovereignty and the impending downfall of their enemies, reinforcing the hope for Judah.
The Key Word — אֶשְׁבֹּ֥ר, 'esh.Borgenerated
The verb שָׁבַר (shabar) means to break or shatter, indicating a decisive and forceful action. In this verse, it signifies God's intention to liberate His people from the burdens imposed upon them.
The parsing as imperfect first person common singular indicates that God Himself will take action, emphasizing His active role in delivering Judah from their oppressors.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as 'I will now break their yoke from your neck and tear away your shackles,' which aligns with the KJV and ASV, both using 'break' and 'tear away' for the respective Hebrew verbs.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs אֶשְׁבֹּ֥ר (I will break) and אֲנַתֵּֽק (I will tear apart) govern the sentence, with phrases indicating the objects of these actions — the yoke and the shackles. The structure emphasizes God's direct intervention.
The Hebrew structure places the verbs at the forefront, highlighting God's promises as the focal point of the verse.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֶשְׁבֹּ֥ר as συντρίψω (suntirpsō), meaning 'to shatter' or 'to crush,' which conveys a strong sense of destruction and liberation. This choice reflects the intensity of God's action against oppression.
The use of διαρρήχω (diarrēchō) for אֲנַתֵּֽק also emphasizes a forceful separation, aligning with the theme of breaking free from bondage.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nahum 1:13 promises that God will break the yoke of oppression from Judah's neck and tear away their shackles. This message comes as a reassurance that, despite current afflictions, God will deliver them from their burdens.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies God's intention to remove the burdens and oppression that His people are experiencing.
The verse is directed towards Judah, offering them hope and assurance of deliverance.
Tearing away shackles symbolizes complete freedom from bondage and oppression.
This verse highlights God's justice and mercy, contrasting His judgment on Nineveh with His promise of deliverance for Judah.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What burdens do I feel in my life that I need God to break?
- How can I trust in God's promise of deliverance during difficult times?
- In what ways can I help others who are feeling oppressed or burdened?
- What does it mean for me to experience freedom in my life today?
The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
For I will now break their yoke from your neck and tear away your shackles.”
Now I will break his yoke from off you, and will burst your bonds apart.”
For I will now break their yoke from your neck and tear away your shackles.”
And now, I will break Assyria’s yoke bar from your neck; I will tear apart the shackles that are on you.”
Tyndale line
For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.
And now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.
And now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.
For now I will break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds asunder.
For nowe I will breake his yoke from thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.
Strictly literal
And now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds asunder.
And now I break his rod from off thee, And thy bands I do draw away.
And now I break his rod from off you, || And your bands I draw away.”
For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and thy bonds will I tear asunder.
Now will I break that people's yoke from off you; I will break your chains.”
From the Latin
And now I will break in pieces his rod with which he struck thy back, and I will burst thy bonds asunder.
Simplified
Now I will break their yoke from your necks and tear away the chains which bind you.
And now I will let his yoke be broken off you, and your chains be parted.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states, "וְעַתָּ֕ה אֶשְׁבֹּ֥ר מֹטֵ֖הוּ מֵֽעָלָ֑יִךְ וּמוֹסְרֹתַ֖יִךְ אֲנַתֵּֽק׃" The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in meaning, as it matches all 6 words in a word-for-word correspondence. The Dead Sea Scrolls (Mur88) also align closely with the Masoretic Text, with one word fully preserved and two partially restored, indicating that the main message remains consistent across these ancient witnesses. Overall, there are no significant differences in the core meaning of this verse among the witnesses, affirming the text's integrity.
וְעַתָּ֕ה אֶשְׁבֹּ֥ר מֹטֵ֖הוּ מֵֽעָלָ֑יִךְ וּמוֹסְרֹתַ֖יִךְ אֲנַתֵּֽק׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[ועתה] [אשבר] [מט׳הו] מעלי׳ך ומוסרתי׳ך אנתק
1 word on the leather — 2 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Nahum 1:13
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
עַתָּ֫ה (attah) is an adverb of time meaning 'now.' It can also function as a conjunction or expletive, indicating immediacy or a current moment. The word is derived from a related term, עַת (att), and is used in various contexts to denote the present time.
עַתָּ֫ה 435, עָ֑֫תָּה, adv. of time, now
base
H6258 עַתָּ֫ה, עָ֑֫תָּה of time, now
6258 `attah at-taw'
from 6256; at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or
expletive:--henceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas.
see HEBREW for 06256
עַתָּ֫ה (at.tah) — now.
1) now
1a) now
1b) in phrases
Conj | Adv — Conjunction · adverbHC/D
שָׁבַר (shabar) means to break or shatter, with various nuances including breaking in pieces, causing to break out (like bringing to birth), and being broken or crushed. It appears in different forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating active and passive meanings. The lexicons do not present any significant disagreements.
שָׁבַר 148 vb. break, break in pieces
Qal 53 break, lit.
Niph. 57 be broken
Pi. 26 shatter, break
Hiph. cause to break out, i.e. bring to the birth
Hoph. be broken, shattered (in heart)
base
H7665 שָׁבַר break, break in pieces .break, lit.
. be broken
. shatter, break
. cause to break out, i.e. bring to the birth
. be broken, shattered (in heart)
7665 shabar shaw-bar'
a primitive root; to burst (literally or
figuratively):--break (down, off, in pieces, up),
broken((-hearted)), bring to the birth, crush, destroy, hurt,
quench, X quite, tear, view (by mistake for 7663).
see HEBREW for 07663
שָׁבַר (sha.var) — to break.
1) to break, break in pieces
1a) (Qal)
1a1) break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench
1a2) to break, rupture (fig)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked
1b2) to be broken, be crushed (fig)
1c) (Piel) to shatter, break
1d) (Hiphil) to cause to break out, bring to the birth
1e) (Hophal) to be broken, be shattered
Aramaic equivalent: te.var (תְּבַר "to break" H8406)
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singularHVqi1cs
brak: shabhar = "break" (down, off, in pieces, up), "destroy," "quench" (Isa 14:25; Jer 19:10,11; Eze 4:16; Am 1:5); paraq = "to break off" or "craunch"; figuratively "to deliver" (Ge 27:40 the King James Version); `araph = "to break the neck," hence, "to destroy" (Ex 13:13); harac = "to break through" (Ex 19:21,24); parats = "to break" (forth, away), occurs in Ex 19:22,24; 1Sa 25:10; "breaking faith,"…
מוֹט (mowt) refers to a concept of shaking or wavering, often associated with a pole or bar, particularly in the context of a yoke. It can denote a staff or a bar used for carrying, emphasizing the idea of movement or instability. The entries consistently highlight its connection to yokes and poles, with no notable disagreements among the lexicons.
מוֹט n.[m.] shaking, pole, bar of yoke
a shaking, tottering
pole, or bar for carrying (named from springing motion)
bar of yoke
base
H4132 מוֹט
4132 mowt mote
from 4131; a wavering, i.e. fall; by implication, a pole (as
shaking); hence, a yoke (as essentially a bent pole):--bar,
be moved, staff, yoke.
see HEBREW for 04131
מוֹט (mot) — yoke.
1) a shaking, wavering, pole, bar of yoke
1a) a shaking, tottering
1b) pole, bar (for carrying)
1c) bar of yoke
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
עַל, עָ֑ל
subst. height
As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
—
of clothing, etc., which any one wears
With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears
. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
5921 `al al
properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the
singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a
particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always
in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great
variety of applications (as follow):--above, according
to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because
of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both
and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in
(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,
through(-out), to, touching, X with.
see HEBREW for 05920
עַל (al) — upon.
prep
1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards
1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)
1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)
1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)
1e) over (of suspension or extension)
1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)
1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)
1h) to (as a dative)
[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.
conj
Prep | Prep | Suff — Preposition · preposition · suffixHR/Rd/Sp2fs
מוֹסֵר (mowcer) refers to a 'band' or 'bond' and is associated with the concept of restraint or chastisement. It is derived from a root meaning to bind or restrain. The term appears in various contexts, including poetic usage, but the entries do not provide specific Old Testament references.
[מוֹסֵר] n.m. band, bond, poet. & late
base
H4147 מוֹסֵר band, bond, poet. & late
4147 mowcer mo-sare'
also (in plural) feminine mowcerah {mo-say-raw'}; or mocrah
{mo-ser-aw'}; from 3256; properly, chastisement, i.e. (by
implication) a halter; figuratively, restraint:--band, bond.
see HEBREW for 03256
מוֹסֵר (mo.ser) — bond.
band, bond
Conj | N-cp | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHC/Ncfpc/Sp2fs
נָתַק (nathaq) is a Hebrew verb meaning to pull, draw, or tear away. It encompasses various actions such as breaking, lifting, and rooting out, with different nuances in its grammatical forms, including Qal, Niphal, Piel, Hiphil, and Hophal. The entries indicate that it can refer to both active and passive forms of tearing or drawing away.
[נָתַק] vb. pull, draw, tear away, apart, off
Qal
draw away
draw or pull off
pull, tear away
Niph.
be drawn away
be torn apart, or in two, snapped
be separated
Pi.
tear apart, snap
tear out, up
Hiph.
draw away
drag them away
Hoph. they were drawn away from the city
base
H5423 נָתַק pull, draw, tear away, apart, off
5423 nathaq naw-thak'
a primitive root; to tear off:--break (off), burst, draw
(away), lift up, pluck (away, off), pull (out), root out.
נָתַק (na.taq) — to tear.
1) to pull or tear or draw off or away or apart, draw out, pluck up, break, lift, root out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to draw away
1a2) to draw or pull off
1a3) to pull or tear away
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be drawn away, be drawn out
1b2) to be torn apart or in two, be snapped
1b3) to be separated
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to tear apart, snap
1c2) to tear out, tear up, tear away
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to draw away
1d2) to drag away
1e) (Hophal) to be drawn away
V-Piel-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Piel · imperfect first person common singularHVpi1cs
a-part' (badh, "separation," i.e. alone, by oneself; niddah, "uncleanness" i.e. something put away: "an abomination"): In Zec 12:12-14 the former word is used eleven times with powerful effect to indicate the separation of families and the isolation of wives through excessive grief in Jerusalem on account of the slain Messiah. The latter word signifies removal from ceremonial uncleanness (Le 15:19; 18:19; Eze 22:10). In Greek, kat' idian, "by themselves," of marked significance as expressing Christ's desire for privacy in prayer, alone or with His disciples; either in a desert (Mt 14:13); a mountain (Mt 14:23); or a…