BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
Nātan (נָתַן) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
נָתַן (nātan) is one of the most common Hebrew verbs, meaning 'to give' in a wide range of senses including placing, granting, assigning, and causing.
Meaning of the word
The basic sense of נָתַן is 'to give,' and the lexicon notes it is used with the greatest latitude of application. Beyond the straightforward act of handing something over, it covers placing an object somewhere, granting a possession, assigning a task, or causing an outcome. The verse glosses in the example data illustrate this range: 'placed' (Genesis 1:17), 'given' (Genesis 1:29), 'gave' (Genesis 3:6, 3:12), 'assigned' (Isaiah 53:9), and 'put' (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Because the verb is so flexible, English translations often render a single Hebrew form in several different words. A form translated 'give' in one verse may be 'set' or 'yield' in another, depending on what is being transferred and to whom. The grammar of the verb inflects for person, number, gender, and tense, producing forms such as nāṯan, nāṯatî, nōṯēn, yittēn, and tittēn—all visible in the example verses.
Usage in Scripture
In Genesis 1, נָתַן describes God's ordering of creation: the lights are set (1:17) in the sky, and every plant is given (1:29) for food. By Genesis 3 the same verb describes human action, as Eve and Adam pass fruit to one another (3:6, 3:12). The divine promise to Abram in 12:7 uses the verb for the gift of land, and the Fifth Commandment (Exodus 20:12) frames the promised land as something God is giving.
Wisdom literature and the prophets continue the pattern. In Psalm 1:3 a righteous person is compared to a tree that yields (yittēn) fruit; Psalm 51:18 asks God to give (ʾettēnâ) favor to Zion; Ecclesiastes 3:10–11 speaks of labor that God has given to humanity and of eternity that he has put in the heart. Isaiah 53:9 closes the cycle with the verb meaning 'assigned,' describing the Servant of the Lord's burial. Across law, narrative, poetry, and prophecy, נָתַן carries the theological weight of God as the giver of land, life, and purpose.
The word in detail
- H5414 נָתַן (nātan) is a common Qal verb meaning 'to give.' Its semantic range is unusually broad, covering actions such as placing, setting, granting, yielding, and assigning. Translators must decide contextually whether to render a given form as 'give,' 'put,' 'set,' 'grant,' or another equivalent.
Example verses
- Genesis 1:17 Here נָתַן is glossed 'placed,' showing that the verb can describe positioning rather than handing over.
- Genesis 12:7 God's promise of land to Abram uses נָתַן in its covenantal sense of divine gift.
- Exodus 20:12 The Fifth Commandment frames the promised land as something God is 'giving' (nōṯēn), tying obedience to the gift of inheritance.
- Isaiah 53:9 In this Servant Song, the verb is glossed 'assigned,' illustrating how נָתַן can describe a divinely appointed disposition.
Common questions
Is נָתַן always translated 'to give' in English Bibles?
No. Because the verb covers placing, granting, assigning, and similar actions, translations choose words like 'set,' 'put,' 'yield,' or 'assigned' depending on the context.
Why does one Hebrew verb appear with so many different English glosses in the example verses?
The lexicon describes נָתַן as used 'with the greatest latitude of application.' The same root can describe God placing lights in the sky, God delivering land, a woman handing fruit, or a servant being assigned a grave, so translators match the English word to the action.