Original Word: נָצָא
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: natsa'
Pronunciation: naw-tsaw'
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-tsaw')
KJV: flee
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to go away

flee

A primitive root; to go away; --flee.

Word Origin
another reading for yatsa, q.v.

[נָצָא] verb = נָצָה = fly, accusative Thes Gf and others; — only

Qal Infinitive absolute (si vera 1.) נָצֹא תֵצֵא Jeremiah 48:9, but improbable; ᵑ7 Symm יָצֹא compare Ol^{§ 245 h} Gie; > Schw^{ZAW viii (1888), 197} נָצֹה תִּצֶּה √III. נצה.

Entry Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 5323 marks a vivid prophetic verb occurring a single time in the Old Testament, Jeremiah 48:9. Whether rendered “Give wings to Moab” (most traditional versions) or “Put salt on Moab” (Berean Standard Bible), the form conveys an urgent summons for swift, total flight from impending judgment.

Immediate Scriptural Setting

Jeremiah 48 delivers the LORD’s oracle against Moab, a nation proud of its wealth and false security (Jeremiah 48:7, Jeremiah 48:29). Verse 9 sits at the center of the calamity section (Jeremiah 48:8-12). The reads:

“Put salt on Moab, for she will be laid waste; her cities will become desolate, with no one to dwell in them.”

In either textual tradition, the message is clear: devastation is certain, and escape requires drastic, decisive action without delay.

Prophetic Imagery and Symbolism

1. Wings or Salt – Two Ancient Pictures
• Wings (Masoretic vocalization preserved in many English versions) symbolize a desperate attempt to flee by air, an impossible task that underscores Moab’s helpless state (compare Psalm 55:6-8).
• Salt (preferred by several modern scholars and reflected in the) portrays irrevocable ruin, recalling Abimelech’s sowing of salt on Shechem (Judges 9:45) and the ritual of condemning conquered cities to permanent barrenness.

2. Total Desolation

The surrounding verses emphasize that “every city will become a ruin” and the land “a desolation” (Jeremiah 48:8,10,18). The verb of flight magnifies the completeness of the judgment: nothing remains worth defending; all that can be done is run.

Historical Background

During Jeremiah’s ministry (late seventh to early sixth century BC) the Babylonian Empire expanded aggressively. Moab, east of the Dead Sea, had enjoyed relative independence under Assyrian decline but now faced Babylon’s unstoppable armies. Archaeological evidence from sites such as Dibon and Ataroth confirms Moab’s prosperity in the preceding centuries, making the oracle’s depiction of sudden collapse all the more striking.

Intercanonical Parallels

• Fleeing divine wrath: Genesis 19:17 (Lot from Sodom); Jeremiah 50:8 and Jeremiah 51:6 (Judah told to flee Babylon); Revelation 18:4 (God’s people called out of “Babylon the Great”).
• Salting ruined places: Deuteronomy 29:23 and Zephaniah 2:9 describe salt as the emblem of perpetual curse.
• Wings as a futile escape: Psalm 139:9-10 reminds that no flight can outrun the LORD’s presence.

Theological Themes

1. Inevitability of Judgment

The single-use verb underscores that once God’s verdict falls, only flight remains. Human defenses, alliances, and idols cannot withstand divine holiness.

2. Mercy in Warning

The very command to flee demonstrates grace. God exposes coming doom so that humble hearts might yet repent (Jeremiah 48:47 promises Moab’s latter-day restoration).

3. Sovereign Consistency

The oracle aligns with God’s dealings across Scripture: He opposes the proud (Proverbs 3:34) yet offers refuge to the contrite (Psalm 34:18).

Ministry Application

• Proclamation: Preachers may employ Jeremiah 48:9 to confront complacency—national, congregational, or personal—affirming that judgment is real and repentance urgent.
• Pastoral Counseling: The imagery counsels believers to “flee youthful passions” (2 Timothy 2:22) and any compromise that invites divine discipline.
• Missions: Moab’s final hope (Jeremiah 48:47) encourages evangelistic perseverance among peoples presently distant from the gospel, resting on God’s redemptive purposes for the nations.

Devotional Reflection

Contemplating נָצָא leads the reader to ask: “Where am I trusting in Moab-like security rather than in the Lord?” The only safe flight from wrath is to the cross of Christ, where justice and mercy meet (Romans 3:25-26).

Summary

Strong’s Hebrew 5323 appears but once, yet its prophetic cry reverberates through salvation history: judgment is sure, escape is offered, and the wise will heed God’s urgent summons.

נָצֹ֖א נצא nā·ṣō nāṣō naTzoInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts