Original Word: נָסַךְ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ncak
Pronunciation: nay-sak
Phonetic Spelling: (nes-ak')
KJV: offer
NASB: present
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H5258 (נָסַך - To pour out)]

1. to pour out a libation

offer

(Aramaic) corresponding to nacak; to pour out a libation -- offer.

see HEBREW nacak

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to nasak
Definition
to pour out
NASB Translation
present (1).

Meaning and Nuance

The Aramaic noun נִסְכָּה (niskāh) in Daniel 2:46 springs from the Semitic root that speaks of pouring out a libation or making a drink offering. In Scripture the act of libation is bound to worship, devotion, and the acknowledgment of deity. While Hebrew expressions of the same root most often describe offerings poured out before the Lord, this lone Aramaic occurrence depicts a pagan king ordering such an offering for a man.

Occurrence

Daniel 2:46 is the single canonical instance:

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell facedown, worshiped Daniel, and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.” (Berean Standard Bible)

Historical Setting

Nebuchadnezzar has just witnessed the supernatural disclosure of his dream and its interpretation. The Babylonian court customarily honored deities—and, at times, deified humans—through lavish rites that mingled grain offerings, drink offerings, and fragrant incense. Overawed, the king commands a ritual act of homage to Daniel. The narrative purposely records a form of worship that, while consistent with Chaldean protocol, stands in stark contrast to the covenantal prescriptions of Israel where all libations belong exclusively to the Lord.

Relation to the Wider Biblical Concept of Libation

1. Libations accompany covenant worship. Genesis 35:14 shows Jacob pouring out a drink offering at Bethel, a pattern formalized in the law (Exodus 29:40; Numbers 15:5–7).
2. Libations typify joyful fellowship and complete consecration. Numbers 28:7 calls the drink offering “a pleasing aroma to the LORD,” signaling acceptance.
3. Unlike pagan practice, libations in Israel are never directed to people or idols (Deuteronomy 32:38; Hosea 9:4). Daniel 2:46 therefore highlights the gulf between Babylonian religiosity and biblical worship.

Theological Significance

1. God alone deserves sacrificial honor. Nebuchadnezzar’s instinct to worship Daniel exposes the human heart’s tendency to exalt instruments of divine revelation rather than the Revealer Himself.
2. The episode foreshadows coming confrontations over worship in Daniel 3 and Daniel 6, underscoring unwavering loyalty to the Most High.
3. Libation language becomes a metaphor for total self-offering. Paul later writes, “I am already being poured out like a drink offering” (2 Timothy 4:6), echoing the root idea expressed in Daniel 2:46 yet redirecting all glory to God.

Christological Fulfillment

The drink offering motif finds ultimate realization in Jesus Christ, who speaks of His blood “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). The libation poured at the altar prefigured the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice at Calvary, where divine wrath and divine mercy converged.

Ministry Implications

• Guard the church against personality-driven veneration. Recognition of gifted servants must never eclipse worship of the Giver.
• Teach believers to offer themselves wholly to God, echoing Paul’s imagery of lives “poured out” in sacrificial service (Philippians 2:17).
• Use Daniel 2:46 to illustrate evangelistic encounters in pluralistic settings: authentic testimony should direct onlookers to worship the Lord, not the messenger (Acts 10:25-26).

Summary

Strong’s Hebrew 5260 shines a spotlight on an act of libation offered inappropriately to Daniel. The verse magnifies the superiority of biblical worship, anticipates deeper themes of loyalty and sacrifice, and nudges modern readers toward wholehearted devotion to the One worthy of every offering.

לְנַסָּ֥כָה לנסכה lə·nas·sā·ḵāh lenasSachah lənassāḵāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts