Original Word: נֵץ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: nets
Pronunciation: nets
Phonetic Spelling: (nayts)
KJV: blossom, hawk
Word Origin: [from H5340 (נָצַץ - To sparkle)]

1. a flower (from its brilliancy)
2. also a hawk (from it flashing speed)

blossom, hawk

From natsats; a flower (from its brilliancy); also a hawk (from it flashing speed); --blossom, hawk.

see HEBREW natsats

I. [נֵץ] noun masculine only suffix נִצָּהּ Genesis 40:10, see following

II. נֵץ noun masculine a bird of prey, Generic name, including hawk and falcon (Tristr^NHB; accipiter Bo^{Hieroz. ii. 266 ff.; ed. Rosenm. iii. 5 ff.}, compare Now^{Archaeology i.116}); — unclean bird, Leviticus 11:16 (P), Deuteronomy 14:15 (varieties, לְמִינֵהוּ); bird of passage Job 39:26.

Overview

The Hebrew term נֵץ (Strong’s 5322) occurs four times in the Tanakh and functions in two distinct but complementary spheres: botany (Genesis 40:10) and ornithology (Leviticus 11:16; Deuteronomy 14:15; Job 39:26). Together these usages furnish rich imagery of burgeoning life and soaring freedom while also underscoring divine order, holiness, and human limitation.

Botanical Imagery: Buds Heralding Fruitfulness

Genesis 40:10 situates נֵץ within Joseph’s interpretation of the cupbearer’s dream:

“On the vine were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes.” (Genesis 40:10)

1. Symbol of Divine Providence
• The sudden appearance of buds marks the moment God begins reversing the cupbearer’s circumstances, anticipating deliverance and restoration.
• In seed-to-fruit progression the text hints at the broader biblical theme of promise to fulfillment—paralleled in Abraham’s seed (Genesis 22:18) and ultimately in the Messiah (Galatians 3:16).

2. Typology of Resurrection and New Creation
• The bud is a silent testimony that dormant wood can burst into life, foreshadowing the resurrection motif later affirmed in Isaiah 11:1 and 1 Peter 1:3.

3. Pastoral Application
• Encourages believers to recognize God’s work in embryonic stages, fostering patience and hope in ministry seasons where only “buds” are visible.

Ornithological Usage: The Hawk in Biblical Thought

Leviticus 11:16; Deuteronomy 14:15 list נֵץ among birds Israel must not eat, while Job 39:26 extols its aerial mastery:

“Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south?” (Job 39:26)

1. Creature of the Skies
• The hawk’s keen sight and seasonal migration (“toward the south”) showcase God-given instinct and the Creator’s governance over the animal kingdom.
• Its wingspan and effortless soaring illustrate the transcendence man longs for but cannot self-generate (cf. Isaiah 40:31).

2. Boundary Marker of Holiness
• Classified as unclean, the hawk reminds Israel that dietary boundaries reinforce covenant separation (Leviticus 11:44-45).
• The prohibition protects against syncretistic practices of surrounding nations that revered raptors as deities or omens.

3. Lesson in Humility
• God’s rhetorical question to Job highlights human ignorance compared with divine wisdom.
• Ministry leaders learn to bow before mysteries they cannot engineer, relying on revelation rather than self-sufficiency.

Thematic Connections

• Life from Death — Whether a vine bud breaking dormancy or a hawk riding unseen thermals, נֵץ points to forces beyond human control that signal vitality.
• Order within Creation — The same word spans plant and animal realms, implying a unified tapestry governed by God’s word (Psalm 33:6-9).
• Separation unto God — By prohibiting the hawk yet celebrating its grandeur, Scripture balances admiration for creation with obedience to divine mandates.

Historical Background

Ancient Near Eastern cultures viewed raptors as symbols of warfare and royal power. Israel, however, demythologizes the hawk, acknowledging its beauty while resisting idolatrous associations. Agricultural societies likewise prized early vine buds as harbingers of the vintage; Joseph’s dream would resonate powerfully in that context, where viticulture signified prosperity and blessing (Numbers 13:23).

Implications for Teaching and Discipleship

1. Observation of Buds and Birds as Spiritual Discipline
• Encouraging believers to contemplate budding plants and migrating birds fosters worship rooted in everyday experience (Psalm 19:1-4).

2. Illustrations for Evangelism
• The bud’s inevitable movement toward fruit mirrors the gospel’s promise that “He who began a good work in you will perfect it” (Philippians 1:6).
• The hawk’s instincts can introduce discussions on intelligent design and the necessity of a Creator.

3. Encouragement in Trials
• Like the cupbearer’s vine, seasons of apparent stagnation may conceal hidden buds.
• Job’s hawk reminds sufferers that God’s purposes soar above human comprehension yet remain benevolent.

Conclusion

נֵץ interlaces budding vitality with the raptor’s majestic flight, urging readers to trust the Creator who orchestrates growth in silence and commands the skies with ease. The term calls God’s people to awe, obedience, and confident hope in the unfolding purposes of the Lord of heaven and earth.

הַנֵּ֖ץ הנץ נִצָּ֔הּ נֵ֑ץ נץ נצה han·nêṣ hannêṣ hanNetz nêṣ Netz niṣ·ṣāh niṣṣāh nitzTzahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts