Nahshon
Encyclopedia
Nahshon or Naḥshon ben ʿAmminadabh (נחשון בן עמינדב; "Nahshon son of Aminadav") was, according to the Book of Exodus, the son of Amminadab
; descendant in the fifth generation
of Judah, brother-in-law of Aaron
and an important figure in the Hebrew's Passage of the Red Sea
which according to the Jewish Midrash
he initiated by walking in head deep until the sea split. The popular Yiddish saying "to be a Nachshon" means to be an "initiator."
. By the same account of The Exodus
then, Nahshon did not survive the forty year sojourn in the wilderness to enter the Promised Land.
Nahshon was appointed by Moses
, upon God's command, as prince of the Tribe of Judah
, and though his tribe was fourth in the order of the Patriarchs, yet at the dedication of the Tabernacle
he was the first to bring his dedicatory offering. Nahshon was, through Boaz
, the ancestor of David.
Nahshon is also mentioned in the Greek New Testament in the genealogy of Jesus of Nazareth, called the Messiah (Matthew 1:4 and Luke 3:32).
and to his being the progenitor of so many kings, Nahshon is extolled by the rabbi
s as a most noble man. Nahshon's sister Elisheba married Aaron
, and this is especially mentioned as a hint that one should take care to select a wife whose brothers are noble. The Midrash
relates that during the Exodus, when the Israelites reached the Red Sea, it did not automatically part. The Israelites stood at the banks of the sea and wailed with despair, but Nahshon entered the waters. Once he was up to his nose in the water, the sea parted. This is the origin of his name "Nahshol" = "stormy sea-waves". It is in virtue of action that he was chosen to be the first to bring the dedicatory offering. Nahshon was a model prince, and was called "king". When the princes of the different tribes were required to bring their offerings, each on a separate day, Moses was embarrassed, not knowing who should be the first; but all Israel pointed at Nahshon, saying, "He sanctified the name of God by springing first into the Red Sea
; he is worthy to bring down the Shekhinah
; therefore he shall be the first to bring the offering." The offering brought by Nahshon is pointed out as having been his own and not that of his tribe. In the account of the offering the words Va'korbano ("and his sacrifice") and Etodim each have a ו, while the same words in the accounts of the other princes' offerings have no ו. This letter, the numerical value of which is six, indicates that Nahshon was the ancestor of six men — David
, the Messiah
, Daniel
, Hananiah
, Mishael
, and Azariah — each of whom was distinguished for six praiseworthy qualities.
Amminadab
-People:* Amminadab , son of Ram * Izhar, who was also known as Amminadab* Amminadab , either of two kings of Ammon in the mid-seventh century BCE* Amminadab Lévinas, the son of Emmanuel Lévinas...
; descendant in the fifth generation
Genealogies of Genesis
The genealogies of Genesis record the descendants of Adam and Eve to Abraham, including the age at which each patriarch fathered his named son and the number of years he lived thereafter. The genealogy contains two branches: for Cain, given in Chapter 4, and for Seth in Chapter 5...
of Judah, brother-in-law of Aaron
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
and an important figure in the Hebrew's Passage of the Red Sea
Passage of the Red Sea
The Crossing of the Red Sea is a passage in the Biblical narrative of the escape of the Israelites from the pursuing Egyptians in the Book of Exodus . This story is also mentioned in the Qur'an in Surah 26: Al-Shu'ara' in verses 60-67...
which according to the Jewish Midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
he initiated by walking in head deep until the sea split. The popular Yiddish saying "to be a Nachshon" means to be an "initiator."
Biblical data
According to Num i. 7, he is at least 20 years old during the census in the Sinai, at the beginning of The ExodusThe Exodus
The Exodus is the story of the departure of the Israelites from ancient Egypt described in the Hebrew Bible.Narrowly defined, the term refers only to the departure from Egypt described in the Book of Exodus; more widely, it takes in the subsequent law-givings and wanderings in the wilderness...
. By the same account of The Exodus
The Exodus
The Exodus is the story of the departure of the Israelites from ancient Egypt described in the Hebrew Bible.Narrowly defined, the term refers only to the departure from Egypt described in the Book of Exodus; more widely, it takes in the subsequent law-givings and wanderings in the wilderness...
then, Nahshon did not survive the forty year sojourn in the wilderness to enter the Promised Land.
Nahshon was appointed by Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, upon God's command, as prince of the Tribe of Judah
Tribe of Judah
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Judah was one of the Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes....
, and though his tribe was fourth in the order of the Patriarchs, yet at the dedication of the Tabernacle
Tabernacle
The Tabernacle , according to the Hebrew Torah/Old Testament, was the portable dwelling place for the divine presence from the time of the Exodus from Egypt through the conquering of the land of Canaan. Built to specifications revealed by God to Moses at Mount Sinai, it accompanied the Israelites...
he was the first to bring his dedicatory offering. Nahshon was, through Boaz
Boaz
Boaz is a major figure in The Book of Ruth in the Bible. The term is found 24 times in the Scriptures, being two in Greek ....
, the ancestor of David.
Nahshon is also mentioned in the Greek New Testament in the genealogy of Jesus of Nazareth, called the Messiah (Matthew 1:4 and Luke 3:32).
In rabbinical literature
Owing to his direct descent from JudahJudah (Biblical figure)
Judah was, according to the Book of Genesis, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Judah. Biblical scholars, such as J. A...
and to his being the progenitor of so many kings, Nahshon is extolled by the rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s as a most noble man. Nahshon's sister Elisheba married Aaron
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
, and this is especially mentioned as a hint that one should take care to select a wife whose brothers are noble. The Midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
relates that during the Exodus, when the Israelites reached the Red Sea, it did not automatically part. The Israelites stood at the banks of the sea and wailed with despair, but Nahshon entered the waters. Once he was up to his nose in the water, the sea parted. This is the origin of his name "Nahshol" = "stormy sea-waves". It is in virtue of action that he was chosen to be the first to bring the dedicatory offering. Nahshon was a model prince, and was called "king". When the princes of the different tribes were required to bring their offerings, each on a separate day, Moses was embarrassed, not knowing who should be the first; but all Israel pointed at Nahshon, saying, "He sanctified the name of God by springing first into the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
; he is worthy to bring down the Shekhinah
Shekhinah
Shekinah is the English spelling of a grammatically feminine Hebrew word that means the dwelling or settling, and is used to denote the dwelling or settling divine presence of God, especially in the Temple in Jerusalem.-Etymology:Shekinah is derived...
; therefore he shall be the first to bring the offering." The offering brought by Nahshon is pointed out as having been his own and not that of his tribe. In the account of the offering the words Va'korbano ("and his sacrifice") and Etodim each have a ו, while the same words in the accounts of the other princes' offerings have no ו. This letter, the numerical value of which is six, indicates that Nahshon was the ancestor of six men — David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
, the Messiah
Jewish Messiah
Messiah, ; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...
, Daniel
Daniel
Daniel is the protagonist in the Book of Daniel of the Hebrew Bible. In the narrative, when Daniel was a young man, he was taken into Babylonian captivity where he was educated in Chaldean thought. However, he never converted to Neo-Babylonian ways...
, Hananiah
Hananiah
Hananiah may refer to:*Hananiah, son of Zerubbabel, exilarch*Hananiah of the Book of Daniel*Hananiah , 4th century BC, governor of Samaria under the Achaemenid Empire...
, Mishael
Mishael
Mishael, meaning who is like God may refer in the Bible to:*Mishael, son of Uzziel, cousin of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam*Chaldeanized spelling of Meshach...
, and Azariah — each of whom was distinguished for six praiseworthy qualities.
See also
- MidrashMidrashThe Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
- TorahTorahTorah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
- TanakhTanakhThe Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
- Rabbinic literatureRabbinic literatureRabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writing, and thus corresponds with the Hebrew term...
- Operation NachshonOperation NachshonOperation Nachshon was an Jewish military operation during the 1948 war. Lasting from 5–20 April 1948, its objective was to break the Siege of Jerusalem by opening the Tel-Aviv - Jerusalem road blockaded by Palestinian Arabs and to supply food and weapons to the isolated Jewish community of...
(named after this biblical figure Nachshon ben Aminadav)