H5065 H5065
To press, drive, oppress, or exact; as participle, a taskmaster or oppressor; in Niphal, to be oppressed.
Nagas is a verb of coercive power — the sound of the whip-crack behind forced labor and the crushing weight of economic extraction. Its most iconic appearances are in Exodus, where the Egyptian taskmasters (nogesim) drive the Israelites to make bricks without straw (Exod 5:6-14). But the word extends beyond slave-driving into the broader realm of political and economic oppression: Isaiah uses it for tyrants who will one day cease (Isa 14:4), and Deuteronomy applies its exacting sense to the collection of debts (Deut 15:2-3). The Ethiopic cognate nagasa, meaning 'to reign' or 'to wield royal power' (whence negus, 'king'), reveals the ancient Semitic association between pressing authority and sovereign rule. Spanish captures the range well, moving from capataz ('foreman') through opresor ('oppressor') to exigir ('to demand payment').
Senses
1. taskmaster, slave-driver — Taskmaster, slave-driver — 8 occurrences, all using the Qal participle noges as a substantive noun. This is the Exodus sense par excellence: the Egyptian overseers who drive Israelite laborers to exhaustion (Exod 3:7; 5:6, 10, 13, 14) and the slave-driver's rod broken in Job 3:18 when the weary find rest in death. Spanish capataz ('foreman') and French chefs-de-corvée ('forced-labor chiefs') both select specialized labor-supervision vocabulary. The participial form has fully lexicalized — these are not people who happen to be pressing, but holders of an institutional role. 8×
AR["السَّائِقِ", "المُسَخِّرِ", "المُسَخِّرِينَ", "مُسَخِّرُو", "مُسَخِّرِيهِمْ", "وَ-مُسَخِّرِيكِ", "وَالمُسَخِّرُونَ"]·ben["-এবং-তোমার-চালনাকারীদেরকে", "অত্যাচারকারীদের", "অত্যাচারকারীরা", "ও-অত্যাচারকারীরা", "চাবুককারীর", "তাদের-অত্যাচারকারীদের", "নিপীড়কের"]·DE["Aufseher-von", "[נגש]", "[נוגש]", "der-Aufseher", "ihr-Aufseher", "und-antreiben", "und-der-Aufseher"]·EN["and-the-taskmasters", "and-your-taskmasters", "taskmasters-of", "the-driver", "the-taskmaster", "the-taskmasters", "their-taskmasters"]·FR["chefs-de-corvée-de", "et-le-chefs-de-corvée", "et-oppresser", "le-chefs-de-corvée", "leur-chefs-de-corvée", "נגש", "נוגש"]·heb["ה-נוגשים", "ו-ה-נוגשים", "ו-נוגשיך", "נוגש", "נוגשי", "נוגשיו"]·HI["अत्याचारी-की", "और-कमाडार", "और-तेरे-शासकोंको", "कमाडार", "कमाडारõ", "कमाडारõ-ने", "चालक-की", "सताने-वालõ-के"]·ID["Dan-penindas-penindas", "dan-penguasa-penguasamu", "penindas", "penindas-penindas", "penindas-penindas-mereka"]·IT["e-il-sorveglianti", "e-opprimere", "il-driver", "il-sorveglianti", "il-taskmaster", "loro-sorveglianti", "sorveglianti-di"]·jav["Lan-mandhor-mandhor", "ingkang-meksa", "ingkang-nindhes", "lan-punggawa-panjenengan", "mandhor-mandhor", "mandhor-mandhoripun"]·KO["감독들이", "감독자의", "그-감독들에게", "그들의-감독관들", "그리고-그-감독들이", "그리고-너의-독촉자를", "몰아가는-자의"]·PT["E-os-opressores", "e-cobradores-teus", "feitor", "opressor", "opressores-de", "opressores-seus", "os-opressores"]·RU["А-надсмотрщики", "и-надзирателей-твоих", "надсмотрщикам", "надсмотрщики", "погонщика", "притеснителей-его", "притеснителя"]·ES["Y-los-opresores", "capataz", "los-opresores", "opresores-de", "sus-opresores", "y-a-tus-opresores"]·SW["mtesi", "na-waoneaji", "na-watoza-kodi-wako", "waoneaji", "waonevu-wake", "za-mwendeshaji"]·TR["Ve-angaryacılar", "angaryacılara", "angaryacıları", "köle-sürücüsünün", "sürücünün", "ve-angarya-iscileirini", "zorbaların"]·urd["اور-تیرے-حاکم", "اور-نگران", "ظالم-کی", "ظالموں-اِن-کے", "نگران", "نگرانوں", "نگرانوں-نے", "ہانکنے-والے-کا"]
2. oppressor, tyrant — Oppressor, tyrant in a general political or social sense — 6 occurrences where the Qal participle extends beyond forced labor into broader tyranny. Isaiah's prophecy that the oppressor's rod will be broken (Isa 9:4), the reversal where former captives will 'rule over their oppressors' (Isa 14:2), and Zechariah's promise that 'no oppressor shall pass through them anymore' (Zech 9:8). Spanish opresor and French opprimer both generalize beyond the labor context. The Ethiopic parallel is illuminating: the same root that produces 'taskmaster' in Hebrew produces 'king' in Ge'ez, showing how coercive authority slides between labor-driving and political domination. 6×
AR["الظَّالِمُ", "الْمُسَخِّرِ", "ظَالِمٌ", "ظَالِمٍ", "عَلَى-ظَالِمِيهِمْ", "مُسَخِّرُوهُ"]·ben["-তাদের-অত্যাচারীদের-উপর", "অত্যাচারী", "অত্যাচারীর", "তার-অত্যাচারীরা", "নির্যাতনকারী"]·DE["[נגש]", "[נוגש]", "antreiben"]·EN["an-oppressor", "his-oppressors", "oppressor", "over-their-oppressors", "ruler", "the-oppressor"]·FR["oppresser", "opprimer"]·heb["ב-נוגשיהם", "ה-נוגש", "נוגש", "נוגשיו"]·HI["अत्याचारी", "अपने-उत्पीड़कों-पर", "उत्पीड़क", "उत्पीड़न-करने-वाले-का", "उसके-अत्याचारी"]·ID["penguasa", "penindas", "penindas-penindas-mereka", "penindasnya"]·IT["[נגש]", "[נוגש]", "opprimere"]·jav["dhateng-ingkang-nindhes-piyambakipun", "ingkang-nindhes", "juru-pajeg", "panjajah-ipun"]·KO["그들의-압제자들은", "그들의-학대자들을", "압제자가", "압제하는-자의", "학대자가"]·PT["o-opressor", "opressor", "opressores-seus", "seus-opressores"]·RU["над-угнетателями-их", "правитель", "притеснители-его", "притеснитель", "притеснителя", "угнетатель"]·ES["a-sus-opresores", "el-opresor", "opresor", "que-lo-oprime", "sus-opresores"]·SW["juu-ya-waliowakandamiza", "mkandamizaji", "moneaji", "mtawala", "wa-mkandamizaji", "wanaowatesa"]·TR["ezen", "ezenin", "ezenleri", "ezenlerini", "zorba"]·urd["اس-کے-ظالم", "اپنے-ظالموں-پر", "ظالم", "ظالم-کی"]
3. to exact, demand payment — To exact, demand payment of debts or tribute — 5 occurrences in Qal finite verb forms. Deuteronomy 15:2-3 legislates the sabbatical release: a creditor 'shall not exact' from his neighbor but 'may exact' from a foreigner. In 2 Kgs 23:35, Jehoiakim 'exacted' silver and gold from the people to pay Pharaoh's tribute. Daniel 11:20 prophesies an 'exactor' who sends agents through the kingdom's glory. Spanish exigir ('to demand/exact') and French presser both capture the economic coercion, distinguishing this fiscal sense from the physical violence of slave-driving. 5×
AR["تُطَالِبُ", "تُطَالِبُونَ", "جَبَى", "مُسَخِّرًا", "يُطَالِبُ"]·ben["আদায়-করলেন", "কর-আদায়কারী", "তুমি-তাগাদা-দিতে-পার", "তোমরা-চালনা-কর", "সে-তাগাদা-দেবে"]·DE["[נוגש]", "antreiben", "du-moege-press", "er-exacted", "er-soll-press"]·EN["an-exactor", "he-exacted", "he-shall-press", "you-may-press", "you-oppress"]·FR["il-devra-press", "il-exacted", "oppresser", "opprimer", "tu-pourra-press"]·heb["יגוש", "נגש", "נוגש", "תגוש", "תנגשו"]·HI["अत्याचार-करते-हो", "कर-वसूलनेवाला", "तगादा-करेगा", "निकाला"]·ID["boleh-kamu-tagih", "ia-memungut", "kamu-menuntut", "menagih", "penagih-pajak"]·IT["[נוגש]", "egli-dovra-press", "egli-exacted", "opprimere", "tu-possa-press"]·jav["juru-pajeg", "kedah-nagih", "kenging-panjenengan-nagih", "panjenengan-meksa", "piyambakipun-nagih"]·KO["그가-징수하였다", "너희가-착취하는데", "독촉하리라", "독촉하리라-네가", "세금-거두는-자를"]·PT["cobrará", "cobrarás", "cobrou", "exigis", "um-exator"]·RU["взыскивай", "взыскивал", "притеснителя", "притесняете"]·ES["exigirá", "exigirás", "exigió", "explotáis", "opresor"]·SW["alidai", "kudai", "mnawalazimisha", "mtoza-ushuru", "unaweza-kudai"]·TR["sikistirirsiniz", "sıkıştırabilirsin", "sıkıştıracak", "topladı", "vergi-toplayıcı"]·urd["ستاتے-ہو", "مانگنا", "مانگے-گا", "محصول-لینے-والا", "وصول-کیا"]
4. to be oppressed (Nifal) — To be oppressed, distressed (Niphal passive) — 4 occurrences where the subject suffers rather than inflicts pressure. The Israelites at Michmash were 'hard pressed' by the Philistines (1 Sam 13:6); Saul's troops were 'distressed' by his rash oath (1 Sam 14:24); in Isaiah 53:7 the Suffering Servant 'was oppressed' — one of the most theologically significant passives in the Old Testament. Spanish fue-oprimido and French oppressé both mark the voice shift clearly. The Niphal here transforms the agent of coercion into the patient of suffering, and Isaiah's application to the Servant inverts the entire Exodus narrative: the one who delivers from taskmasters himself becomes the oppressed. 4×
AR["ضُغِطَ", "ظُلِمَ", "وَ-يَظلِمُ"]·ben["ও-চাপানো-হবে", "কষ্ট-পেল", "চাপা-ছিল", "নির্যাতিত-হয়েছিল"]·DE["antreiben", "pressed", "und-antreiben"]·EN["and-the-people-shall-oppress", "he-was-oppressed", "pressed"]·FR["et-oppresser", "oppresser", "pressed"]·heb["ו-ניגש", "נגש", "ניגש"]·HI["और-अत्याचार-करेगी", "दबाया-गया", "सताया-गया"]·ID["Dan-akan-menindas", "Dia-ditindas", "terdesak"]·IT["e-opprimere", "opprimere", "premette"]·jav["Dipuntindhes", "Lan-nindhes", "dipun-desek", "dipundesek"]·KO["눌림을-받았다", "다가왔다", "압제당하리라", "압제당하였고"]·PT["E-oprimirá", "Foi-oprimido", "apertado-estava"]·RU["был-теснён", "и-будет-угнетать", "приближался", "притесняем"]·ES["Fue-oprimido", "Y-será-oprimido", "estaba-acosado"]·SW["Aliteswa", "alikuwa-amechoka", "na-watatesana", "walisongwa"]·TR["Baskiya-maruz-kaldi", "baskı-altında", "sıkıştı", "ve-ezilecek"]·urd["اور-ظلم-کریں-گے", "دباؤ-میں-تھے", "ستایا-گیا"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [נָגַשׂ] vb. press, drive, oppress, exact (Assyrian nagâšu, throw down, overthrow, DlHWB 448; Arabic نَجَشَ rouse and drive game, drive vehemently; Ethiopic ነግሠ reign, wield power, ንጉሥ king);— Qal Pf. נ׳ 2 K 23:25; Impf. יִגּשֹׁ Dt 15:2; 2 ms. תִּגּשֹׁ Dt 15:3; 2 mpl. תִּנְנֹּ֑שׂוּ Is 58:3;—Pt. נֹגֵשׂ Is 9:3 +, etc.;— 1. press, drive to work (obj. עַצְּבֵיכֶם your workmen), Is 58:3 (GesComm.,…