H5381 H5381
To reach, overtake, attain; in pursuit: catch up with; of resources: afford, suffice; of blessings: come upon.
The Hifil verb nasag (always in the causative stem) captures the moment of arrival — when a pursuer closes the gap and overtakes the fugitive, when one's hand 'reaches' far enough to afford an offering, or when promised blessings finally 'catch up' with the obedient. Nearly half its occurrences involve the dramatic tension of pursuit and capture: Pharaoh's army overtakes Israel at the sea (Exod 14:9), Laban overtakes Jacob in Gilead (Gen 31:25), David's men overtake the Amalekites (1 Sam 30:8). But the Levitical usage is equally striking — a poor worshiper whose hand 'does not reach' the standard offering may substitute turtledoves (Lev 14:21-32), creating a sliding scale of affordability that the multilingual evidence renders with striking variety: Spanish alcanzar, French atteindre, Korean 미치다 all oscillate between physical reaching and economic sufficiency. The prophetic promise of Isa 35:10, where 'gladness and joy shall overtake them,' turns the pursuit-and-capture metaphor into eschatological hope — blessings chasing down the redeemed.
4. obtain gladness or blessing — To obtain or gain possession of something desirable, especially in eschatological promises — 2 occurrences in nearly identical prophetic verses. In Isa 35:10 and 51:11 the redeemed 'shall obtain gladness and joy' (sassone vesimchah yassigune), where the verb transforms the pursuit metaphor into a vision of blessings actively catching up with God's people. Spanish alcanzarán ('they shall obtain') and Korean 얻다 ('to acquire') both shift to acquisition vocabulary. The personification is remarkable: joy and gladness are the pursuers, the redeemed the ones overtaken — an inversion of the curse formula in Deut 28:45. 2×
AR["يُدْرِكَانِهِمْ","يُدْرِكُهُمْ"]·ben["-তারা-পাবে","তাদেরকে-পাবে"]·DE["[ישיגו]","[ישיגון]"]·EN["they-shall-obtain","they-will-obtain"]·FR["atteindre"]·heb["ישיגו","ישיגון"]·HI["प्राप्त-करेंगे","वे-प्राप्त-करेंगे"]·ID["akan-diperoleh","akan-mengejar-mereka"]·IT["raggiungere"]·jav["badhé-ngayahi","lan-mlajar"]·KO["얻으리라","얻을-것이다"]·PT["alcançarão"]·RU["достигнут"]·ES["alcanzarán"]·SW["watapata"]·TR["ulasacaklar","yetisecek"]·urd["اُنہیں-پائیں-گے","حاصل-کریں-گے"]
▼ 4 more senses below
Senses
1. overtake in pursuit — To overtake in pursuit, catch up with someone fleeing — the dominant sense at 28 occurrences, pervading narrative and legal texts. Laban overtakes Jacob (Gen 31:25), Joseph's steward overtakes the brothers (Gen 44:4-6), Pharaoh's chariots overtake Israel at the Red Sea (Exod 14:9), and the avenger of blood may overtake the manslayer (Deut 19:6). The verb frequently pairs with radaf ('to pursue'), creating a two-beat sequence: chase, then catch. Spanish alcanzar and French rattraper both select pursuit-capture vocabulary. Deuteronomy's covenant curses chillingly promise that 'all these curses shall pursue you and overtake you' (28:45), personifying calamity as a relentless pursuer. 28×
AR["أَدْرَكُوهَا","أُدْرِكُ","إِدراكاً","تُدرِكُ","تُدرِكُهُ","تُدْرِكْ","وَ-أَدْرَكَ","وَ-أَدْرَكُوا","وَ-تُدْرِكْهُمْ","وَ-يُدْرِكْ","وَأَدْرَكُوا","وَأَدْرَكُوهُ","وَتُدْرِكُكَ","وَيُدرِكَنا","يُدْرِكُكَ","يُدْرِكُكُمْ","يُدْرِكْهُمْ"]·ben["আমি-ধরব","আর-ধরল","আর-ধরে-ফেলবে-তাদের","এবং-তাক-ধরুক","এবং-ধরবে-আমাদের","এবং-ধরলেন","এবং-ধরে-ফেলবে-তোমাকে","এবং-ধরে-ফেলল","এবং-পৌঁছাবে-তোমাকে","তাকে-ধরে","তাদের-আক্রমণ-করুক।","ধরতে","ধরবে","ধরা","ধরে-ফেলেছে-তাকে","পৌঁছেছিল"]·DE["[השיגו]","[השיגוה]","[וישגו]","[וישיגו]","[למשגת]","[תשיג]","[תשיגהו]","du-wird-overtake","ich-wird-overtake","lass-overtake-ihnen","overtaking","und-einholen-du","und-einholte","und-er-overtake-uns","und-hole-sie-ein","und-lass-ihn-overtake","und-sie-overtook"]·EN["I-will-overtake","and-he-overtake-us","and-let-him-overtake","and-overtake-them","and-overtake-you","and-overtook","and-they-overtook","let-overtake-them","overtake","overtakes-him","overtaking","overtook-her","shall-overtake","you-will-overtake"]·FR["Je---rattraper","[למשגת]","atteindre","et-atteindre","et-il-overtake-nous","et-ils-overtook","et-overtake-tu","et-rattrapa","et-rattraper-eux","overtaking","tu-fera-overtake","תשיגהו-lui"]·heb["אשיג","השג","השיגו","השיגוה","ו-השגתם-ם","ו-השיג-נו","ו-השיגוך","ו-ישג","ו-ישיגו","ישיגם","ל-משגת","תשיג","תשיגהו"]·HI["उसे-आ-घेरता-है","उसे-पकड़-लिया","और-जब-पकड़-लो-उन्हें","और-जा-पकड़ा","और-जा-पहुँचा","और-पकड़ा","और-पकड़े","और-पकड़े-हमें","और-पकड़ेंगी-तुझको","और-पकड़ेंगी-तुझको।","जा-पकड़ेगी","पकड़ूँगा","पकड़ेगी","पकदन-","पकदेग","पहुँचती-हुई","पहुँचीं-वे"]·ID["Aku-akan-menyusul","Dan-menyusullah","akan-mengejar","akan-menyusul","dan-engkau-akan-menyusul-mereka","dan-menangkap","dan-menyusul","dan-menyusul-engkau","dan-menyusul-kita","dan-mereka-menyusul","engkau-akan-menyusul","mengejar-mereka","menyusul","menyusulnya","telah-menimpa"]·IT["[למשגת]","e-egli-raggiungi-noi","e-essi-raggiunse","e-overtake-loro","e-overtake-tu","e-overtook","e-raggiungere","e-raggiunse","io-will-overtake","overtaking","raggiungere","raggiungere-suo","raggiunse","tu-vorrà-raggiungi"]·jav["Lan-Laban-nyusul","Ngrembaka-tumrap-piyambak-ipun","badhé-nyusul","kawula-badhe-nututi","lan-nggayuh-panjenengan","lan-ngoyak-kita","lan-nyandhak","lan-nyepeng","lan-nyusul","mugi-ngenani","ngenani","nggayuh","ngoyak","nusul","panjenengan-badhé-nusul","saha-nyekel","sampun-nyekel-piyambakipun"]·KO["그녀-를-따라잡았네","그리고-그들이-따라잡았다","그리고-그들이-붙잡았다","그리고-닿으리라","그리고-따라잡았다","그리고-따라잡으면-우리를","그리고-발견하였다-그들이","그리고-잡아라-그들을","그리고-잡으리로다","내가-따라잡으리라","따라잡나니","따라잡는","따라잡았도다","따라잡으리라","따라잡을-것이다","따라잡을것이다","에-따라잡음","잡으소서"]·PT["Alcançará-o","E-alcançou","alcançando","alcançaram","alcançaram-ela","alcançarei,","alcançará","alcançarás","e-alcance-a","e-alcance-nos","e-alcançar-te-ão","e-alcançaram","e-alcançarás-os","os-alcance","vos-alcançará"]·RU["И-догнал","да-настигнет-их","достигнешь","достигнуть","и-догнав-их","и-догнали","и-достигнут-тебя","и-настиг-нас","и-настигли","и-настигнет","и-постигнут-тебя","настигает","настигают-его","настигли-её","настигнет","настигну","постигли"]·ES["Lo-alcanzan","Y-alcanzó","alcanzando","alcanzaron","alcanzará","alcanzarás","alcanzaré","alcanzándote","la-alcanzaron","los-alcance","os-alcanzará","y-alcance","y-alcanzaron","y-lo-alcanzaron","y-los-alcanzarás","y-nos-alcance","y-te-alcanzarán"]·SW["Na-akampata","Zitamkuta","fuatia","kukupata","kuwafikia","na-aifikie","na-akatupata","na-kumtaka","na-wakamfikia","na-wakampata","na-zitakufikia","nitawafikia","utawafikia","utawapata","uwafikie","wafikia","wamemfikia"]·TR["Ve-yetişti","ve-yakalasın","ve-yetistiler","ve-yetişecek-bize","ve-yetişecekler-sana","ve-yetişince-onlara","ve-yetiştiler","yakaladılar-onu","yakalar-onu","yaklasın-onları","yetişecek","yetişeceksin","yetişeceğim","yetişen","yetişmek","yetiştiler"]·urd["اور-جا-ملا","اور-جا-پکڑ-اُنہیں","اور-پا-لیا","اور-پائیںگی-تجھے","اور-پکڑ-لے","اور-پکڑا","اور-پکڑا-اُنہوں-نے","اور-پکڑے-ہمیں","اُنہیں-پکڑے","پا-لے-گا","پائے-گی","پانا","پکڑتی-ہوئی","پکڑوں-گا","پکڑے-اُسے","پہنچ-گئے-اُس-کو","پہنچیں"]
Gen 31:25, Gen 44:4, Gen 44:6, Exod 14:9, Exod 15:9, Deut 19:6, Deut 28:2, Deut 28:15, Deut 28:45, Josh 2:5, 1 Sam 30:8, 1 Sam 30:8 (+16 more)
2. afford or suffice — To afford, have sufficient means — 10 occurrences clustered in Leviticus 14 and 25, all in the idiom 'if his hand reaches/does not reach' (im lo' tassig yado). This economic metaphor — the hand stretching toward but perhaps falling short of the required price — generates the Levitical sliding-scale offering system (Lev 14:21-32) and the land-redemption provisions (Lev 25:26-28). Spanish si alcanza ('if it reaches/suffices'), French atteint ('attains'), and Arabic idha balaghat all use 'reaching' metaphors for economic capacity, confirming this as a genuine cross-linguistic conceptual extension from physical reaching to financial ability. 10×
AR["تَطَالُ","تَقْدِرُ","تَنَالُ","تُدْرِكُ","قَادِرَةً"]·ben["পৌঁছাবে","সামর্থ্য","সামর্থ্য-রাখে","সামর্থ্য-হয়"]·DE["[תשיג]","attaining","attains","kann-afford","reaches"]·EN["attaining","attains","can-afford","reaches"]·FR["attaining","atteindre","atteint","peut-afford"]·heb["השיגה","תשיג"]·HI["जो","पहुँचता","पहुँचती","पहुँचे","पहुंचे","पहुंचेगी","मिलाप"]·ID["dia","dicapai","ia-mampu","mampu","menjangkau","yang-mampu"]·IT["attaining","attains","puo-afford","raggiungere","reaches"]·jav["nyèkap","piyambakipun-nggayuh","saged","saged-nyèkap"]·KO["닿다","닿다면","닿을-것이다","미치는","이루면"]·PT["alcançando","alcançar"]·RU["достигающей","достигнет"]·ES["alcance","alcanza","si-alcanza"]·SW["Tshig","anaweza-kupata","atapata","itapata","mkono-wake-unavyoweza","unaweza-kupata"]·TR["ulaşır","ulaşırsa","yetebilir","yetemez","yeterse"]·urd["پہنچتا","پہنچے"]
3. reach or arrive at — To reach or arrive at a point, boundary, or moment — 9 occurrences where the emphasis is on attainment of a goal rather than pursuit of a person. Jacob's years 'did not reach' the years of his fathers (Gen 47:9); the threshing shall 'reach' to the vintage (Lev 26:5); one's hand 'does not reach' even a tenth of an ephah (Lev 5:11). Spanish alcanzar and French atteindre serve this sense as readily as the pursuit sense, but German erreichen ('reach a destination') and Korean 미치다 ('extend to') distinguish it from the chase-and-capture frame. The underlying image is an arm stretching toward a target — whether it arrives is the narrative tension. 9×
AR["الْمُصِيبُهُ","تَبْلُغُ","تَبْلُغْ","مَدَّ","وَ-يُدْرِكُ","وَتُدْرِكُ","يُدْرِكُ","يُدْرِكُنَا","يُدْرِكُونَ"]·ben["আমাদের-কাছে-পৌঁছায়","এবং-পৌঁছবে","এবং-সামর্থ্য-হয়","নিয়ে-যাচ্ছিল","পৌঁছবে","পৌঁছায়","পৌঁছেছে","যে-তাকে-পৌঁছায়"]·DE["[ישיגו]","[משיגהו]","[תשיגנו]","erreichten-sie","es-reaches","reaching","und-reaches","und-wird-erreichen","wird-erreichen"]·EN["One-reaching-him","and-reaches","and-will-reach","attained","do-they-attain","does-overtake-us","it-reaches","reaching","will-reach"]·FR["atteignant","atteignit","atteindre","cela-atteint","et-atteint","et-fera-atteindre","fera-atteindre","ישיגו","משיגהו-lui"]·heb["השיגה","השיגו","ו-השיגה","ישיגו","משיג","משיגהו","תשיג","תשיגנו"]·HI["और-पहुंचे","और-पहुंचेगी","जो-पहुँचे-उसे","पहुँचते-हैं","पहुँचाने-वाला","पहुँचे","पहुंचेगी","हमतक-पहुँचती"]·ID["Dan-pengirikmu-akan-menjangkau","Yang mengenainya","[obj]","dan-tangannya-menjangkau","mampu","mencapai","mencapai-kita","mereka-mencapai","yang-menyentuhkan"]·IT["attained","e-fara-raggiungere","e-reaches","esso-reaches","fara-raggiungere","raggiungendo","raggiungere","raggiungere-suo"]·jav["Ingkang-nyedhaki-piyambakipun","Lan-saged","cekap","lan-saged","nggayuh","nggayuh-kita","ngulungaken","saged"]·KO["가져가는","그-들-이-도달한다","그것에게-다가가는-자는","그리고-달하면","그리고-달할-것이다","달할-것이다","도달하였다","따라잡는데","미치면"]·PT["Alcançando-o","E-alcançará","alcançar","alcançaram","alcançará","alcançarão","e-alcançar","nos-alcança","quem-alcançasse"]·RU["достигает-нас","достигли","достигнет","достигнут","и-достигнет","настигающий-его","протягивающего"]·ES["El-que-lo-alcanza","Y-alcanzará","alcanzando","alcanzare","alcanzaron","alcanzará","alcanzarán","nos-alcanza","y-alcanza"]·SW["Na-itafikia","atafikia","haitufikiia","halikufikia","hawatafikia","inamfikia","itafikia","na-atapata","unashuka"]·TR["Yetişen-ona","ulasir-bize","ulaşacak","ulaştılar","ulaşırlar","ulaşırsa","uzatan","ve-ulaşacak","ve-ulaşırsa"]·urd["اور-پہنچے","اور-پہنچے-گی","جو-اُسے-چھوئے","لگایا","پہنچتی-ہے-ہمیں","پہنچیں-گے","پہنچے","پہنچے-گی"]
5. sense 5 — To move or shift boundaries — a single occurrence at Job 24:2 describing the wicked who 'move boundary markers.' The sense is debated: some take it as 'they remove landmarks' (English 'they move'), others as 'they overtake/encroach upon' a neighbor's land. Spanish mueven ('they move') and French a strained transliteration both suggest physical displacement rather than pursuit. The verse sits at the edge of nasag's semantic range, possibly influenced by the similar root nasag/hassig with a shin rather than sin, meaning 'to move back, remove.' Whether a genuine sense extension or a textual confusion, it represents the word's outermost boundary. 1×
AR["يُزِيلُونَ"]·ben["তারা-সরায়"]·DE["[ישיגו]"]·EN["they-move"]·FR["ישיגו"]·heb["ישיגו"]·HI["वे-हटाते-हैं"]·ID["mereka-memindahkan"]·IT["raggiungere"]·jav["piyambakipun-mindhah"]·KO["옮기나니"]·PT["mudam;"]·RU["передвигают"]·ES["mueven;"]·SW["wanasogeza"]·TR["taşırlar"]·urd["ہٹاتے ہیں"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [נָשַׂג] vb. only Hiph. reach, overtake (Ecclus 14:13 והשיגת ידך, 35:10 ובהשגת יד (cf. Schechter on 14:13), cf. 3 infr.; ישיג מענה 32:14 shall obtain an answer);— Hiph. Pf. 3 ms. וְהִשִּׂיג consec. Lv 26:5, sf. וְהִשִּׂיגוֹ consec. Dt 19:6; 2 ms. sf. וְהִשֵּׂגְתָּם consec. Gn 44:4, etc.; Impf. יַשִּׂיג Lv 26:5, וַיַּשֵּׂג Gn 31:25, sf. וַיַּשִּׂגֵם Gn 44:6, etc.; Inf. abs. הַשֵּׂג 1 S 30:8; Pt.…