Lexical Definition

‎נָצַח‎ nâtsach (naw-tsakh') to conduct ^H:V
a primitive root; also as denominative from ‎נֶצַח‎

excel, chief musician (singer), oversee(-r), set forward.

• properly, to glitter from afar, i.e. to be eminent (as a superintendent, especially of the Temple services and its music)
• to be permanent

1) to excel, be bright, be preeminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring
1a) (Niphal) enduring (participle)
1b) (Piel) to act as overseer or superintendent or director or chief

See Greek: ἐνισχύω · ἐπισκοπέω · ἐπιστάτης · ἰσχύω · νικάω

Extended Information

• Aramaic equivalent: ne.tsach (‎נ‎ְ‎צ‎ַ‎ח‎ "to distinguish oneself" נְצַח)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Aramaic form: נְצַח
I. [‎נָצַח‎] verb be pre-eminent, enduring (Ecclus [Pi`el] make brilliant Eccl 43:5; Eccl 43:13 [?] (compare Oxford ed.^xxxiii); Late Hebrew ‎נָצַח‎ conquer, etc.; Phoenician ‎נצח‎, Aramaic ‎נְצַח‎, shine, be illustrious, pre-eminent, victorious; Arabic be pure, reliable; Ethiopic be pure, innocent; both classes of meaning probably derived form shine, be bright, brilliant, see also Dr^{1Sam 15:29}); —

Niph`al Participle active feminine ‎נִצַּ֫חַת‎ Jer 8:5 enduring (‎מְשֻׁבָה‎ apostasy).

Piel = act as overseer, superintendent, director, only Chronicles and Psalm-titles; — Infinitive ‎לְנַצֵּחַ‎ 1Chr 15:21 + 4 t.; participle ‎לַמְנַצֵּחַ‎ Hab 3:19; Ps 4:1* + 54 t. Psalms; plural ‎מְנַצְּחִים‎ 2Chr 2:1*; 2Chr 2:17*; 2Chr 34:13 —

1. in building temple 2Chr 2:1*; 2Chr 2:17*; Ezra 3:8; Ezra 3:9, compare 2Chr 34:12; 2Chr 34:13.

2. in ministry of house of ‎׳‎‎י‎ 1Chr 23:4.

3. in liturgical service of song, ‎עלהֿשׁמינית‎, over the bass voices, leading them with ‎כִּנֹּרוֺת‎ 1Chr 15:21 ‎לַמְנַצֵּחַ‎ in titles Psalms has probably simile meaning, = musical director or choirmaster; Greek Vrss. of 2nd cent. A.D., Aq Theod Sym, and so Jerome, think of Aramaic victorious, but no clear explanation; ᵐ5 εἰς τὸ τέλος (probably ‎לַמִּנְצָח‎) follows ordinary meaning of noun ‎נֵצַח‎, which may be explained in eschatological sense as referring to end of age of world after Euseb Theod; or for full rendering after De; neither satisfactory. Chronicles, near in date, gives the clue which is intrinsically probably: ‎לְ‎ indicates, not assignment (nothing special in these Psalms to suggest it, and assignment of Psalms for such use a matter of course), but that these Psalms were taken by final editor from an older major Psalter known as the Director's Collection, compare the still earlier collections known as ‎(ל)דוד‎, ‎(ל)אסף‎, ‎(ל)בני קרח‎. The 55 Psalms with ‎למנצח‎ were taken 39 from Davidic, 9 from Korahite, and 5 from Asaphic Psalters; only 2 anonymous. Hab 3 originally belonged to Director's Psalter. This and other Director's Psalms have musical directions in titles. The Director's Psalter was probably the prayer-book of synagogue of Greek period, presupposed by our Hab., the collection of the twelve Minor Prophets, the prophetic canon, and Daniel (see Br^{Gen. Intr. 123}).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References