נָגַשׂnâgas
press, drive, oppress, exact
Pronunciation: naw-gas' · Hebrew/Aramaic (Old Testament) · H5065
Meanings
Qal
1. press, drive (Isaiah 58:3)
2. exact (2 Kings 23:35; Deuteronomy 15:2; Deuteronomy 15:13)
3. driver, task-master, oppressor, tyrant, exactor, lordship = lord, ruler, Participle (= substantive) (Exodus 3:7; Exodus 5:6; Exodus 5:10)
Niph`al: hard pressed, treated harshly, tyrannize over (1 Samuel 13:6; Isaiah 3:5; 1 Samuel 14:24)
Where it appears
Appears 23 times in the Bible.
- Exodus 3:7 Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering.
- Exodus 5:6 That same day Pharaoh sent this order to the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen:
- Exodus 5:10 So the slave drivers and foremen went out and told the people: “This is what Pharaoh says: I will not provide any more straw for you.
- Exodus 5:13 Meanwhile, the Egyptian slave drivers continued to push hard. “Meet your daily quota of bricks, just as you did when we provided you with straw!” they demanded.
- Exodus 5:14 Then they whipped the Israelite foremen they had put in charge of the work crews. “Why haven’t you met your quotas either yesterday or today?” they demanded.
- Deuteronomy 15:2 This is how it must be done. Everyone must cancel the loans they have made to their fellow Israelites. They must not demand payment from their neighbors or relatives, for the Lord’s time of release has arrived.
Source: Brown, Driver and Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain; markup by unfoldingWord, CC BY (github.com/unfoldingWord/Brown-Driver-Briggs-Enhanced).