Hebrew word · H5427

נֶ֫תֶר

nater

lye

Natron, a naturally occurring mineral alkali, mainly sodium carbonate with sodium bicarbonate. It was gathered from evaporated lake beds, especially in Egypt (the Wadi Natrun) and in parts of Mesopotamia and the Levant.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

natron, nitre, soda, carbonate of soda

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Jeremiah 2:22

Range of meaning

Natron, a naturally occurring mineral alkali, mainly sodium carbonate with sodium bicarbonate. It was gathered from evaporated lake beds, especially in Egypt (the Wadi Natrun) and in parts of Mesopotamia and the Levant. It was used for laundry, personal washing, glass-making and, in Egypt, for drying bodies in mummification.

Against the English

The KJV's 'nitre' meant natron in 1611. Today 'nitre' means potassium nitrate (saltpetre), which does not clean at all. Modern versions use 'lye', 'soda' or 'soap'. 'Soda' or 'natron' is the most accurate.

How it drifted

English 'nitre' and Greek nitron come from this same Semitic and Egyptian word for natron. From the 17th century, chemists moved 'nitre' to saltpetre, so the KJV's word now names a different substance.

Used elsewhere in the period

Prov 25:20: singing to a heavy heart is like 'vinegar on natron'. The image is acid fizzing as it hits a carbonate, which only fits soda, not saltpetre. The Septuagint renders it nitron and the Vulgate nitrum.

Where it appears

Proverbs · 1

  1. Proverbs 25:20 נָ֑תֶר soda

    Like one who removes a garment on a cold day or vinegar poured on a wound is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 2:22 בַּנֶּ֔תֶר with <the> soda

    Although you wash with lye and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before Me,” declares the Lord GOD.

    Here: 'With the natron.' Natron is a natural mineral soda (sodium carbonate) dug from dry lake beds. It was the strongest mineral cleanser known. It is not 'nitre' in the modern sense.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.