Nehushtan is a biblical noun referring to a bronze serpent created by Moses in the book of Numbers and later viewed as an idol. It appears in 2 Kings as a foil to true worship. The term denotes a specific, named object rather than a generic serpent, and its meaning shifts with context within Hebrew scripture and later commentary.
- Common mistakes to avoid: 1) Stress on the first syllable (NÉ-hush-tan) weakening the second syllable’s prominence; 2) Blurring /ʃ/ into /s/ or /ʒ/; keep it a clean ‘sh’ sound; 3) Over-articulating the final /tən/ or making the ending too tense. Correction tips: practice with a slow tempo, mark the stress visually, and isolate the middle /ʃ/ with minimal pairs (nɪ-ˈhʊʃ-tən) to stabilize the sound. Use tapping or musical rhythm to lock the two-beat structure.
US: rhoticity is less impactful in this word; focus on the /ɪ/ vs /ɪ/ distinctions and the /ʊ/ in the second syllable. UK: practice the same core vowels but with slightly more rounded lips on /ʊ/; AU: vowels may be broader; keep the central /ə/ in the final unstressed syllable soft. IPA notes: nɪˈhʊʃ.tən (US/UK); nɪˈhʊʃˌtæn̩ (AU) depending on rhythm.
"You’ll encounter the term Nehushtan in biblical studies when discussing the bronze serpent in Numbers."
"The accusation that the king burned the Nehushtan as part of reform reflects a symbolic rejection of idolatry."
"In some translations, Nehushtan is treated as a proper noun with reverent capitalization."
"Scholars debate the significance of Nehushtan within the broader narrative of Israelite worship."
Nehushtan originates in biblical Hebrew as הנּושְׁתָּן (Nehushtan). The root נ-ח-ש (n-ḥ-sh) relates to bronze or copper objects, possibly connected to the verb הנּשֵׁה (hanashēh) meaning ‘to bronze’ or ‘to cover with metal’. The form Nehushtan combines a theophoric or descriptive prefix with the noun for serpent (נָחָשׁ, nachash). It appears in Numbers 21:4-9 describing Moses’ bronze serpent (עֲצוּם, not identical in all manuscripts) and later in 2 Kings 18:4 as part of a reform reference to the object as idolatrous. Over time, translations treat it as a proper name, preserving its identity as a specific artifact rather than a general serpentine image. Scholarly debate centers on whether Nehushtan functioned as a protective symbol or a forbidden idol, reflecting evolving attitudes toward relics and worship. The term’s usage travels through Hebrew scripture into Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate, where it is transliterated rather than translated, reinforcing its status as a named artifact. Its historical arc thus traverses priestly description, royal reform, and theological reflection on dependence on physical objects in worship. The first known usage is within the Hebrew biblical corpus, with later attestations in rabbinic literature and Christian comments on idolatry, making Nehushtan a focal point for discussions about relics, remembrance, and spiritual faith.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Nehushtan" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Nehushtan"
-ten sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /nɪˈhʊʃtən/ in US and UK accents, with primary stress on the second syllable. Start with a short, unstressed 'ni' (nuh), then a stressed 'hu' (HOO-sh), and end with a light 'tan' (tuhn). Lip posture is neutral to slightly rounded for the /ʊ/; the /ʃ/ is a soft 'sh' as in 'shop'. Audio reference: listen to biblical proper nouns in pronunciation resources and mimic rhythm. IPA notes: /nɪˈhʊʃ.tən/.
Common errors include misplacing stress (putting it on the first syllable: /ˈnɛhʌʃtæn/), mispronouncing the /ʃ/ as /s/ or /ʒ/, and blending the final /n/ too strongly. To correct: place primary stress on the second syllable, keep /ʃ/ as a single sound after /h/, and finish with a light, unreleased /n/ to avoid a clipped ending. Practice with slow pronunciation, then increase speed while maintaining the two-part rhythm: ni-HUSh-tan.
In US/UK, /nɪˈhʊʃtən/ places emphasis on the second syllable with a short 'i' and a lax /ʊ/; rhoticity affects linked syllables in connected speech. Australian English often features a broader vowel in the /ʊ/ and a slightly less rounded /ɜ/ in surrounding vowels, but /nɪˈhʊʃ.tən/ remains consistent. All accents maintain the /ʃ/ in the middle; the key differences are vowel quality and rhoticity in surrounding words.
The difficulty lies in the midpoint consonant cluster and the uncommon sequence /ʃt/ and the sequence starting with a short 'i' followed by a strong 'hu' syllable. The shift from /h/ to /ʃ/ quickly can cause mispronunciation as /hʊʃtæn/ or /hɪˈnʌʃtæn/. Focus on maintaining a clean /ʃ/ and a crisp /t/ release between /ʃ/ and /t/. IPA cues help: nɪ-ˈhʊʃ-tən.
Nehushtan’s uniqueness comes from the combination of an initial unstressed syllable, a strong second syllable, and a trailing schwa-like final. The second syllable has a focused /ʊ/ vowel and the /ʃ/ consonant blend that must remain distinct from the /t/ that follows. Emphasize the transition from /ʊ/ to /ʃ/ and then to /tən/ to preserve the word’s two-beat rhythm.
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- Shadowing: imitate native readers reading biblical passages, focusing on Nehushtan’s second syllable. - Minimal pairs: nɪ-ˈhʊʃ-tən vs nɪ-ˈhɔːʃ-tən to reinforce /ʊ/ vs /ɔː/. - Rhythm: two-beat pattern in the word; count 1-2 for syllables; - Stress: place primary stress on syllable 2; - Recording: record yourself saying Nehushtan in context sentences and compare to reference pronunciations.
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