Antioquia

Hebrew word · Strong H3071

What does Jehovah Nissi mean?

Jehovah Nissi means “the LORD is my banner”. It is the name of the altar Moses builds after the victory over the Amalekites: “And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi” (Exodus 17:15).

יְהֹוָה נִסִּי

Yᵉhôvâh niççîy · transliteration · yeh-ho-vaw' nis-see' · pronunciation

In Strong’s lexicon
Jehovah-Nissi, a symbolical name of an altar in the Desert
In the King James
  • Jehovahnissi1
Appears in
1 verse

See the full H3071 entry →

The meaning of Jehovah Nissi in the Bible

In the battle at Rephidim, Israel prevailed while Moses held up his hands, with the rod of God, on the hilltop; when he grew tired, Aaron and Hur held up his arms (Exodus 17:8-13). The victory did not come from the army's strength but from God — and Moses gives the altar a name that says so.

Nissi comes from nes (H5251), “banner, standard”: the sign lifted high to rally the troops. To say the LORD is the banner is to say it is around him that the people gather and in his name that they fight. Isaiah uses the same word for the Messiah, the root of Jesse, “which shall stand for an ensign of the people” (Isaiah 11:10).

Where Jehovah Nissi appears

Frequently asked questions

What does “the Lord is my banner” mean?
That the people's victory and identity come from God. A banner rallied an army and showed to whom it belonged; Moses declares that this place belongs to God.
Where is Jehovah Nissi in the Bible?
Once, in Exodus 17:15, at the altar Moses built after the battle against Amalek.

More Bible words

The whole Bible with Strong's, offline and ad-free

Get the app