{
  "id": "dict_004018",
  "term": "Nissi",
  "slug": "nissi",
  "letter": "N",
  "entry_type": "divine_name_expression",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A Hebrew expression from Exodus 17:15 meaning “The LORD is my banner.” It refers to the altar name Moses gave after Israel’s victory over Amalek.",
  "simple_one_line": "Nissi appears in Yahweh-nissi, meaning “The LORD is my banner.”",
  "tooltip_text": "From Exodus 17:15, where Moses names an altar after the Lord’s victory over Amalek.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Exodus 17",
    "Amalek",
    "Banner",
    "Memorial",
    "Yahweh",
    "Victory"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Yahweh",
    "The LORD Is My Banner",
    "Banner",
    "Ebenezer",
    "Jehovah"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Nissi is best understood as part of the altar-name Yahweh-nissi in Exodus 17:15, where Moses declares, “The LORD is my banner.”",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A covenant expression declaring the LORD as Israel’s rallying point and source of victory.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Appears in Exodus 17:15",
    "Related to the altar name Yahweh-nissi",
    "Describes the LORD as the banner under which His people gather",
    "Not a broad standalone doctrine"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Nissi is the Hebrew word for “my banner” in Exodus 17:15, where Moses names an altar “The LORD is my banner.” The expression points to the Lord as Israel’s rallying point and deliverer in battle, and it is best treated as part of that specific biblical naming event rather than as an independent technical doctrine.",
  "description_academic_full": "Nissi is the Hebrew word meaning “my banner,” best known from Exodus 17:15, where Moses builds an altar after Israel’s victory over Amalek and names it “The LORD is my banner” (Yahweh-nissi). In the Old Testament, a banner can denote a standard around which people gather, so the expression communicates that the LORD Himself is Israel’s source of help, identity, and victory. The term should not be expanded beyond its biblical context into a vague slogan or treated as a separate divine title detached from Exodus 17. The safest reading is that the altar name proclaims God’s faithful presence and covenant help for His people in conflict.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Exodus 17 records Israel’s conflict with Amalek, Moses’ intercession, and the Lord’s deliverance of His people. After the victory, Moses builds an altar and names it to memorialize that the LORD, not Israel’s military strength, secured the triumph.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the ancient world, a banner or standard marked identity, gathering, and military order. The altar name uses that familiar image to express dependence on the LORD rather than on human force.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Jewish readers have commonly understood the phrase as a memorial title celebrating the LORD’s protection and leadership in battle. The focus remains on God’s covenant faithfulness rather than on the word “nissi” as an abstract theological category.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Exodus 17:8-16, especially Exodus 17:15"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Numbers 21:8-9",
    "Isaiah 11:10",
    "Psalm 60:4"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The Hebrew word nēs or nis-sî carries the sense of “banner” or “standard”; in Exodus 17:15 it appears in the altar name translated “The LORD is my banner.”",
  "theological_significance": "The expression emphasizes the LORD as the one under whom His people gather and by whom they are preserved and victorious. It highlights divine aid, covenant remembrance, and worshipful acknowledgment of God’s role in deliverance.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "The image of a banner communicates public allegiance and corporate identity. Biblically, the people of God are not self-grounded; they are gathered around the Lord who leads, protects, and gives victory.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not detach Nissi from Exodus 17 or treat it as a standalone divine name with a broad doctrinal range. The wording is contextual and memorial, not a separate theological category in its own right.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters treat this as an altar name or memorial title based on Exodus 17:15. The main question is not doctrine but whether the entry should be filed under the altar-name phrase rather than the shorter word alone.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This entry should not be used to support mystical or speculative claims about hidden names of God. Its doctrinal value is its clear biblical testimony to the Lord’s saving help and covenant faithfulness.",
  "practical_significance": "Believers can use the passage to remember that victory, help, and unity come from the Lord, not from human strength. It encourages gratitude, dependence, and corporate trust in God.",
  "meta_description": "Nissi is the Hebrew word in the altar name Yahweh-nissi, “The LORD is my banner,” in Exodus 17:15.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/nissi/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/nissi.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}