Nisan

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A Hebrew month, nearly answering to our April, but varying somewhat from year to year, according to the course of the moon. It was the seventh month of the civil year; but was made the first month of the sacred year, at the coming out of Egypt,  Exodus 12:2 . By Moses it is called Abib,  Exodus 13:4 . The name Nisan found only after the time of Ezra, and the return from the captivity of Babylon. See MONTIS.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

a month of the Hebrews, answering to our March, and which sometimes takes from February or April, according to the course of the moon. It was made the first month of the second year, at the coming out of Egypt,  Exodus 12:2; and it was the seventh month of the civil year. By Moses it is called Abib. The name Nisan was introduced only since the time of Ezra, and the return from the captivity of Babylon.

King James Dictionary

NIS'AN, n. A month of the Jewish calendar, the first month of the sacred year and seventh of the year, answering nearly to our March. It was originally called Abibi, but began to be called Nisan after the captivity.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Nehemiah 2:1 Esther 3:7Calendars

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Ni'san. See Month .

Webster's Dictionary

(n.) The first month of the jewish ecclesiastical year, formerly answering nearly to the month of April, now to March, of the Christian calendar. See Abib.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Nehemiah 2:1Abib

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

One of the months of the Hebrews, answering to our March. Perhaps derived from Nus, meaning flight.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

NISAN. See Time.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

See Months

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Nisan', נַיסָן , from Netz, נֵוֹ , A Flowery or as Gesenius and Furst think, after Benfey, from the Persian Nep, new), the first month of the Hebrew sacred year, called ABIB in the Pentateuch, for which it is substituted only in the time of the Captivity ( Nehemiah 2:1;  Esther 3:7 : Sept. Νεισάν , but most copies omit in Esther). On the first day of the month the Jews fasted for the death of the children of Aaron ( Leviticus 10:1-3). On the tenth day was observed a fast for the death of Miriam, the sister of Moses, and every one provided himself with a lamb for the Passover. On this day the Israelites passed over the Jordan, under the conduct of Joshua. On the fourteenth day, in the evening, they sacrificed the Paschal lamb; and the day following, being the fifteenth, the Passover was celebrated ( Exodus 13:18). The Asiatic Church, when appointing the Paschal observance, therefore selected the fourteenth of Nisan. She could associate no other date with Τὸ Πάσχα . The observance of this fourteenth day of the month by the Christians of Asia gave rise furthermore to the term Quatrodecinans (q.v.); but the observance, it should be borne in mind, was in commemoration of the death, not of the last supper, of Jesus. On the sixteenth day of Nisan the Hebrews offered the sheaf of the ears of barley, as the first-fruits of the harvest of that year ( Leviticus 23:9). The twenty-first day was the octave of the Passover. On the twenty- sixth day they fasted in memory of the death . of Joshua, and on this day they began their prayers to obtain the rains of the spring. Lastly, on the twenty-ninth they called to mind the fall of the walls of Jericho. (See Month).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

nı̄´san ( ניסן , nı̄ṣān ): The first month of the Jewish year in which occurred the Passover and which corresponds to April. The month is the same as Abib, which occurs in the Pentateuch. Nisan occurs in   Nehemiah 2:1 and   Esther 3:7 . It denotes "the month of flowers." See Calendar .

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Ni´san, the first month of the Hebrew civil year. Abib, by which name this month is called in the Pentateuch (;; ), means an ear of grain, a green ear; and hence 'the month Abib' is 'the month of green ears.' It thus denoted the condition of the barley in the climate of Egypt and Palestine in this month. Nisan, otherwise Abib, began with the new moon of April, or, according to the Rabbins, of March.