נָא
𐤍𐤀
nâʼ
H4994 particle
SILEX Entry
Definition
A particle used to mark a request, urging, or entreaty, primarily conveying a sense of 'please' or 'now' to intensify or soften commands, petitions, or appeals. It is not an independent word for prayer, but rather a discourse marker lending politeness, urgency, or deference. In context, it can function as a polite particle attached to imperatives or a softener to requests.
Semantic Range
particle of entreaty, request, or urging; discourse marker expressing politeness, insistence, or deference; added to imperatives, cohortatives, or requests to soften, intensify, or convey solicitation
Root / Etymology
Root/Etymology uncertain. The particle נָא is not clearly derived from an identifiable Hebrew root and functions as a fixed particle within Biblical Hebrew. Its etymological relationship to other Semitic languages is unclear, and it primarily appears in formal or heightened speech contexts.
Historical & Contextual Notes
נָא appears frequently in direct speech, especially in requests to a superior or in charged situations (e.g., Abraham appealing to God in Gen 18:3; Genesis 12:13, Gen 19:7, Gen 22:2). Common in imperatives (commands or requests) and cohortatives, it serves as a discourse softener or intensifier rather than as a substantive element. Its function does not convey prayer in the modern sense, nor does it denote time ('now') as a temporal adverb, though it is occasionally rendered 'now' because of the overlap in English politeness formulas. Use is consistent throughout the narrative and legal genres of the Hebrew Bible but is less common in poetry. English translations may render נָא with words like 'please,' 'I pray,' or 'now,' but such renderings are approximations—no single English term captures its nuance entirely. It should not be confused with the temporal adverb עַתָּה (ʿattâ, 'now') or with formal words for intercession or prayer. נָא declines in frequency in later Hebrew, with post-biblical usage shifting or assimilating to other forms of entreaty.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive particle of incitement and entreaty, which may usually be rendered; 'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction; I beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נא (n-ʾ (uncertain)) — entreaty, urging, politeness marker
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4994-02 |
נָ֣א | na | HTe |
please | please | 402 |
H4994-01 |
נא | n | HTe |
please | please | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
403 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4994-02 |
Genesis 12:11 | נָ֣א | na | HTe |
now | please |
H4994-02 |
Genesis 12:13 | נָ֖א | na | HTe |
please | please |
H4994-02 |
Genesis 13:8 | נָ֨א | na | HTe |
please | please |
H4994-02 |
Genesis 13:9 | נָ֖א | na | HTe |
please | please |
H4994-02 |
Genesis 13:14 | נָ֤א | na | HTe |
now | please |
H4994-02 |
Genesis 15:5 | נָ֣א | na | HTe |
now | please |
H4994-02 |
Genesis 16:2 | נָ֞א | na | HTe |
now/please | please |
H4994-02 |
Genesis 16:2 | נָא֙ | na-2 | HTe |
please/now | please |
H4994-02 |
Genesis 18:3 | נָ֨א | na | HTe |
now | please |
H4994-02 |
Genesis 18:3 | נָ֥א | na-2 | HTe |
please | please |