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 recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

uncertain (Baleadan) — uncertain

Root uncertain uncertain; used to convey request, urge, entreat
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1002 בִּירָה the citadel
H105 אֲגַרְטָל bowls of
H1081 בַּלְאֲדָן Baladan
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4994-02 נָא֙ na HTe please please please 402
H4994-01 נא n HTe please please please 1

Occurrences in Scripture

403 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4994-02 Genesis 12:11 נָ֣א na HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 12:13 נָ֖א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 13:8 נָ֨א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 13:9 נָ֖א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 13:14 נָ֤א na HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 15:5 נָ֣א na HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 16:2 נָ֞א na HTe now/please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 16:2 נָא֙ na-2 HTe please/now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 18:3 נָ֨א na HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 18:3 נָ֥א na-2 HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 18:4 נָ֣א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 18:21 נָּ֣א na HTj now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 18:27 נָ֤א na HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 18:30 נָ֞א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 18:31 נָ֤א na HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 18:32 נָ֞א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 19:2 נָּא na HTj now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 19:2 נָ֠א na-2 HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 19:7 נָ֥א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 19:8 נָ֨א na HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 19:8 נָּ֤א na-2 HTj please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 19:18 נָ֖א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 19:19 נָ֠א na HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 19:20 נָ֠א na HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 19:20 נָּ֜א na-2 HTj please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 22:2 נָ֠א na HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 24:2 נָ֥א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 24:12 נָ֥א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 24:14 נָ֤א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 24:17 נָ֛א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 24:23 נָ֖א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 24:42 נָּא֙ na HTj now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 24:43 נָ֥א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 24:45 נָֽא na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 25:30 נָא֙ na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 26:28 נָ֥א na HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 27:2 נָ֖א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 27:3 נָ֣א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 27:9 נָא֙ na HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 27:19 נָ֣א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 27:21 נָּ֥א na HTj please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 27:26 נָּ֥א na HTj please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 30:14 נָ֣א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 30:27 נָ֛א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 31:12 נָ֨א na HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 32:12 נָ֛א na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 32:30 נָּ֣א na HTj please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 33:10 נָא֙ na HTe please please please
H4994-02 Genesis 33:10 נָ֨א na-2 HTe now please please
H4994-02 Genesis 33:11 נָ֤א na HTe please please please