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נֹאד

𐤍𐤀𐤃

nôʼd

H4997 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נוד to move, wander, shake (uncertain; root meaning debated)

Definition

A container, typically made from animal skin or leather, used for holding and transporting liquids, especially water or wine. Commonly used in daily life throughout the ancient Near East; also occurs figuratively in poetry, where the imagery of a 'skin-bag' can convey containment or preservation.

Semantic Range

skin-bag for liquids, leather bottle for water or wine, metaphorical container (e.g., for tears); by extension, any flexible liquid container

Root / Etymology

From an unused root of uncertain meaning; the word is not clearly connected to any attested Hebrew verbal root. Its formation and usage parallel similar terms for leather containers in Semitic and neighboring languages.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The נֹאד (nôʼd) references a practical item: a skin-bag or pouch used by Israelite herders, travelers, and households for storing and transporting water, wine, or other liquids. Its appearance in narratives such as Genesis 21:14 and Judges 4:19 suggests it was an everyday object. The feminine form נֹאדָה (nôʼdāh) appears rarely and reflects standard feminine noun formation. In poetic contexts, such as Psalm 56:9, נֹאד is used metaphorically for the collecting of tears, deepening the meaning from merely physical container to a literary symbol for preservation, remembrance, or containment. English translations often render it "bottle," but the modern connotation of glass or hard containers can mislead; in context, the reference is always to a flexible container of skin. Related Hebrew terms include חֵמֶת (ḥēmet), also a skin for water or wine, but possibly differing subtly in shape or function. Later Jewish and Judean usage of the term is rare, as ceramic and later glass containers came into wider use, making the skin-bag less common. Greek and Latin translations (ἀσκός, lagena) show similar development.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or נאוֹדlemma נֹאוד vowel, corrected to נאוֹדxlit nôʼwd corrected to nʼôwd; also (feminine) נֹאדָה; from an unused root of uncertain signification; a (skin or leather) bag (for fluids); bottle.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נוד (n-w-d) — to move, wander, shake (uncertain; debated)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4493 מָנוֹד head-shaking
H5067 נֵד like a piled heap
H5110 נוּד to move to and fro
H5111 נוּד she will flee
H5112 נוֹד my skin-bottle

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4997-04 וְ/נֹ֣אד venod HC/Ncmsc and a skin and skin-bag of 1
H4997-02 נֹאד֤וֹת nodot HNcmpc wineskins skin-bags of 1
H4997-03 נֹ֧אוד novd HNcmsc skin skin-bag of 1
H4997-05 בְ/נֹאדֶ֑/ךָ venodekha HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms in your bottle in your skin-bag 1
H4997-06 וְ/נֹאד֥וֹת venodot HC/Ncmpc and wineskins and skin-bags of 1
H4997-01 כְּ/נֹ֣אד kenod HR/Ncmsa like a wineskin like a skin-bag 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4997-06 Joshua 9:4 וְ/נֹאד֥וֹת venodot HC/Ncmpc and wineskins and skin-bags of
H4997-02 Joshua 9:13 נֹאד֤וֹת nodot HNcmpc wineskins skin-bags of
H4997-03 Judges 4:19 נֹ֧אוד novd HNcmsc skin skin-bag of
H4997-04 1 Samuel 16:20 וְ/נֹ֣אד venod HC/Ncmsc and a skin and skin-bag of
H4997-05 Psalms 56:9 בְ/נֹאדֶ֑/ךָ venodekha HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms in your bottle in your skin-bag
H4997-01 Psalms 119:83 כְּ/נֹ֣אד kenod HR/Ncmsa like a wineskin like a skin-bag
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