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נָגַן

𐤍𐤂𐤍

nâgan

H5059 verb

SILEX Entry

Root נגן to strike, to play (a stringed instrument), to make music

Definition

To play or perform music, particularly by striking or plucking a stringed instrument with the fingers. The verb can refer either to the act of making music (typically instrumental) or, less commonly, to singing accompanied by instrumental music. In most biblical contexts, it describes playing a lyre or harp, typically in a liturgical, royal, or prophetic setting. The semantic range includes to play (a stringed instrument), to make music, to perform musically, and to accompany with music.

Semantic Range

to play a stringed instrument, to pluck or strike strings musically, to perform instrumental music, to provide musical accompaniment, to act as a musician or minstrel, to make music in a worship or prophetic context

Root / Etymology

From the root נגן, which in Hebrew carries the primary idea of striking or plucking (as of strings). The noun form (נֵגִין, negin) and related words denote a stringed instrument or a song played with such. While the root's core meaning relates to the physical action of playing (especially plucking or striking), the derived meanings concentrate on the resultant act of making music or providing musical accompaniment.

Historical & Contextual Notes

נָגַן appears most often in references to instrumental music, particularly in the context of worship or prophecy, such as David playing for Saul (1 Samuel 16). In prophetic literature (e.g., 2 Kings 3:15), the presence of a musician (often called by this root) is associated with inducing ecstatic or inspired states. The word is almost always associated with stringed instruments (as opposed to wind or percussion). Related terms in Hebrew include זָמַר (zamar, to sing praise, often with instruments) and שִׁיר (shir, to sing). In English translation traditions, nuances may be lost: 'play,' 'make music,' or 'minstrel' do not capture the centrality of the instrumental aspect, particularly with stringed instruments. Over time, the root does not exhibit significant change in meaning but the connotations shift towards more formal or religious musical activity in later texts. The traditional rendering 'player on instruments' obscures the precise focus on stringed instruments.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to thrum, i.e. beat atune with the fingers; expectation. to play on astringed instrument; hence (generally), to make music; player on instruments, sing to the stringed instruments, melody, ministrel, play(-er, -ing).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נגן (n-g-n) — to strike, to play (a stringed instrument), to make music

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H101 אַגָּן hammered metal basin
H4485 מַנְגִּינָה their lament-song
H5058 נְגִינָה with instrumental melodies

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5059-05 נַ֠גֵּן nagen HVpc in playing to play strings 4
H5059-04 מְנַגֵּ֣ן menagen HVprmsa playing the string-player 4
H5059-08 וְ/נִגֵּ֥ן venigen HC/Vpq3ms and he will play and he played stringed music 2
H5059-01 הַֽ/מְנַגֵּ֔ן hamenagen HTd/Vprmsa the minstrel the string-player 1
H5059-03 לְ/נַגֵּ֔ן lenagen HR/Vpc who can play to play a stringed instrument 1
H5059-06 נְנַגֵּ֛ן nenagen HVpi1cp we will sing we will play stringed music 1
H5059-07 נֹגְנִ֑ים nogenim HVqrmpa musicians the string-players 1
H5059-02 כְּ/נַגֵּ֣ן kenagen HR/Vpc when playing as playing string-music 1

Occurrences in Scripture

15 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5059-04 1 Samuel 16:16 מְנַגֵּ֣ן menagen HVprmsa playing the string-player
H5059-08 1 Samuel 16:16 וְ/נִגֵּ֥ן venigen HC/Vpq3ms and he will play and he played stringed music
H5059-03 1 Samuel 16:17 לְ/נַגֵּ֔ן lenagen HR/Vpc who can play to play a stringed instrument
H5059-05 1 Samuel 16:18 נַ֠גֵּן nagen HVpc in playing to play strings
H5059-08 1 Samuel 16:23 וְ/נִגֵּ֣ן venigen HC/Vpp3ms and played and he played stringed music
H5059-04 1 Samuel 18:10 מְנַגֵּ֥ן menagen HVprmsa was playing the string-player
H5059-04 1 Samuel 19:9 מְנַגֵּ֥ן menagen HVprmsa playing the string-player
H5059-04 2 Kings 3:15 מְנַגֵּ֑ן menagen HVprmsa a minstrel the string-player
H5059-02 2 Kings 3:15 כְּ/נַגֵּ֣ן kenagen HR/Vpc when playing as playing string-music
H5059-01 2 Kings 3:15 הַֽ/מְנַגֵּ֔ן hamenagen HTd/Vprmsa the minstrel the string-player
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