נַהֲלָל
𐤍𐤄𐤋𐤋
Nahalal
H5096 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Nahalal (or Nahalol): a settled location or town in the territory allotted to the tribe of Zebulun in the early Israelite period, recognized as a specific place with agricultural and strategic significance. The name itself may connote a site associated with a flowing or curving feature, likely related to a wadi, stream, or distinctive land formation, though the precise nuance is debated. Semantic range includes: a named settlement; site of Israelite clan allocation; toponym derived from a geographic or hydrological feature.
Semantic Range
place name; settled location; town with agricultural land; possibly, a site characterized by or adjacent to a stream, wadi, or meandering feature
Root / Etymology
From the root נהל (n-h-l), which is connected with 'stream,' 'wadi,' or 'to flow/lead/guide (water/livestock).' The place-name is a feminine derivative form; etymology points to a settlement named for proximity to or association with a watercourse, or possibly land characterized by undulating/curving features. Some connect with Arabic cognates for 'meandering' or 'rounding.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Nahalal appears in Joshua 19:15 as a town within Zebulun’s inheritance and again in Judges 1:30, indicating its continued significance through the settlement and early monarchy periods. Its identification with the modern site of Tell en-Nahal is based on etymological and geographical considerations. English Bible translations typically render the name as 'Nahalal,' 'Nahallal,' or 'Nahalol,' but these do not translate the apparent etymological meaning. The variant spelling נַהֲלֹל in Judges is a minor orthographic difference; the place is the same. The root underlying the name is common to Hebrew and wider Semitic languages for streams or valleys with seasonal water flow, and such features were often used as landmarks for naming towns. There is no later biblical period attestation of this term, so usage is confined to early settlement lists and tribal boundaries, with no religious or cultic connotations indicated in the biblical record. The later English 'Palestine' is an anachronism here; the name's attestation belongs to the earliest Israelite period. The term never functions as an ethnic or religious label, but only as a place name. The translation tradition, such as LXX 'Naalōl,' preserves the place identity without interpretation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or נַהֲלֹל; the same as נַהֲלֹל; Nahalal or Nahalol, a place in Palestine; Nahalal, Nahallal, Nahalol.
Bantu Hebrew
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+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נהל (n-h-l) — to flow, guide, lead, stream, wadi
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5096-02 |
נַהֲלֹ֑ל | nahalol | HNp |
Nahalol | Stream-Settlement | 1 |
H5096-01 |
נַהֲלָ֖ל | nahalal | HNp |
Nahalal | Wadi-Settlement | 1 |
H5096-03 |
וְ/נַֽהֲלָל֙ | venahalal | HC/Np |
and Nahalal | Flowing-Stream Town | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5096-03 |
Joshua 19:15 | וְ/נַֽהֲלָל֙ | venahalal | HC/Np |
and Nahalal | Flowing-Stream Town |
H5096-01 |
Joshua 21:35 | נַהֲלָ֖ל | nahalal | HNp |
Nahalal | Wadi-Settlement |
H5096-02 |
Judges 1:30 | נַהֲלֹ֑ל | nahalol | HNp |
Nahalol | Stream-Settlement |