נוּן
𐤍𐤅𐤍
Nun
H5126 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun designating an Israelite personal name, primarily referring to Nun, the father of Joshua. In its attested contexts in the Hebrew Bible, נוּן is not used as an appellative but exclusively as this personal name. The base meaning of the root נוּן, 'to sprout, propagate,' suggests a possible underlying meaning related to posterity or continuation, though this is not explicit in the biblical usage as a name.
Semantic Range
personal name (father of Joshua), perpetuity (rare conjectural), possible association with 'fish' in Aramaic, not attested in Hebrew as a common noun
Root / Etymology
Root נוּן, meaning 'to sprout, propagate, increase.' The personal name Nun (also spelled Non, especially in 1 Chronicles 7:27) likely derives from this root, possibly denoting 'posterity' or 'increase,' although as a proper noun, its precise motivation is uncertain. The name is sometimes interpreted as 'fish,' by association with the Aramaic noun נוּן ('fish'), but this reading is not clearly attested in Hebrew narrative or genealogical contexts.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name נוּן appears exclusively in genealogical contexts as the father of Joshua son of Nun, most frequently in the narrative of the conquest and settlement period. 1 Chronicles 7:27 uses the spelling נוֹן, a variant vocalization. The meaning of the name is not commented on in the biblical text, and ancient translations such as the Septuagint simply transliterate the name. Rabbinic and medieval traditions sometimes connect the name with the Aramaic 'fish,' but this association is not reflected in the Tanakh. English translations typically retain the form 'Nun' or 'Non'; erroneous rendering as 'perpetuity' or as a common noun does not capture the lexical function as a personal name. There is no evidence in the biblical record that the name נוּן/נוֹן was a title or had broader usage beyond this genealogical identification.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or נוֹן; (1 Chronicles 7:27), from נוּן; perpetuity,; Nun or Non, the father of Joshua; Non, Nun.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נון (n-w-n) — to sprout, propagate, grow, increase
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4497 | מָנוֹן | line-continuer |
| H5125 | נוּן | may he be perpetuated |
| H5209 | נִין | continuing descendant |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5126-02 |
נוּן֙ | nun | HNp |
of Nun | Nun | 29 |
H5126-01 |
נ֥וֹן | non | HNp |
Nun | Nun | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
30 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5126-02 |
Exodus 33:11 | נוּן֙ | nun | HNp |
of Nun | Nun |
H5126-02 |
Numbers 11:28 | נ֗וּן | nun | HNp |
of Nun | Nun |
H5126-02 |
Numbers 13:8 | נֽוּן | nun | HNp |
of Nun | Nun |
H5126-02 |
Numbers 13:16 | נ֖וּן | nun | HNp |
of Nun | Nun |
H5126-02 |
Numbers 14:6 | נ֗וּן | nun | HNp |
of Nun | Nun |
H5126-02 |
Numbers 14:30 | נֽוּן | nun | HNp |
of Nun | Nun |
H5126-02 |
Numbers 14:38 | נ֔וּן | nun | HNp |
of Nun | Nun |
H5126-02 |
Numbers 26:65 | נֽוּן | nun | HNp |
of Nun | Nun |
H5126-02 |
Numbers 27:18 | נ֔וּן | nun | HNp |
Nun | Nun |
H5126-02 |
Numbers 32:12 | נ֑וּן | nun | HNp |
Nun | Nun |