נוּר
𐤍𐤅𐤓
nûwr
H5135 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
In Biblical Aramaic, 'נּוּר' (nûwr) refers primarily to fire, both as a physical substance (the element or act of burning) and, by extension, to sources or acts involving fire (such as furnaces or flames). The word can refer to natural, domestic, or cultic fire and is used in narratives describing both destructive and purifying aspects.
Semantic Range
fire (as the physical element), blaze, burning (act or state), flame, furnace (by extension or metonymy)
Root / Etymology
From the root נוּר, with the core sense of burning, shining, or producing heat and light. Cognate with the Hebrew root נִיר meaning 'to shine' or 'to be bright,' though the Hebrew term for fire is אֵשׁ ('ēsh). The Aramaic noun form is a direct derivative from the root, meaning 'fire.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term appears only in Biblical Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Daniel 3) and is absent from standard Hebrew narrative or legal texts. In Daniel, 'נּוּר' is the term used for fire in the account of the fiery furnace, distinguishing Aramaic narrative diction from Hebrew, where אֵשׁ ('ēsh) is used. The word is also attested in later Aramaic dialects and other Northwest Semitic languages for fire. English translations render 'nûwr' as 'fire,' but this may mask the distinction between Hebrew and Aramaic choices of vocabulary. The term does not carry ritual or cultic connotations unless specified by context, and unlike Hebrew אֵשׁ, does not suggest altar-fire by itself. Its use is primarily descriptive. There is no evidence that 'nûwr' in biblical contexts was used metaphorically for divinity or judgment (e.g., as 'hellfire') in the original settings, though such readings became common in later Jewish and Christian commentary. The later English term 'fiery' in translations is an adjectival rendering based on context, not primary meaning.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) from an unused root (corresponding to that of נִיר) meaning to shine; fire; fiery, fire.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נור (n-w-r) — burning, shining, producing heat or light
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5135-02 |
נוּרָ֖/א | nura | ANcbsd/Td |
of fire | the fire | 13 |
H5135-01 |
נ֔וּר | nur | ANcbsa |
fire | fire | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
17 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5135-02 |
Daniel 3:6 | נוּרָ֖/א | nura | ANcbsd/Td |
of fire | the fire |
H5135-02 |
Daniel 3:11 | נוּרָ֖/א | nura | ANcbsd/Td |
fiery | the fire |
H5135-02 |
Daniel 3:15 | נוּרָ֖/א | nura | ANcbsd/Td |
of fire | the fire |
H5135-02 |
Daniel 3:17 | נוּרָ֧/א | nura | ANcbsd/Td |
fiery | the fire |
H5135-02 |
Daniel 3:20 | נוּרָ֖/א | nura | ANcbsd/Td |
of fire | the fire |
H5135-02 |
Daniel 3:21 | נוּרָ֖/א | nura | ANcbsd/Td |
fiery | the fire |
H5135-02 |
Daniel 3:22 | נוּרָֽ/א | nura | ANcbsd/Td |
fire-the | the fire |
H5135-02 |
Daniel 3:23 | נוּרָ֥/א | nura | ANcbsd/Td |
of-fire | the fire |
H5135-02 |
Daniel 3:24 | נוּרָ/א֙ | nura | ANcbsd/Td |
the fire | the fire |
H5135-02 |
Daniel 3:25 | נוּרָ֔/א | nura | ANcbsd/Td |
the fire | the fire |