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נָחוֹר

𐤍𐤇𐤅𐤓

Nachor

H5152 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נחר to snort, to snore

Definition

Proper noun designating a personal name found in early Israelite genealogical traditions. Refers particularly to two individuals: (1) the grandfather of the patriarch Abraham and (2) Abraham's brother. The name itself does not carry an inherent meaning as a common noun but is attested as a patrimonial identifier in ancestral lists. Its possible etymological connection to 'snorting' or 'snoring' is uncertain and likely secondary to its function as a personal name.

Semantic Range

personal name (Nahor), ancestral/progenitorial identifier; in noun form outside of personal name, 'snort,' 'snoring'

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root נַחַר (n-ḥ-r), which in noun form means 'snorting' or 'snoring'; however, as a personal name, the direct semantic link is unclear and may have been obscured before its adoption into Israelite tradition. The name appears to be of West Semitic origin, attested also in extrabiblical sources from the Old Babylonian period. As a proper noun, the etymological meaning is largely secondary to its genealogical function.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, נָחוֹר (Nahor) first appears in genealogies as both the son of Serug and the brother of Abraham (Genesis 11:22-29; 22:20-24). The name is associated with the ancestral homeland of the patriarchs, as Abraham's relatives remain in 'the land of Nahor' (Genesis 24:10), later identified geographically with northwest Mesopotamia (Aram-Naharaim). The name is not directly associated with later Israelite or Judahite ethnic identities, but rather with the broader Aramean milieu of the ancestral narratives. Unlike much later traditions that conflate related terms with 'Jew,' the designation here is purely genealogical and geographic. The prevalence of the name and family group in the early narratives signals Nahor's role in the lineage leading to the Israelite tribes, though he is not himself counted among their ancestors. English translations typically preserve the personal name as 'Nahor,' but do not convey the possible etymological meaning or historical setting implied by the Hebrew text. The meaning of the root (to snort/snore) appears etymologically but does not function in the text as a descriptor of character or reputation.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as נַחַר; snorer; Nochor, the name of the grandfather and a brother of Abraham; Nahor.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נחר (n-ḥ-r) — to snort, to snore

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5156 נְחִיר from his nostrils
H5170 נַחַר snorting of
H5171 נַחֲרַי Nacharai
H588 אֲנָחֲרָת and Anacharath

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5152-02 נָחֽוֹר nachor HNp Nahor Nahor 14
H5152-01 לְ/נָח֥וֹר lenachor HR/Np to Nahor to Nahor 3
H5152-03 וְ/נָח֛וֹר venachor HC/Np and Nahor and Nahor 1

Occurrences in Scripture

18 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5152-02 Genesis 11:22 נָחֽוֹר nachor HNp Nahor Nahor
H5152-02 Genesis 11:23 נָח֖וֹר nachor HNp Nahor Nahor
H5152-02 Genesis 11:24 נָח֔וֹר nachor HNp Nahor Nahor
H5152-02 Genesis 11:25 נָח֗וֹר nachor HNp Nahor Nahor
H5152-02 Genesis 11:26 נָח֖וֹר nachor HNp Nahor Nahor
H5152-02 Genesis 11:27 נָח֖וֹר nachor HNp Nahor Nahor
H5152-03 Genesis 11:29 וְ/נָח֛וֹר venachor HC/Np and Nahor and Nahor
H5152-02 Genesis 11:29 נָחוֹר֙ nachor HNp Nahor Nahor
H5152-01 Genesis 22:20 לְ/נָח֥וֹר lenachor HR/Np to your brother Nahor to Nahor
H5152-01 Genesis 22:23 לְ/נָח֖וֹר lenachor HR/Np to Nahor to Nahor
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