נַחֲלִיאֵל
𐤍𐤇𐤋𐤉𐤀𐤋
Nachaliel
H5160 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper noun designating a specific site—Nahaliel—encountered by the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness; the name means 'wadi/valley of El (God)', combining the term for a seasonal watercourse with a divine element. The semantic range is limited to the designation of this particular location, understood in context as a place associated with water and possibly with the deity El.
Semantic Range
wadi, stream, ravine (as geographical feature); in this compound, used in a proper name signifying 'Nahal/Wadi of El'; limited to place-name usage in the Hebrew Bible
Root / Etymology
Formed from the noun נַחַל (naḥal, 'wadi, brook, ravine, seasonal stream') and the theophoric element אֵל ('El, God'), meaning 'Nahal/Wadi of El.' The root נ-ח-ל carries the sense of flowing or a stream bed; אֵל is a common West Semitic term for deity, especially the chief god in earlier Canaanite contexts and subsequently applied to the God of Israel.
Historical & Contextual Notes
נַחֲלִיאֵל (Nahaliel) occurs in Numbers 21:19 as the name of a stopping point in the Israelites' journey through Moabite territory, situated between Mattanah and Bamoth. The use of a theophoric element (אֵל) reflects a common ancient Near Eastern practice in personal and place names. The term נַחַל refers not to a permanent river but to a seasonal watercourse, typically dry except during the rainy season, which would have been a significant geographical and symbolic feature for nomadic groups. There is no evidence that Nahaliel was a settled city or that it continued as an important site beyond the wilderness period. Translation as 'Nahaliel' reflects a transliteration rather than a translation of the meaning. In later tradition and translation, the term is preserved as a place name; the divine reference ('El') is often unrecognized in English renderings. The name is not associated with later Judean or geographic developments. Comparison with similar place names incorporating נַחַל or אֵל further underscores the widespread use of nature features and deities in ancient toponyms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נַחַל and אֵל; valley of God; Nachaliel, a place in the Desert; Nahaliel.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נחל (n-ḥ-l) — to flow, stream, riverbed
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2470 | חָלָה | inherited allotment |
| H5157 | נָחַל | in causing to inherit |
| H5158 | נַחַל | in the seasonal stream |
| H5159 | נַחֲלָה | in the inherited allotment |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5160-02 |
וּ/מִ/נַּחֲלִיאֵ֖ל | uminachaliel | HC/R/Np |
and from Nahaliel | and from Wadi-of-El | 1 |
H5160-01 |
נַחֲלִיאֵ֑ל | nachaliel | HNp |
Nahaliel | Wadi of El | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5160-01 |
Numbers 21:19 | נַחֲלִיאֵ֑ל | nachaliel | HNp |
Nahaliel | Wadi of El |
H5160-02 |
Numbers 21:19 | וּ/מִ/נַּחֲלִיאֵ֖ל | uminachaliel | HC/R/Np |
and from Nahaliel | and from Wadi-of-El |