נִינְוֵה
𐤍𐤉𐤍𐤅𐤄
Nineveh
H5210 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Nineveh, a major ancient city located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, serving as the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. The word is a proper noun denoting both the physical city and, by extension, its inhabitants or as a synecdoche for the Assyrian imperial power.
Semantic Range
Nineveh (as a city), capital of the Assyrian Empire, symbol of power and judgment, the inhabitants of Nineveh (by synecdoche)
Root / Etymology
Of foreign origin, not derived from a Semitic root, but likely from Akkadian (Ninua or Ninâ), possibly related to a word meaning 'settlement of the goddess Ishtar,' but the etymology remains uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
נִינְוֵה (Nineveh) occurs most prominently in the prophetic books Jonah and Nahum, where it represents the Assyrian imperial center, renowned for both its size and its perceived wickedness in Israelite prophetic literature. Its mention in Genesis 10 links it with the early development of Mesopotamian urbanism. Later biblical texts use Nineveh as an archetype of foreign dominance and eventual downfall, particularly in exilic and post-exilic writings. English translations uniformly retain 'Nineveh' as the name, matching ancient sources. There is no evidence the term was ever used for something other than the city or its symbolic role in the literature of the Hebrew Bible. Unlike other foreign cities in Israelite texts, Nineveh is never conflated with Israelite or Judahite identities, always speaking to its foreignness and imperial power.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of foreign origin; Nineveh, the capital of Assyria; Nineveh.
Bantu Hebrew
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נינוה (n-y-n-w-h (foreign)) — foreign place name, Nineveh, Assyrian capital
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5210-02 |
נִ֣ינְוֵ֔ה | nineveh | HNp |
Nineveh | Nineveh | 11 |
H5210-03 |
וְ/נִֽינְוֵ֗ה | venineveh | HC/Np |
and Nineveh | and Nineveh | 3 |
H5210-01 |
בְּ/נִֽינְוֵֽה | benineveh | HR/Np |
in Nineveh | in Nineveh | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
17 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5210-02 |
Genesis 10:11 | נִ֣ינְוֵ֔ה | nineveh | HNp |
Nineveh | Nineveh |
H5210-02 |
Genesis 10:12 | נִֽינְוֵ֖ה | nineveh | HNp |
Nineveh | Nineveh |
H5210-01 |
2 Kings 19:36 | בְּ/נִֽינְוֵֽה | benineveh | HR/Np |
in Nineveh | in Nineveh |
H5210-01 |
Isaiah 37:37 | בְּ/נִֽינְוֵֽה | benineveh | HR/Np |
in-Nineveh | in Nineveh |
H5210-02 |
Jonah 1:2 | נִֽינְוֵ֛ה | nineveh | HNp |
Nineveh | Nineveh |
H5210-02 |
Jonah 3:2 | נִֽינְוֵ֖ה | nineveh | HNp |
Nineveh | Nineveh |
H5210-02 |
Jonah 3:3 | נִֽינְוֶ֖ה | nineveh | HNp |
Nineveh | Nineveh |
H5210-03 |
Jonah 3:3 | וְ/נִֽינְוֵ֗ה | venineveh | HC/Np |
and Nineveh | and Nineveh |
H5210-03 |
Jonah 3:4 | וְ/נִֽינְוֵ֖ה | venineveh | HC/Np |
and Nineveh | and Nineveh |
H5210-02 |
Jonah 3:5 | נִֽינְוֵ֖ה | nineveh | HNp |
Nineveh | Nineveh |