נֵכָר (H5236) — Hebrew Lexicon

נֵכָר

𐤍𐤊𐤓

nêkâr

H5236 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נכר to recognize, to distinguish, to acknowledge as different

Definition

Something or someone foreign, alien, or strange; used of foreign people (non-Israelites), foreign lands, foreign gods, and sometimes foreign customs or objects. The term may also denote the abstract concept of 'foreignness.'

Semantic Range

alien, foreign person, foreigner, outsider, foreign nation, foreign deity, strange thing, anything non-native or not belonging to Israel, abstract foreignness

Root / Etymology

From the root נכר (n-k-r), which fundamentally means 'to recognize' or 'to mark as different.' In the form נֵכָר, the word expresses that which is recognized as 'different' or 'other'—hence, 'foreign' or 'alien.' Derived nominally to indicate things or persons recognized as being outside or distinct from the people or customs of the Israelite community.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, נֵכָר most frequently refers to people who are not Israelites, particularly in legal, cultic, and social contexts—e.g., prohibitions regarding foreign worship (Deut 31:16; Jer 5:19), or when contrasting Israelites with other peoples. In ritual contexts, it denotes non-Israelite gods (e.g., 'foreign gods', Joshua 24:20; Judges 10:16), emphasizing separateness from YHWH and traditional Israelite practice. The term can also refer to foreign lands (Isa 25:2) or the abstract notion of foreignness, reinforcing community boundaries. Later biblical books begin to reflect shifting, sometimes more inclusive, attitudes toward non-Israelites, but the core meaning remains. נֵכָר is distinct from גֵּר (gēr 'resident alien'), which indicates a foreigner dwelling among Israelites who is integrated into some aspects of Israelite society; נֵכָר emphasizes 'outsiderness' or lack of belonging. Where English translations use 'stranger,' 'foreigner,' or 'alien,' these may not adequately capture the word's legal or cultic nuance in Hebrew legal and ritual regulation.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

' from נָכַר; foreign, or (concretely) a foreigner, or (abstractly) heathendom; alien, strange ([phrase] -er).

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Root Family

נכר (n-k-r) — recognize, distinguish, regard as different

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H1971	הַכָּרָה	partiality of
H4378	מַכָּר	your acquaintances
H5234	נָכַר	I will acknowledge
H5235	נֶכֶר	his foreignness
H5237	נׇכְרִי	the outsider

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H5236-02`	נֵכָ֔ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreign	foreign one	27
`H5236-01`	הַ/נֵּכָר֙	hanekhar	`HTd/Ncmsa`	foreign	the foreign one	9

Occurrences in Scripture

36 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H5236-02`	Genesis 17:12	נֵכָ֔ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreigner	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Genesis 17:27	נֵכָ֑ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	of a foreigner	foreign one
`H5236-01`	Genesis 35:2	הַ/נֵּכָר֙	hanekhar	`HTd/Ncmsa`	of the foreigners	the foreign one
`H5236-01`	Genesis 35:4	הַ/נֵּכָר֙	hanekhar	`HTd/Ncmsa`	foreign	the foreign one
`H5236-02`	Exodus 12:43	נֵכָ֖ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreigner	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Leviticus 22:25	נֵכָ֗ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreigner	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Deuteronomy 31:16	נֵֽכַר	nekhar	`HNcmsc`	foreign	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Deuteronomy 32:12	נֵכָֽר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreign	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Joshua 24:20	נֵכָ֑ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreign	foreign one
`H5236-01`	Joshua 24:23	הַ/נֵּכָ֖ר	hanekhar	`HTd/Ncmsa`	foreign	the foreign one
`H5236-01`	Judges 10:16	הַ/נֵּכָר֙	hanekhar	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the foreign	the foreign one
`H5236-01`	1 Samuel 7:3	הַ/נֵּכָ֛ר	hanekhar	`HTd/Ncmsa`	foreign	the foreign one
`H5236-02`	2 Samuel 22:45	נֵכָ֖ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	the stranger	foreign one
`H5236-02`	2 Samuel 22:46	נֵכָ֖ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreigners	foreign one
`H5236-01`	Isaiah 56:3	הַ/נֵּכָ֗ר	hanekhar	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the-foreigner	the foreign one
`H5236-01`	Isaiah 56:6	הַ/נֵּכָ֗ר	hanekhar	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the foreigner	the foreign one
`H5236-02`	Isaiah 60:10	נֵכָר֙	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	strangers	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Isaiah 61:5	נֵכָ֔ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreigner	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Isaiah 62:8	נֵכָר֙	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreigner	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Jeremiah 5:19	נֵכָר֙	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreign	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Jeremiah 8:19	נֵכָֽר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreign	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Ezekiel 44:7	נֵכָ֗ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	stranger	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Ezekiel 44:9	נֵכָ֗ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	of foreigner	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Ezekiel 44:9	נֵכָ֔ר	nekhar-2	`HNcmsa`	of foreigner	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Malachi 2:11	נֵכָֽר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreign	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Psalms 18:45	נֵ֝כָ֗ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	stranger	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Psalms 18:46	נֵכָ֥ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	the stranger	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Psalms 81:10	נֵכָֽר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreign	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Psalms 137:4	נֵכָֽר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreign	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Psalms 144:7	נֵכָֽר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	of foreigners	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Psalms 144:11	נֵ֫כָ֥ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	strangers	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Daniel 11:39	נֵכָ֔ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreign	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Nehemiah 9:2	נֵכָ֑ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	of foreigner	foreign one
`H5236-02`	Nehemiah 13:30	נֵכָ֑ר	nekhar	`HNcmsa`	foreign	foreign one
`H5236-01`	2 Chronicles 14:2	הַ/נֵּכָ֖ר	hanekhar	`HTd/Ncmsa`	of the foreign [gods]	the foreign one
`H5236-01`	2 Chronicles 33:15	הַ/נֵּכָ֤ר	hanekhar	`HTd/Ncmsa`	of the foreign	the foreign one

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