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נָעֵם

𐤍𐤏𐤌

nâʻêm

H5276 verb

SILEX Entry

Root נעם to be pleasant, to be agreeable, to be delightful, to be sweet

Definition

To be pleasant, delightful, or agreeable; to possess a quality or character that induces favor, enjoyment, or attractiveness, whether in physical, aesthetic, or moral terms. The verb conveys the idea of being pleasing, charming, or giving a sense of satisfaction or enjoyment, either to the senses or to the mind. It can refer to literal pleasantness (such as a sweet sound or pleasant scent) or figurative pleasantness (such as agreeable behavior, personality, or conditions).

Semantic Range

to be pleasant, to be delightful, to be agreeable, to be sweet (in sound, sight, or reputation), to give or take pleasure, to induce enjoyment or favor, to be charming, to please (in affect or effect)

Root / Etymology

From the root נע"ם (nun-ayin-mem), which at the root level means 'to be pleasant, sweet, agreeable.' The form נָעֵם functions as a verb, typically qal, and signifies the state or process of being or becoming pleasant.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, נָעֵם most often describes that which gives pleasure, delight, or satisfaction. It is used for a variety of senses: the sweetness of music (Ps 135:3, 'for it is pleasant'), the attractiveness of a voice or speech (Ps 147:1), or pleasantness in more abstract, ethical, or relational contexts (Prov 2:10, 'knowledge is pleasant to your soul'). The term does not inherently carry a moral or religious connotation but describes the experiential or affective response to something good or pleasing. Compared with related terms like טוֹב (ṭov, 'good') or יָפֶה (yafeh, 'beautiful'), נָעֵם tends to emphasize not moral goodness or physical beauty per se, but the positive, pleasant effect on the observer or participant, whether sensory or emotional. In post-biblical Hebrew, the root continues to convey ideas of pleasantness and agreeableness. English renderings such as 'delightful,' 'lovely,' 'pleasant,' or 'sweet' all reflect aspects of the semantic range, but none capture the full nuance, especially where it merges sensory pleasure with relational delight. Usage remains consistent from early to late biblical periods, though its poetic frequency is especially high in the Psalms and Proverbs.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to be agreeable (literally or figuratively); pass in beauty, be delight, be pleasant, be sweet.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נעם (n-ʿ-m) — pleasantness, delightfulness, agreeableness, sweetness

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4516 מַנְעַם in their delights
H5273 נָעִים in pleasant ones
H5277 נַעַם and Pleasantness
H5278 נֹעַם in pleasantness of
H5279 נַעֲמָה Pleasantness

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5276-05 יִנְעָֽם yineam HVqi3ms is pleasant he will be pleasant 3
H5276-01 נָעַ֥מְתָּ naameta HVqp2ms do you surpass in beauty you were pleasant 2
H5276-04 נָעֵֽמוּ naemu HVqp3cp they are delightful they were pleasant 1
H5276-02 נָּעַ֔מְתְּ naamete HVqp2fs pleasant You were pleasant 1
H5276-03 נָעֵ֑מָה naemah HVqp3fs it was pleasant she was pleasant 1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5276-03 Genesis 49:15 נָעֵ֑מָה naemah HVqp3fs it was pleasant she was pleasant
H5276-01 2 Samuel 1:26 נָעַ֥מְתָּ naameta HVqp2ms you have been pleasant you were pleasant
H5276-01 Ezekiel 32:19 נָעָ֑מְתָּ naameta HVqp2ms do you surpass in beauty you were pleasant
H5276-04 Psalms 141:6 נָעֵֽמוּ naemu HVqp3cp they are delightful they were pleasant
H5276-05 Proverbs 2:10 יִנְעָֽם yineam HVqi3ms will be pleasant he will be pleasant
H5276-05 Proverbs 9:17 יִנְעָֽם yineam HVqi3ms is pleasant he will be pleasant
H5276-05 Proverbs 24:25 יִנְעָ֑ם yineam HVqi3ms it will be pleasant he will be pleasant
H5276-02 Song of Songs 7:7 נָּעַ֔מְתְּ naamete HVqp2fs pleasant You were pleasant
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