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נַעֲמָן

𐤍𐤏𐤌𐤍

naʻămân

H5282 noun

SILEX Entry

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

Definition

Naʽămān is a proper masculine noun primarily used as a personal name, meaning 'pleasant' or 'pleasant one.' It denotes a person characterized by pleasantness or charm. In the Hebrew Bible, the name is associated with two figures: a descendant of Benjamin and a military commander of Aram. The term embodies a sense of attractiveness or delightfulness attributed to an individual, reflecting either appearance, character, or reputation.

Semantic Range

personal name meaning 'pleasant one' or 'pleasantness,' name of a Benjaminite man, name of an Aramean military official; generic sense of a person characterized as 'pleasant,' not used concretely for an object or abstract quality

Root / Etymology

The word derives from the root נעם (nun-ayin-mem), which fundamentally means 'to be pleasant, delightful, sweet, agreeable.' The form נַעֲמָן is a denominative masculine noun and is primarily used as a personal name. This form incorporates the sense of pleasantness found in the root but applies it nominatively to a person, likely intended to convey endearment or favorable qualities.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Naʽămān appears as a personal name in biblical texts. In Genesis 46:21 and Numbers 26:40, he is listed as a descendant of Benjamin, an Israelite tribal figure. In 2 Kings 5, Naʽămān the Aramean commander is a non-Israelite celebrated for his military prowess and his miraculous healing by the prophet Elisha. Though later English translations render the name as 'Naaman,' the original Hebrew preserves the sense of 'pleasantness.' The name's application to both Israelite and foreign figures reflects its broader popularity or aspirational value in the ancient Near Eastern naming tradition. The underlying meaning remained focused on personal qualities of favor, attractiveness, or delight, and is distinct from abstract uses of the root (such as נֹעַם 'pleasantness' or נָעִים 'pleasant'). No evidence indicates a shift in core meaning across biblical periods, but its use is strictly nominal and never adjectival or as a common noun. Later Jewish and Christian traditions have developed the figure of Naʽămān the Aramean in diverse cultural and theological contexts, but these developments lie beyond the biblical usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from נָעֵם; pleasantness (plural as concrete); pleasant.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נעם (n-ʿ-m) — to be pleasant, to be agreeable, to be delightful

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4516 מַנְעַם in their delights
H5273 נָעִים in pleasant ones
H5276 נָעֵם you were pleasant
H5277 נַעַם and Pleasantness
H5278 נֹעַם in pleasantness of

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5282-01 נַעֲמָנִ֔ים naamanim HNcmpa pleasant pleasant ones 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5282-01 Isaiah 17:10 נַעֲמָנִ֔ים naamanim HNcmpa pleasant pleasant ones
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