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נַעֲמָן

𐤍𐤏𐤌𐤍

Naaman

H5283 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נעמ to be pleasant, to be delightful, to be agreeable

Definition

Proper name; denotes 'Naaman,' used as a personal name for two distinct individuals in the Hebrew Bible—one, a member of the tribe of Benjamin (an Israelite), and the other, a high-ranking Syrian official (commander of the Aramean army). The name itself expresses the sense of 'pleasantness, delightfulness,' or 'pleasant one.' While primarily used as a personal name, it preserves a semantic link to notions of attractiveness or graciousness.

Semantic Range

proper name referring to an individual named Naaman; the idea of a pleasant or delightful person as conveyed by the meaning of the name; does not function as a common noun in biblical Hebrew

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root נעם (noʿam), which conveys the sense of pleasantness, beauty, or sweetness. The form נַעֲמָן is likely a masculine noun or adjective formation, used as a personal name meaning 'pleasant one' or 'gracious one.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, Naaman appears first in Genesis 46:21 as a descendant of Benjamin, thus associated with tribal Israelite identity. The second and more prominent Naaman appears in 2 Kings 5, a prominent commander under the king of Aram-Damascus (Syria), renowned for his healing story. The name itself does not indicate ethnic or religious identity; context is necessary for clarification. Later translation traditions have sometimes rendered Naaman's story in ways influenced by developing Jewish-Christian perceptions, but the biblical usage is strictly personal and does not indicate group identity. The root נעמ is found in other Israelite names, e.g. Noam and Naamah, and in descriptive terms for pleasantness. The semantic link to pleasantness is preserved in names and sometimes in poetic or symbolic associations, but the word נַעֲמָן itself functions only as a personal name in the Hebrew Bible.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as נַעֲמָן; Naaman, the name of an Israelite and of a Damascene; Naaman.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5283-02 נַעֲמָֽן naaman HNp Naaman Pleasant One 10
H5283-03 וְ/נַעֲמָ֖ן venaaman HC/Np and Naaman and Pleasant-One 5
H5283-01 לְ/נַֽעֲמָ֔ן lenaaman HR/Np [of] Naaman to Pleasant-One 1

Occurrences in Scripture

16 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5283-03 Genesis 46:21 וְ/נַעֲמָ֖ן venaaman HC/Np and Naaman and Pleasant-One
H5283-03 Numbers 26:40 וְ/נַעֲמָ֑ן venaaman HC/Np and Naaman and Pleasant-One
H5283-01 Numbers 26:40 לְ/נַֽעֲמָ֔ן lenaaman HR/Np [of] Naaman to Pleasant-One
H5283-03 2 Kings 5:1 וְ֠/נַעֲמָן venaaman HC/Np Now Naaman and Pleasant-One
H5283-02 2 Kings 5:2 נַעֲמָֽן naaman HNp Naaman's Pleasant One
H5283-02 2 Kings 5:6 נַעֲמָ֣ן naaman HNp Naaman Pleasant One
H5283-02 2 Kings 5:9 נַעֲמָ֖ן naaman HNp Naaman Pleasant One
H5283-02 2 Kings 5:11 נַעֲמָ֖ן naaman HNp Naaman Pleasant One
H5283-02 2 Kings 5:17 נַעֲמָן֒ naaman HNp Naaman Pleasant One
H5283-02 2 Kings 5:20 נַעֲמָ֤ן naaman HNp Naaman Pleasant One
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