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נַעַר

𐤍𐤏𐤓

naʻar

H5288 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A young male, typically from infancy through adolescence, with usage ranging from child to youth to young man; by extension, one serving in an apprentice, servant, or attendant role. In specific contexts, may refer generally to youth regardless of precise age or status. The term can also, albeit less commonly, refer to a young female ('na‘arah'), but the masculine singular generally designates a male child or adolescent.

Semantic Range

boy, youth, young man, adolescent, child, servant, attendant, apprentice, (rarely) young girl

Root / Etymology

From the root נ-ע-ר (נער), which bears the sense 'to shake, stir up, rouse.' The noun נַעַר is derived from this root, potentially referencing the energy or restlessness characteristic of youth. The form indicates a concrete noun constructed from the verbal root, denoting one who is young or active.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the patriarchal and monarchic periods, נַעַר commonly designates a male child or adolescent, often still under the authority of parents or elders, but does not always imply extreme youth and can include young men fulfilling roles within the household or community. In literary and legal contexts, the term sometimes denotes a servant, apprentice, or attendant, regardless of age—hence contexts where 'servant' or 'attendant' may be an appropriate translation. In the feminine form (נַעֲרָה, na‘arah), it denotes a young woman, typically unmarried. The English term 'boy' reflects only part of the semantic range: נַעַר covers both younger children and older youths, as well as subordinate roles not necessarily defined by age. The development of the term's meaning does not show significant shift between earlier and later periods, but its application as a social descriptor (particularly in reference to servitude) is heavily dependent on context. Standard English translations such as 'boy,' 'child,' 'servant,' or 'lad' each capture only a facet of its full range.

Translation Consistency

primary "youth" 198 occurrences

Most frequent and neutral noun covering the full semantic range (boy, adolescent, young man) in typical contexts. It is the dominant P2 rendering, reads naturally across contexts where naʻar denotes a young male (and can be inflected for number/possessives); less common senses like servant/attendant can be handled by context or per-occurrence notes.

Alternatives (41 occurrences):
"servant" (18x) "young men" (10x) "young man" (5x) "servants" (3x) "young men of" (2x) "like the young man" (1x) "among the young males" (1x) "attendants" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from נָעַר; (concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age); babe, boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young (man).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נער (n-ʿ-r) — to shake, to stir, to rouse

Root נער to shake, to stir, to rouse
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5271 נָעוּר in his youths
H5286 נָעַר they roared
H5287 נָעַר Shake yourself off
H5289 נַעַר the youth
H5290 נֹעַר in the youth-period

Word Forms

33 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5288-04 הַ/נַּ֔עַר hanaar HTd/Ncmsa the boy the youth the youth 67
H5288-15 נַ֗עַר naar HNcmsa servant youth youth 41
H5288-05 הַ/נְּעָרִ֔ים hanearim HTd/Ncmpa the young men the youths the youths 21
H5288-18 נַעֲרֵי֙ naarey HNcmpc young men of youths of youths of 13
H5288-20 נַעֲר֔/וֹ naaro HNcmsc/Sp3ms his servant his youth his servant 11
H5288-07 לַ/נַּ֥עַר lanaar HRd/Ncmsa the boy to the young male to the youth 10
H5288-30 וְ/הַ/נַּ֔עַר vehanaar HC/Td/Ncmsa and the boy and the young male and the youth 10
H5288-24 נְעָרִ֑ים nearim HNcmpa young men youths youths 9
H5288-10 לְ/נַעֲר֔/וֹ lenaaro HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms to his servant to his young one to his servant 7
H5288-22 נְעָרָי/ו֙ nearayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his young men his young men his young men 7

Occurrences in Scripture

239 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5288-05 Genesis 14:24 הַ/נְּעָרִ֔ים hanearim HTd/Ncmpa the young men the youths the youths
H5288-04 Genesis 18:7 הַ/נַּ֔עַר hanaar HTd/Ncmsa the servant the youth the youth
H5288-13 Genesis 19:4 מִ/נַּ֖עַר minaar HR/Ncmsa from young man from a youth from a youth
H5288-04 Genesis 21:12 הַ/נַּ֣עַר hanaar HTd/Ncmsa the boy the youth the youth
H5288-04 Genesis 21:17 הַ/נַּעַר֒ hanaar HTd/Ncmsa of the boy the youth the youth
H5288-04 Genesis 21:17 הַ/נַּ֖עַר hanaar-2 HTd/Ncmsa of the boy the youth the youth
H5288-04 Genesis 21:18 הַ/נַּ֔עַר hanaar HTd/Ncmsa boy the youth the youth
H5288-04 Genesis 21:19 הַ/נָּֽעַר hanaar HTd/Ncmsa the boy the youth the youth
H5288-04 Genesis 21:20 הַ/נַּ֖עַר hanaar HTd/Ncmsa the boy the youth the youth
H5288-22 Genesis 22:3 נְעָרָי/ו֙ nearayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms of his young men his young men his young men
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