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נַעַר

𐤍𐤏𐤓

naʻar

H5289 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נער to shake, to stir up, to rouse, to be unsettled

Definition

A youth, young man, or adolescent; frequently used for a male child, servant, or attendant, and sometimes for a young woman (in its feminine form). The term spans the period from childhood through adolescence and into young adulthood, often marking a transitional life stage rather than a strictly defined age. In various contexts, it denotes a young servant, a military attendant, a court official in training, or a family member not yet invested with adult authority.

Semantic Range

youth, young man, adolescent, boy, servant, attendant, apprentice, court official in training, military aide

Root / Etymology

From the root נ־ע־ר (נער) meaning 'to shake, shake off, stir up, rouse.' The derived noun נַעַר ('naʻar') originally conveys the sense of someone vigorous, active, or not yet settled, which associates with youthfulness or immaturity.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical Hebrew, נַעַר is used widely: for male children (e.g., Isaac, Joseph), adolescents (e.g., David as Saul's armor-bearer), as well as young adults serving as attendants or apprentices in royal or priestly contexts. The term does not necessarily specify infancy or very young children, but rather those before reaching full adulthood, making 'youth' or 'young man' good general renderings. On occasion, the word forms part of title phrases for certain officials (e.g., young attendants at court or in military settings). In poetry and narrative, a נַעַר may serve in roles of familial service, general assistance, or as a person of lower status within a household. In later Hebrew periods, the associated forms take on more technical senses (such as 'servant' or 'apprentice'). Occasionally, the feminine form נַעֲרָה (na‘arah) is applied to a young, unmarried woman. English translations often use 'boy,' 'lad,' or 'servant,' but these may fail to capture the nuance of social status or age flexibility. The term does not carry the connotation of rebelliousness, which some later European terms for youth might suggest, and its scope ranges from boyhood through young manhood. Distinct from גֶּבֶר (gever, a more mature man) and יֶלֶד (yeled, a child or infant).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from נָעַר in its derivative sense of tossing about; a wanderer; young one.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נער (n-ʿ-r) — to shake, stir, rouse

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5271 נָעוּר in his youths
H5286 נָעַר they roared
H5287 נָעַר Shake yourself off
H5288 נַעַר in the young male
H5290 נֹעַר in the youth-period

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5289-01 הַ/נַּ֣עַר hanaar HTd/Ncmsa the-young the youth 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5289-01 Zechariah 11:16 הַ/נַּ֣עַר hanaar HTd/Ncmsa the-young the youth
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