נַעֲרָה
𐤍𐤏𐤓𐤄
naʻărâh
H5291 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A female child or young woman; specifically, a girl from childhood through adolescence, including the period of sexual maturity but prior to marriage. In certain contexts, the term can also refer more narrowly to a young woman of marriageable age, or to a female servant or attendant.
Semantic Range
girl, young woman, maiden, unmarried female, adolescent girl, female attendant, female servant (in some contexts)
Root / Etymology
From the root נער (נ־ע־ר), meaning 'to be young, to grow up, to shake off.' The feminine form נַעֲרָה is derived from the root with the specific sense of a female youth. The root at its core denotes 'youthfulness' or 'youngness.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In early Israelite society and throughout biblical literature, נַעֲרָה describes girls in various stages of youth, ranging from early childhood to adolescence and into young adulthood, often with the primary connotation of 'unmarried' and sometimes implying readiness for marriage. In legal and narrative sources (e.g., Deuteronomy 22), נַעֲרָה refers to a young woman, sometimes specifying a virgin (נַעֲרָה בְתוּלָה, 'a maiden, a virgin girl'). The distinction from יַלְדָּה (child, girl) is important: נַעֲרָה is older and potentially marriageable, whereas יַלְדָּה refers to a younger girl. In contrast to שִׁפְחָה (female servant/slave), נַעֲרָה focuses on age and status, not servitude, though it may sometimes refer to a girl in service. The LXX often renders נַעֲרָה as παρθένος ('virgin, maiden') or κόρη ('girl'), and medieval/early modern translations frequently use 'damsel' or 'maiden,' which now carry archaic or narrowed connotations. Usage remains relatively consistent across the biblical periods but can sometimes reflect differences in marital status and social context. Modern English 'girl' or 'young woman' best captures its scope; 'maid' or 'damsel' are outdated and can mislead about social status.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of נַעַר; a girl (from infancy to adolescence); damsel, maid(-en), young (woman).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נער (n-ʿ-r) — to be young, to grow up, youthful vitality
| 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 |
| H5289 | נַעַר | the youth |
Word Forms
24 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5291-03 |
הַֽ/נַּעֲרָ֖ה | hanaarah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the young woman | the young woman | 21 |
H5291-11 |
נַעֲרָ֣ה | naarah | HNcfsa |
young woman | young woman | 9 |
H5291-05 |
ה/נער | hnr | HTd/Ncfsa |
the girl | the young woman | 8 |
H5291-02 |
הַֽ/נַּעֲרָ֗ | hanaara | HTd/Ncfsa |
the young woman | the young woman | 6 |
H5291-19 |
וְ/הַֽ/נַּעֲרָ֖ה | vehanaarah | HC/Td/Ncfsa |
and the young woman | and the young woman | 3 |
H5291-15 |
נַעֲרֹתֶ֔י/הָ | naaroteyha | HNcfpc/Sp3fs |
her maidens | her young women | 3 |
H5291-16 |
נְעָר֔וֹת | nearot | HNcfpa |
young women | young women | 3 |
H5291-14 |
נַ֣עֲרוֹתָ֔י/ו | naarotayv | HNcfpc/Sp3ms |
his maidens | his young women | 2 |
H5291-10 |
ל/נער | lnr | HRd/Ncfsa |
for the girl | to a young girl | 2 |
H5291-07 |
לַֽ/נַּעֲרָֽה | lanaarah | HRd/Ncfsa |
for the young woman | to the young woman | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
76 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5291-02 |
Genesis 24:14 | הַֽ/נַּעֲרָ֗ | hanaara | HTd/Ncfsa |
the young woman | the young woman |
H5291-18 |
Genesis 24:16 | וְ/הַֽ/נַּעֲרָ֗ | vehanaara | HC/Td/Ncfsa |
And the girl | young woman |
H5291-02 |
Genesis 24:28 | הַֽ/נַּעֲרָ֔ | hanaara | HTd/Ncfsa |
the girl | the young woman |
H5291-02 |
Genesis 24:55 | הַ/נַּעֲרָ֥ | hanaara | HTd/Ncfsa |
the girl | the young woman |
H5291-06 |
Genesis 24:57 | לַֽ/נַּעֲרָ֑ | lanaara | HRd/Ncfsa |
the girl | to the young woman |
H5291-23 |
Genesis 24:61 | וְ/נַעֲרֹתֶ֗י/הָ | venaaroteyha | HC/Ncfpc/Sp3fs |
and her young women | and her young-women |
H5291-02 |
Genesis 34:3 | הַֽ/נַּעֲרָ֔ | hanaara | HTd/Ncfsa |
the young woman | the young woman |
H5291-02 |
Genesis 34:3 | הַֽ/נַּעֲרָֽ | hanaara-2 | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the young woman | the young woman |
H5291-02 |
Genesis 34:12 | הַֽ/נַּעֲרָ֖ | hanaara | HTd/Ncfsa |
the young woman | the young woman |
H5291-23 |
Exodus 2:5 | וְ/נַעֲרֹתֶ֥י/הָ | venaaroteyha | HC/Ncfpc/Sp3fs |
and her attendants | and her young-women |