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נַעֲרַי

𐤍𐤏𐤓𐤉

Naaray

H5293 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נער to be young, to grow up, to shake off, to be active

Definition

Naarai – a proper masculine name referring to an individual identified in the biblical text. The name is likely derived from the noun 'naʿar' (boy, youth, attendant), and thus may convey the sense 'youthful' or 'youth' in its formative sense. It designates a specific person rather than functioning as an adjective or appellative, so its lexical meaning is that of a personal name, possibly bearing the connotation of youthful vigor or characteristics associated with youth.

Semantic Range

personal name, possibly 'youth,' 'my youth,' 'youthful' (as a name); does not function as a common noun or adjective in the biblical text

Root / Etymology

Formed from the root נ-ע-ר (naʿar), meaning 'boy, youth, young man.' The name נַעֲרַי (Naʿăray) is a proper noun, possibly constructed on a possessive or adjectival pattern, rendered 'my youth' or 'youthful,' but used as a personal name. The morphological ending -ַי typically denotes a first person singular possessive, though in the context of names, it may function simply as a proper name formation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Naarai appears in 1 Chronicles 11:37 as one of David’s warriors, the 'Thirty.' The presence of the -ַי ending, if taken strictly, could imply 'my youth,' but personal names in the Hebrew Bible often diverge from direct semantic interpretation and may rather reflect family heritage or qualities admired in a warrior context. There is no evidence to suggest that the character's age or literal youthfulness is emphasized in the narrative. In later Jewish tradition and translations, such names are typically transliterated or occasionally rendered according to local phonology, rather than given an explicit meaning. Comparison may be drawn with similar names such as נַעַר (Naʿar), indicating the cultural prevalence of root-based theophoric and characteristic names.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from נַעַר; youthful; Naarai, an Israelite; Naarai.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נער (n-ʿ-r) — to be young, to grow up, to shake off, to be active

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

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5293-01 נַעֲרַ֖י naaray HNp Naarai Youthful-One 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5293-01 1 Chronicles 11:37 נַעֲרַ֖י naaray HNp Naarai Youthful-One
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