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עֲבֵד נְגוֹא

𐤏𐤁𐤃 𐤍𐤂𐤅𐤀

Nego

H5665 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עבד to serve, to be a servant, to work

Definition

Personal name meaning 'servant of Nego/Nebo.' Used exclusively as the Babylonian name given to Azariah, one of Daniel's companions in exile. The first element, עֲבֵד (ʽăvēd), means 'servant' in Aramaic. The second element, נְגוֹא (Nᵉgôʼ), is a variation of the Babylonian deity name Nebo (Akkadian: Nabû), the god of wisdom and writing. Thus, the full meaning is 'servant of Nego/Nebo.'

Semantic Range

personal name; 'servant of Nego/Nebo'; functionary name indicating subjection or allegiance to a deity

Root / Etymology

Aramaic personal name, borrowed from Akkadian. The first element derives from the Aramaic root עבד ('ʽ-b-d'), meaning 'to serve.' The second element, נְגוֹא (Nᵉgôʼ), is a colloquial or dialectal form related to Nabû/Nebo (נֵבוֹ), a Mesopotamian deity. The root for the principal element is עבד.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Appears only in the book of Daniel (notably Daniel 1:7 et al.) as the name assigned to Azariah upon entering Babylonian service. The renaming served to assimilate Israelite youths into Babylonian culture and religion, substituting Israelite theophoric names for ones invoking Babylonian gods. 'Abed-Nego' is likely a deliberate Hebrew/Aramaic rendering that avoids fully reproducing the authentic Babylonian deity name (Nabû), softening it to 'Nego,' perhaps for religious sensitivity or as phonetic adaptation. English translations have traditionally rendered the name as 'Abed-nego,' a direct transliteration but one that obscures its Babylonian religious overtones. Some older translations and traditions errantly use 'Abednego,' further distancing from the original context. In historical context, this name reflects the broader process of acculturation in exile, where ethnic Israelites receive Babylonian names indicating service to foreign deities. Distinct from ʽeved (Hebrew עֶבֶד, 'servant') and from Nebo as a separate word.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) of foreign origin; Abed-Nego, the name of Azariah; Abed-nego.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עבד (ʿ-b-d) — to serve, to work, to be a servant

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4566 מַעְבָּד their deeds
H4567 מַעְבָד his deeds
H5647 עָבַד he served
H5648 עֲבַד you did
H5649 עֲבַד servant

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5665-01 נְג֑וֹ nego ANp nego Servant of Nego 14
H5665-02 וַ/עֲבֵ֣ד vaaved AC/Np and Abed and Servant-of-Nego 14

Occurrences in Scripture

28 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5665-02 Daniel 2:49 וַ/עֲבֵ֣ד vaaved AC/Np and Abed and Servant-of-Nego
H5665-01 Daniel 2:49 נְג֑וֹ nego ANp nego Servant of Nego
H5665-02 Daniel 3:12 וַ/עֲבֵ֣ד vaaved AC/Np and and Servant-of-Nego
H5665-01 Daniel 3:12 נְג֑וֹ nego ANp Abednego Servant of Nego
H5665-02 Daniel 3:13 וַ/עֲבֵ֣ד vaaved AC/Np and Abednego and Servant-of-Nego
H5665-01 Daniel 3:13 נְג֑וֹ nego ANp Servant of Nego
H5665-02 Daniel 3:14 וַ/עֲבֵ֣ד vaaved AC/Np and-Abed and Servant-of-Nego
H5665-01 Daniel 3:14 נְג֑וֹ nego ANp nego Servant of Nego
H5665-02 Daniel 3:16 וַ/עֲבֵ֣ד vaaved AC/Np and-Abed and Servant-of-Nego
H5665-01 Daniel 3:16 נְג֔וֹ nego ANp nego Servant of Nego
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