Concordance Usage of Hebrew Word Na’ar in the Old Testament

The term Na'ar occurs some 239 times in the OT:86 times in 1/2 Samuel35 times in 1/2 Kings

Genesis 22:3, 5, 19 - Abraham's servants are young "na'ars."

Genesis 22:12 - Isaac is a "na'ar."

Genesis 37:2 - Joseph as a 17 year old shepherd is also called a "na'ar."Years later as a prisoner Joseph is a na'ar (Genesis 41:12).

Genesis 44:22 - Joseph's brothers refer to Benjamin as a "na'ar."

Genesis 48:16 - Jacob/Israel refers to Joseph's sons as "na'ars."

Ruth 2:6, 8, 22 - used of Ruth

1 Samuel 1:22, 24-25 - Samuel is called a "na'ar."

2 Samuel 1:5-6 - the lad who tells of Saul and Jonathan's fate

2 Samuel 2:14, 21 - Abner tells Joab to let the young men or soliders fight

2 Samuel 9:9 - Ziba called Saul's "na'ar" or servant (2 Samuel 19:17)

2 Samuel 14:21 - Absoloam is a "na'ar" (also 2 Samuel 18:5, 12)

2 Samuel 16:1-2 - Ziba gives bread and fruit for David's "young men" (na'ars) to eat.

2 Kings 2:23-24 - the 42 youths from Bethel who call Elisha “bald-head.”

2 Kings 4:12 - Elisha calls his servant, Gehazi, a “Na’ar.”

2 Kings 4:19 - Shunammite woman’s son is a “Na’ar.”

2 Kings 5:2, 4 - Namaan’s little slave girl from Israel is a female “Na’ar.”

2 Kings 5:14 - When Namaan comes up from the water, his flesh is restored like the flesh of a “Na’ar” and he was clean.

2 Kings 19:6 - Isaiah calls the King of Assyria’s servants “Na’ars.”1

1John R. Kohlenberger III and James A. Swanson, The Hebrew-English Concordance To The Old

1

2

Lexical Meaning of and in theHebrew Bible

Project for Etymology and Exegesis (Dr. Rodney Cloud)By John R. Neal

I. - Meanings:

A. Brown-Driver-Briggs

(1) Boy, lad, youth2

a. Moses 3 months old (Ex. 2:6).b. One to be born (Jdgs. 13:5, 7, 8, 12).c. One just born (1 Samuel 4:21).d. One not weaned (1 Samuel 1:11; Isaiah 7:16; 8:4).e. Lad just weaned (1 Samuel 1:24).f. Young Ishmael (Gen. 21:12ff.).g. Young Isaac (Gen. 22:5, 12).h. Young Joseph (17 yrs. Old, Gen. 37:2).i. Sons of Samuel (1 Sam. 2:17).j. Sons of Jesse (1 Sam. 16:11).k. Little lad (1 Sam. 20:35; 1 Kgs. 3:7; 2 Kgs. 5:14; Isa. 11:6).l. Male of marriageable age (Gen. 34:19).m. Warrior Absolam (2 Sam. 18:5, 12).

(2) Servant, retainer (personal attendant, household servant)3

a. Num. 22:22b. Jdgs. 7:10, 11c. Jdgs. 19:3d. 1 Sam. 9:3e. 2 Kgs. 4:12, 25

(3) Retainer, follower4

a. Gen. 14:24b. 1 Sam. 25:2c. 1 Kgs. 20:14d. 2 Kgs. 19:6=Isa. 37:6e. Job 1:15, 16, 17f. Neh. 4:10, 17

B. Gesenius

Testament With The New International Version. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), 1093-95. 2Francis Brown, S.R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew And

English Lexicon With an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008), 654-55.

3Ibid. 4Ibid.

3

(1) A boy5

a. It’s used of both new-born babies and children (Ex. 2:6; Jdgs. 13:5, 7; 1 Sam. 4:21).

b. Young man about 20 (Gen. 34:19; 41:12 – compare with Gen. 37:2; 41:2; 1 Kgs. 3:7; Jer. 1:6, 7).

c. Sometimes use emphatically to express a tender age (1 Sam. 1:24; 1 Sam. 30:17, 400 young men).

d. In other places, boy is the name of his function and denotes a servant (see Gen. 37:2; 2 Kgs. 5:20; 8:4; Ex. 33:11; 2 Kgs. 4:12).

e. Used of common soldiers (1 Kgs. 20:15, 17, 19; 2 Kgs. 19:6).f. Used of Israelites when young a people (Hosea 11:1).

(2) The plural form is used of boys and girls in Job 1:19.6

C. Holladay

(1) Boy, youth (Gen. 19:4).(2) Young man, pl. young people (Gen. 14:24; 400 young men, 1 Sam. 30:17).(3) Boy, man (servant) –

a. Of Abraham (Gen. 22:3)b. Of weapon bearer (1 Sam. 14:1c. Can write (Jdgs. 8:14).d. Military personal (1 Sam. 21:3, 5).

(4) Both sexes (Ruth 2:21; Job 1:19).7

II. - Meanings.

A. Girl, damsel.(1) Little girl only (2 Kgs. 5:2).(2) Young daughters [?] (Job 40:29(3) Young woman (1 Sam. 9:11)(4) Young woman esp. of marriageable age (Gen. 24:14, 16, 28, 55, 57).(5) Young woman esp. of marriageable age (Deut. 22:15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 24 26,

29).(6) Specially virgin () – Esther 2:4, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13; Judg. 21:21; Deut.

22:15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 24, 26, 29.(7) Betrothed girl (Deut. 22:25, 27).(8) Young Widow (Ruth 2:6; 4:12).(9) Concubine (Jdgs. 19:3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9).(10) Prostitute (Amos 2:7).

Female attendants, maids.

5H.W.F. Gesenius, Gesenius’ Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon To The Old Testament Scriptures, Trans. By Samuel Prideaux Tregelles. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1977, Repr. 1988), 555.

6Ibid. 7William L. Holloday, A Concise Hebrew And Aramaic Lexicon Of The Old Testament. (Grand

Rapids: Eerdmans, (Gesenius 1977, Repr. 1988), 241.

4

(1) Gen. 24:61(2) Ex. 2:5(3) 1 Sam. 25:42(4) Prov. 9:3; 27:27; 31:15(5) Esther 2:9; 4:4, 16(6) Gleaners in the field – Ruth 2:5, 8, 22, 23.8

B. Gesenius.(1) Girl (Judg. 19:4; Esther 2:9, 13; also used of one neo/gamoj, Ruth 2:6

(compare ).(2) Handmaid, servant (Prov. 9:3; 31:15; Ruth 2:8, 22; 3:2).9

C. Holladay.(1) Marriageable girl (still girl, 1 Kgs. 1:2; coll. Judgs. 21:12).(2) Newly married woman (so-called by her parents, Jdgs. 9:3).(3) Prostitute/wench, girl, handmaid (Amos 2:7).10

III. Conclusion.

A. From the overview of a Hebrew concordance and three Hebrew Lexicons, the definition of “boy” for na’ar and “girl” for na’arah is simply too simplistic. Although not an inaccurate rendering, the meaning depends upon the context.

B. At times young boy or girl are sufficient translations, but at times the word carries more the idea of a servant or a young soldier in training (like in Medieval Europe when a knight would have his armor bearer, a knight in training).

C. Youth does not always capture the spirit of either term. Joseph is a na’ar at age 17 and even years later while in prison he is still one. Ruth is referred to as a widowed, female na’ar.

8Brown-Driver-Briggs, 655. 9Gesenius, 556. 10Holladay, 241.

5

Bibliography

Brown, Francis, S.R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew And English Lexicon With an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic. Peabody, MA.: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008.

Gesenius, H.W.F. Gesenius' Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon To The Old Testament Scriptures. Translated by Samuel Prideaux Tregelles. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1977, Repr. 1988.

Holloday, William L. A Concise Hebrew And ASramaic Lexicon Of The Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.

Kohlenberger, John R., III, and James A. Swanson. The Hebrew-English Concordance To The Old Testament with the NIV. Grand Rapids: Zondervan., 1998.