Lexical Summary
neum: Utterance, declaration, oracle
Original Word:נְאֻם
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:n'um
Pronunciation:neh-oom'
Phonetic Spelling:(neh-oom')
KJV: (hath) said, saith
NASB:declares, oracle, says, declared, speaks
Word Origin:[fromH5001 (נָאַם - declare)]
1. an oracle
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
has said, said
Fromna'am; an oracle -- (hath) said, saith.
see HEBREWna'am
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionutterance
NASB Translationdeclared (1), declares (363), oracle (6), says (5), speaks (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
376 (Ba
NB 82 e Kö
Lgb ii. 501 > older explanation asPassive participle); — always thus, as construct: —
utterance, declaration, revelation, of prophet in ecstatic stateNumbers 24:3,15;Numbers 24:4;Numbers 24:6;Numbers 24:3;Numbers 24:15;2 Samuel 23:1;Proverbs 30:1;2 Samuel 23:1;Psalm 36:2 (transgression personified, speaking with prophetic voice ); elsewhere always
(exceptJeremiah 23:31 see
):utterance, declaration of (prophet citing divine word given through him),Genesis 22:16 (J),Numbers 14:28 (P),2 Kings 9:26 (twice in verse);2 Kings 19:33 =Isaiah 37:34;2 Kings 22:19 2Chronicles 34:27;Isaiah 14:22;Isaiah 30:1;Isaiah 31:9;Ezekiel 13:6,7;Ezekiel 16:58;Ezekiel 37:14;Hosea 2:15;Hosea 2:18;Hosea 2:23;Hosea 11:11;Joel 2:12; Obadiah 4,8;Micah 4:6;Micah 5:9;Zephaniah 1:2,3,10;Zephaniah 3:8;Zechariah 8:17;Zechariah 10:12;Zechariah 11:6;Zechariah 12:1,4;Zechariah 13:8;Malachi 1:2 + Isa212t.; Jeremiah 162 t.; Amos 14 t.; Haggai 5 t.; Zech1 (Zechariah 1-8) 6 t.; followed by1 Samuel 2:30;Isaiah 17:6;Amos 6:8,14;Isaiah 14:22,23;Isaiah 17:3;Isaiah 22:25;Jeremiah 8:3;Jeremiah 25:29;Jeremiah 30:8;Jeremiah 49:26;Nahum 2:14;Nahum 3:5;Zechariah 13:2,7 + Haggai 5 t.; Zech1 (Zechariah 1-8) 7 t.; followed byZephaniah 2:9;Isaiah 1:24;Isaiah 19:4;Amos 3:13;Isaiah 3:15;Jeremiah 49:5;Jeremiah 46:18;Jeremiah 48:15; Jer 57:57;Isaiah 56:8;Jeremiah 2:22;Amos 4:5;Amos 8:3,9,11 + Ezekiel 82 t. begins sentence onlyIsaiah 56:8;Psalm 110:1; often in middleIsaiah 49:18;Amos 3:10 +; most frequently at endIsaiah 54:17;Amos 2:11;Amos 4:3 +; found in all prophets except Habakkuk, Jonah; not in H D of Hexateuch, Chronicles (except "" Kings), Daniel, Job or the five Megilloth.
Topical Lexicon
Overview of UsageThe Hebrew particle נְאֻם appears roughly 376 times in the Old Testament as a formal marker of divine or authoritative utterance. It functions as an imprimatur of certainty, introducing or concluding statements that carry the full weight of the Speaker’s authority. Although occasionally attached to humans (for example,2 Samuel 23:1), it overwhelmingly signals the speech of God Himself, most often rendered in English as “declares” or “says.”
Formula “Declares the LORD”
More than half of the occurrences lie in the stereotyped construction “נְאֻם יְהוָה” (“declares the LORD”). This formula brackets prophetic messages, underscoring that the human messenger is merely the conduit.Isaiah 1:24 sets the tone for the prophetic corpus: “Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: ‘Ah, I will gain satisfaction from My foes; I will take revenge on My enemies.’” Jeremiah alone contains over 150 examples (Jeremiah 1:8;Jeremiah 31:23;Jeremiah 33:2), turning the recurring phrase into a literary drumbeat that validates each new oracle.
Prophetic Authentication
In the ancient Near East kings introduced decrees with self-attesting phrases; the prophets employ נְאֻם to authenticate a higher throne room. Amos opens his ministry with the solemn refrain “Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions … and for four’” (Amos 1:3), but then seals individual pronouncements with נְאֻם, ensuring that hearers understand the difference between Amos’s voice and the divine verdict (Amos 6:8;Amos 9:12).
Contexts of Judgment
Approximately two-thirds of the occurrences accompany announcements of wrath, exile or covenant lawsuit.Nahum 2:13, “Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of Hosts,” distills the word’s judicial edge. InEzekiel 13:6-8 נְאֻם distinguishes false prophets—“They have made others hope for confirmations of their word”—from the LORD’s true decree, highlighting the peril of counterfeiting divine speech.
Contexts of Salvation and Promise
The same marker also introduces or seals promises of restoration.Jeremiah 29:11-14 gathers a beloved assurance into one continuous declaration: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD … ‘I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.’”Zechariah 8 weaves twelve occurrences into a tapestry of eschatological blessing, climaxing with “So will I save you, and you shall be a blessing; do not fear, let your hands be strong, declares the LORD of Hosts” (Zechariah 8:13).
Application in Wisdom Literature
Though rarer outside prophetic books, נְאֻם appears in Psalms and Proverbs to elevate certain sayings to oracle status.Proverbs 30:1 introduces Agur’s otherwise human reflections with “The words of Agur son of Jakeh—the oracle,” granting his observations a prophetic mantle. Likewise,Psalm 110:1 begins, “The LORD said to my Lord,” but verse 1b is a נְאֻם framing that sets the psalm apart as a royal oracle with messianic overtones.
Historical Distribution Across Canon
Torah: only a handful of occurrences (Numbers 14:28).
Former Prophets: climactic in David’s final words (2 Samuel 23:1-3).
Major Prophets: concentrated density—Isaiah (25), Jeremiah (150+), Ezekiel (80+).
Minor Prophets: frequent—Hosea (6), Amos (11), Zechariah (25).
Writings: selective but strategic—Psalms (7), Proverbs (3).
Christological Implications
Psalm 110:1-4 andIsaiah 42:1-9, both stamped with נְאֻם, are later cited in the New Testament to identify Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah (Matthew 22:44;Acts 13:34). The particle therefore not only authenticates Old Testament prophecy but also bridges to New Testament fulfillment, underscoring the unified voice of Scripture.
Relevance for Preaching and Teaching
1. Authority: Every use of נְאֻם reminds preachers that proclamation must remain tethered to what God has already declared.
2. Certainty: Congregations gain confidence knowing that promises borne by נְאֻם carry divine guarantee (Isaiah 55:11).
3. Discernment: The contrast between true and false prophets, spotlighted by נְאֻם, equips believers to test contemporary claims against the written Word.
Conclusion
Wherever נְאֻם appears, the biblical text signals a shift from human opinion to divine edict. Whether announcing judgment, offering hope, shaping wisdom, or revealing Messiah, the particle functions as a verbal seal, binding promise and fulfillment across the canon. The church therefore receives each “declares the LORD” as a fresh summons to trust, obedience and gospel proclamation.
Forms and Transliterations
וּנְאֻ֤ם וּנְאֻ֥ם ונאם נְאֻ֕ם נְאֻ֖ם נְאֻ֗ם נְאֻ֛ם נְאֻ֣ם נְאֻ֣ם ׀ נְאֻ֤ם נְאֻ֥ם נְאֻ֧ם נְאֻ֨ם־ נְאֻֽם־ נְאֻֽם׃ נְאֻום־ נְאֻם נְאֻם֙ נְאֻם֩ נְאֻם֮ נְאֻם־ נאום־ נאם נאם־ נאם׃ nə’um nə’um- nə’uwm- nə·’u·wm- nə·’um nə·’um- neum neuvm ū·nə·’um ūnə’um uneUm
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