Lexical Summary
nahar: To flow, stream, shine, be radiant
Original Word:נָהַר
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:nahar
Pronunciation:naw-har'
Phonetic Spelling:(naw-har')
KJV: flow (together), be lightened
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to sparkle, i.e. (figuratively) be cheerful
2. hence (from the sheen of a running stream) to flow, i.e. (figuratively) assemble
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
flow together, be lightened
A primitive root; to sparkle, i.e. (figuratively) be cheerful; hence (from the sheen of a running stream) to flow, i.e. (figuratively) assemble -- flow (together), be lightened.
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. [] (Arabic
run, flow; perhaps denominative from
river, and this loan-word (compare Frä
285); Assyrian
nûru, stream,
river, Dl
HWB 440; Aramaic
,
river); —
Perfect3plural consecutiveIsaiah 2:2 2t.;Imperfect3masculine pluralJeremiah 51:44; —flow, stream only figurative: of restored Israel streamingJeremiah 31:12; nations to () BelJeremiah 51:44; to temple-hill at JerusalemIsaiah 2:2 () =Micah 4:1 ().
II. (Aramaic) (Late Hebrewid., especially in derivatives; Assyriannûru,light, DlHWB 440; Arabic
daytime,
day, daytime; Aramaic
shine,id.; Palmyreneillustrious, e.g. VogPalm. No. 22); —
Perfect2feminine singular consecutiveIsaiah 60:5; 3pluralPsalm 34:6; —beam, be radiant, figurative of joy:Isaiah 60:5,Psalm 34:6 (read , , see Che Bae Du).
14Daniel 7:10 river (see Biblical Hebrew I. ); — absoluteDaniel 7:10; emphaticEzra 4:10 +, ,Ezra 4:16; —river, usually of Euphrase, in phraseEzra 4:10,11,16 10t. Ezra;Daniel 7:10a river of fire, in vision.
Topical Lexicon
Root Imagery and Narrative ThreadThe verb נָהַר weaves two complementary pictures: the unstoppable movement of water and the luminous glow of a shining face. Scripture employs both ideas to portray God-initiated transformation—people, nations, and even emotions “stream” toward His presence and there “radiate” with joy.
Worshipful Radiance (Psalm 34:5;Isaiah 60:5)
•Psalm 34:5 celebrates individual devotion: “Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces shall never be ashamed.” The light is not self-generated; it reflects an encounter with the LORD who delivers the psalmist from fear (Psalm 34:4).
•Isaiah 60:5 extends the motif to Zion: “Then you will look and be radiant, and your heart will tremble and swell with joy because the riches of the seas will be brought to you.” The shining city embodies the collective joy of a redeemed community, anticipating the New Jerusalem ofRevelation 21:23 where “the glory of God gives it light.”
Eschatological Pilgrimage (Isaiah 2:2;Micah 4:1)
Both prophets announce the same climactic vision:
“In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established… and all nations will stream to it” (Isaiah 2:2;Micah 4:1).
The flowing of peoples to Zion reverses Babel’s scattering. Worship replaces rebellion; instruction substitutes confusion (Isaiah 2:3). The image fuels missionary hope—the gospel current carries every ethnicity toward the knowledge of God.
Restoration After Exile (Jeremiah 31:12)
“They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will be radiant over the goodness of the LORD… Their life will be like a well-watered garden.” The returned exiles “stream together” to celebrate covenant blessings—grain, wine, oil, offspring—giving Israel a foretaste of the Messianic age when spiritual and material prosperity converge.
Judgment and the Collapse of False Worship (Jeremiah 51:44)
Against Babylon the verb is reversed: “The nations will no longer stream to him; even the wall of Babylon will fall.” What once drew multitudes now stands deserted. God redirects the world’s flow away from idolatry toward true worship. The downfall of Bel anticipates the fall of every rival power (Revelation 18:2).
Theological Themes
1. Divine Attraction: God’s holiness and mercy pull humanity the way gravity pulls water.
2. Transforming Vision: To gaze on the LORD is to glow with His glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).
3. Corporate Hope: National and international movements fulfill covenant promises to Abraham that “all the families of the earth” will be blessed.
4. Exclusive Sovereignty: When idols collapse, their pilgrims disappear; only Zion remains a perpetual magnet.
Christological Fulfillment
Jesus Christ embodies both senses of נָהַר. He is the “light of the world” (John 8:12) who makes believers “shine like lights” (Philippians 2:15), and He is the crucified and risen Lord who draws “all men” to Himself (John 12:32). Pentecost initiates the global streaming foretold by the prophets, while the radiant faces at His transfiguration preview the believer’s final glorification.
Ministry Implications
• Evangelism: Expect nations to be drawn; labor with confidence in God’s magnetic grace.
• Worship: Foster corporate focus on the Lord’s beauty; radiant faces testify louder than words.
• Discipleship: Teach believers that sustained beholding produces transformation.
• Social Engagement: Anticipate material and societal renewal as a by-product of spiritual revival, echoingJeremiah 31:12.
• Prophetic Warning: Expose modern idols—political, economic, technological—before their inevitable collapse so that hearts may stream toward the unshakable kingdom.
Prayer Pattern
“Lord, turn our eyes to You until our faces shine, our hearts flow, and the nations come to Your light.”
Forms and Transliterations
וְנָהֲר֞וּ וְנָהֲר֥וּ וְנָהַ֔רְתְּ וְנָהָ֑רוּ ונהרו ונהרת יִנְהֲר֥וּ ינהרו venaHart venaHaru wə·nā·hă·rū wə·nā·hā·rū wə·nā·hart wənāhart wənāhărū wənāhārū yin·hă·rū yinhaRu yinhărū
Links
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Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
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