Lexical Summary
nachal: Stream, brook, valley, wadi
Original Word:נַחַל
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:nachal
Pronunciation:NAH-khal
Phonetic Spelling:(nakh'-al)
KJV: brook, flood, river, stream, valley
Word Origin:[fromH5157 (נָחַל - inherit) in its original sense]
1. a stream, especially a winter torrent
2. (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs)
3. (also) a shaft (of a mine)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
brook, flood, river, stream, valley
Or (feminine) nachlah (Psalm 124:4) {nakh'-law}; or nachalah (Ezekiel 47:19; 48:28) {nakh-al-aw'}; fromnachal in its original sense; a stream, especially a winter torrent; (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a shaft (of a mine) -- brook, flood, river, stream, valley.
see HEBREWnachal
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I.
2Kings 3:16 (Ecclus 40:13; 40:16; Late Hebrew id., stream (rare);
, = Biblical Hebrew; Assyrian
na—lu = Biblical Hebrew; Lag
BN 140 Anm. thinks may be from = pronounced *; on in Sabean proper name, of a location, see Hal
Rev. Sémit. Iv (1896), 80, 1, 14); — absolute
Genesis 32:24 +,
Psalm 124:4; construct
Genesis 26:17 +; with locative,
Genesis 34:5 so read also
Ezekiel 47:19;
Ezekiel 48:28 (where ; see Thes); dual
Ezekiel 47:9, but read . Co Berthol; plural
Numbers 21:4 +;
Deuteronomy 8:7 +; suffix
Isaiah 34:9; —
torrent, of rushing water in narrow channelJudges 5:21 (3 t. in verse);Judges 4:7,13;Psalm 83:10 (all of , q. v.); mountain torrentDeuteronomy 9:21 (compareExodus 32:20); soAmos 5:24 (simile of righteousness); 2Chronicles 32:4 ("" );Isaiah 34:9; simile of tearsLamentations 2:18; hyperb.Micah 6:7torrents of oil, compare of honey and curdJob 20:17 ("" , ); figurative2 Samuel 22:5torrents of worthlessness ("" ), =Psalm 18:5; simile of glory of nationsIsaiah 66:12, figurative of invadersJeremiah 47:2 ("" ), or foesPsalm 124:4 (, see above);1 Kings 17:4,6 (for drinking), drying up in summer1 Kings 17:7 (; all of Elijah's stream , q. v.); for drinking alsoPsalm 110:7, and (figurative)Psalm 36:9;Job 6:15 (twice in verse) ( ; in simile); of water bursting from rockPsalm 78:20 (, "" ), comparePsalm 74:15 (+ ); figurative ofProverbs 18:4 ( ; "" ); more Generally = stream, brook, river (chiefly late)Isaiah 11:15 (divisions of river, ) in desertIsaiah 35:6 ("" ),Jeremiah 31:9 (),Ezekiel 47:5 (twice in verse);Ezekiel 47:9 b (all strike out Co),Ezekiel 47:6;Ezekiel 47:7;Ezekiel 47:9a (read, see above),Ezekiel 47:12; containing fish, etc.Leviticus 11:9,10 ("" , ),Ecclesiastes 1:7 (twice in verse); figurative ,Isaiah 30:28 ( ,Isaiah 30:33 ( ).
Torrent-valley, wady, as stream-bed1 Samuel 17:40;Nehemiah 2:15;Isaiah 57:6; with torrent flowing through it,Deuteronomy 21:4 (twice in verse);Deuteronomy 21:6,Deuteronomy 8:7 ("" ), compareDeuteronomy 10:7,1 Kings 18:5 ("" ),Psalm 104:10; abode of Elijah1 Kings 17:3,5 (compare1 Kings 17:4;1 Kings 17:6;1 Kings 17:7 above);Proverbs 30:17 (compare1 Kings 17:4,6);Isaiah 7:19 as home of bees; fertile,Numbers 13:23,24 (E);Songs 6:11;poplars of the wadyLeviticus 23:40 (H),Job 40:22;Isaiah 15:7; needing waterGenesis 26:17 ( ),Genesis 26:19 (J), compare2 Kings 3:16,17; place for refuse, ruins, etc.2 Samuel 17:13; in poetry also as wild, remote ravineJob 30:6, compareJob 22:24; place of child-sacrificeIsaiah 57:5; burial-placeJob 21:33 (), —Numbers 24:6 see II. .
Particular wadys designate localities:Numbers 21:14 (E),Deuteronomy 2:24,36 (twice in verse);Deuteronomy 3:8,12,16 (twice in verse);Deuteronomy 4:48;Joshua 12:1,2(twice in verse);Joshua 13:9 (twice in verse) (all D),Joshua 13:16;Joshua 13:16 (P),2 Kings 10:33;Numbers 32:9 (J),Deuteronomy 1:241 Samuel 30:9,10,21;2 Samuel 24:5;Numbers 21:12 (E),Deuteronomy 2:13 (twice in verse);Deuteronomy 2:14;Genesis 32:24 (J),Deuteronomy 2:37;Deuteronomy 3:16;Joshua 12:2 (all D);2 Samuel 15:23;1 Kings 2:37;1 Kings 15:13;1 Kings 18:40; 1Ki 23:6 (twice in verse);2 Samuel 23:12; 2Chronicles 15:16; 29:16; 30:14;Jeremiah 31:40;Joshua 16:8;Joshua 17:9 (3 t. in verse) (all P);Judges 16:4; Joel 4:18; is southwest limit of Palestine (Assyrianna—al [mat]Muƒri, Dl Par. 310 SchrCOTNumbers 34:5)Numbers 34:5 (P),Joshua 15:4 (D),Joshua 15:47 (P),1 Kings 8:65;2 Kings 24:7,2; Chron2 Kings 7:8;Isaiah 27:12, + (omit )Ezekiel 47:19;Ezekiel 48:28 (see above); so read also possiblyAmos 6:14 (see : usually identified withWâdy el-Arîsh; on Wkl's different view, see references below near the end); on identification ofJoshua 15:7;Joshua 19:11 (both P),2 Samuel 23:30 =1 Chronicles 11:32; 2Chronicles 20:16; 33:14, see Commentaries;Numbers 21:15, see .
Miner's shaft,Job 28:4.
II. [] perhaps (Arabic
, noun of individual meaning
; see PerlesJQ, July, 1899, 688); — only plural absolute,Numbers 24:6 like palm-trees, which are stretched out, spread out (as to foliage). So Perlesl.c, who compares Ecclus 50:12e, .
Topical Lexicon
Overviewנַחַל refers to the seasonal or perennial watercourses that score the hill-country and desert margins of the land promised to Israel. The word’s semantic range embraces torrent–valleys that run dry for much of the year, as well as brooks that flow continually. Because these channels were lifelines in an arid environment and, at times, dangerous flood paths, Scripture employs נַחַל in historical narrative, poetry, prophecy, and legal descriptions, weaving physical reality with theological meaning.
Geographical Reality in Ancient Israel
The land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan Rift is cut by hundreds of narrow wadis. Winter rains can turn a dusty ravine into a roaring flood within minutes, while the same bed may be parched and lifeless through the long summer. This volatility underlies statements such as “My brothers have acted deceitfully like a wadi, like seasonal streams that overflow” (Job 6:15). Knowing the behavior of a נַחַל could be the difference between life and death for shepherds, travelers, and armies.
Distribution Across the Canon
Approximately 141 occurrences span Genesis to Malachi. The Pentateuch uses the term chiefly for border descriptions (for example,Numbers 34:5), the Historical Books for military movements and covenant ceremonies, the Psalms and Wisdom literature for imagery of security or treachery, and the Prophets for both judgment and restoration.
Named Torrent Valleys and Their Narrative Significance
• Kidron – David crossed the Kidron during Absalom’s revolt; centuries later, Josiah desecrated idolatrous remnants there, and Jesus crossed it to Gethsemane (2 Samuel 15:23;2 Kings 23:6;John 18:1).
• Jabbok – Jacob wrestled with God “on the ford of the stream” (Genesis 32:22), marking his transformation into Israel.
• Besor – Weary men rested at this brook while David pursued the Amalekites (1 Samuel 30:9-10).
• Cherith – Elijah hid “by the Brook Cherith … and the ravens brought him bread and meat” (1 Kings 17:3-6).
• Kishon – “The torrent Kishon swept them away” (Judges 5:21), sealing victory for Deborah and Barak.
• Kanah, Zered, Eshcol, Gaash, Gerar and others serve as tribal borders or narrative markers.
Land Inheritance and Boundary Marker
Joshua repeatedly defines tribal allotments by נַחַל. Judah’s southern limit reaches “as far as the Brook of Egypt” (Joshua 15:4). Dan’s northern expansion is fixed “from Tappuah westward to the Brook Kanah, ending at the sea” (Joshua 17:9). Such references demonstrate both the practical role of wadis as natural boundaries and the covenant truth that God himself drew Israel’s borders.
Military Encounters
Flooded wadis could hinder, hide, or help armies:
• Sisera’s chariots bogged down in the Kishon (Judges 4–5).
• Abner and Joab encamped on opposite sides of the Pool of Gibeon, near a wadi that functioned as a no-man’s land (2 Samuel 2:13).
• Moab’s ambush failed when “water filled the country” overnight (2 Kings 3:17-24).
Cultic and Legal Use
The legal code forbade Israel to cook a young goat “in its mother’s milk” because, among other reasons, Canaanite fertility rituals were practiced “in the Valley of the Brook” (literally,Exodus 23:19). Deuteronomy references wadis in the context of unsolved murder (Deuteronomy 21:1-9) and disposal of idolatrous remains (Deuteronomy 12:2-3).
Poetic and Wisdom Literature
• Positive imagery: “He will be like a tree planted by streams of water” (Psalm 1:3); “You visit the earth … the stream of God is filled with water” (Psalm 65:9).
• Negative imagery: “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife, like a constant dripping on a rainy day” (Proverbs 27:15; implied runoff from a roof‐wadi).
• Transience: “My days are like a lengthened shadow, and I wither away like grass” (Psalm 102:11).
Prophetic Images of Judgment and Restoration
Isaiah warns of “swift waters overflowing its banks” (Isaiah 8:7-8), portraying Assyria’s invasion. Conversely, Joel anticipates eschatological blessing: “And a fountain will flow out from the house of the LORD and water the Valley of Acacias” (Joel 3:18). Ezekiel envisions a life-giving river from the future temple (Ezekiel 47), drawing upon the known behavior of wadis yet transcending them with a perpetual, healing flow.
Christological and Eschatological Trajectory
The Gospel of John records Jesus crossing the Kidron on the night of his betrayal, linking him with Davidic suffering and triumph. The drying up of the Euphrates inRevelation 16:12 echoes prophetic imagery of dried wadis preparing the way for kings, demonstrating continuity of pattern.
Pastoral and Devotional Implications
1. Dependence: As wadis rely on heaven’s rain, so believers depend on the Spirit’s outpouring (Zechariah 14:17).
2. Vigilance: Sudden floods urge spiritual watchfulness—“be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).
3. Refuge and Provision: Elijah’s secluded brook reminds ministers that God can supply bread in hidden places.
4. Boundary of Holiness: Just as a נַחַל marked tribal inheritance, believers are called to respect the boundaries of God’s Word.
Summary
נַחַל threads through Scripture as a concrete feature of the Promised Land and an abiding metaphor for divine provision, testing, and judgment. From Jacob’s night vigil at Jabbok to the torrents that silenced Sisera, from David’s tearful crossing of Kidron to the life-giving waters foreseen by the prophets, the biblical stream valley points to both the fragility of earthly resources and the certainty of God’s gracious, overflowing supply in Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּנַ֣חַל בְּנַ֥חַל בְּנַֽחַל־ בְּנַחֲלֵ֣י בַּנְּחָלִ֑ים בַּנְּחָלִ֔ים בַּנַּ֙חַל֙ בַּנַּ֜חַל בַּנָּ֑חַל בַּנָּֽחַל׃ בַנַּ֙חַל֙ בַנָּֽחַל׃ בנחל בנחל־ בנחל׃ בנחלי בנחלים הַנְּחָלִ֑ים הַנְּחָלִ֔ים הַנְּחָלִ֖ים הַנְּחָלִים֙ הַנַּ֔חַל הַנַּ֖חַל הַנַּ֙חַל֙ הַנַּ֛חַל הַנַּ֡חַל הַנַּ֣חַל הַנַּ֥חַל הַנָּ֑חַל הַנָּֽחַל׃ הנחל הנחל׃ הנחלים וְֽנַחֲלֵ֖י וְהַנַּ֥חַל וְנַ֖חַל וָנָ֑חַל וּבַנְּחָלִ֔ים וּבַנְּחָלִ֖ים וּכְנַ֧חַל וּנְחָלִ֖ים וּנְחָלִ֪ים ובנחלים והנחל וכנחל ונחל ונחלי ונחלים כְּנַ֣חַל כְּנַ֤חַל כְּנַ֥חַל כִּנְחָלִ֣ים כַנַּ֤חַל כנחל כנחלים לְנַ֣חַל לְנַ֥חַל לְנַֽחַל־ לַנַּ֔חַל לַנַּ֗חַל לַנָּ֑חַל לנחל לנחל־ מִ֭נַּחַל מִנַּ֣חֲלֵי מִנַּ֤חַל מִנַּ֥חֲלֵי מִנַּ֥חַל מֵהַנַּ֣חַל מהנחל מנחל מנחלי נְחָלִ֔ים נְחָלִ֣ים נְחָלֶ֙יהָ֙ נַ֑חַל נַ֕חַל נַ֖חַל נַ֝֗חְלָה נַ֝חֲלֵ֗י נַ֣חְלָה נַ֣חֲלֵי נַ֣חַל נַ֤חַל נַ֥חַל נַ֧חַל נַ֨חַל נַ֨חַל ׀ נַֽחֲלֵי נַֽחֲלֵי־ נַחֲלֵ֥י נַחֲלַ֙יִם֙ נַחֲלָ֖ה נָ֑חַל נָ֥חַל נָֽחַל׃ נחל נחל׃ נחלה נחלי נחלי־ נחליה נחלים שֶׁ֤הַנְּחָלִים֙ שהנחלים ban·na·ḥal ban·nā·ḥal ḇan·na·ḥal ḇan·nā·ḥal ban·nə·ḥā·lîm banNachal bannaḥal bannāḥal ḇannaḥal ḇannāḥal bannechaLim bannəḥālîm bə·na·ḥă·lê bə·na·ḥal bə·na·ḥal- benachal benachaLei bənaḥal bənaḥal- bənaḥălê chanNachal han·na·ḥal han·nā·ḥal han·nə·ḥā·lîm hanNachal hannaḥal hannāḥal hannechaLim hannəḥālîm ḵan·na·ḥal ḵannaḥal kə·na·ḥal keNachal kənaḥal kin·ḥā·lîm kinchaLim kinḥālîm lan·na·ḥal lan·nā·ḥal lanNachal lannaḥal lannāḥal lə·na·ḥal lə·na·ḥal- lenachal lənaḥal lənaḥal- mê·han·na·ḥal mehanNachal mêhannaḥal min·na·ḥă·lê min·na·ḥal minNachal minNachalei minnaḥal minnaḥălê na·ḥă·la·yim na·ḥă·lāh na·ḥă·lê na·ḥă·lê- na·ḥal nā·ḥal Nachal nachaLah nachaLayim Nachalei Nachlah naḥ·lāh naḥal nāḥal naḥălāh naḥălayim naḥălê naḥălê- naḥlāh nə·ḥā·le·hā nə·ḥā·lîm nechaLeiha nechaLim nəḥālehā nəḥālîm še·han·nə·ḥā·lîm šehannəḥālîm shehannechalim ū·ḇan·nə·ḥā·lîm ū·ḵə·na·ḥal ū·nə·ḥā·lîm ūḇannəḥālîm ucheNachal ūḵənaḥal unechaLim ūnəḥālîm uvannechaLim vaNachal vanNachal vehanNachal veNachal venachaLei wā·nā·ḥal wānāḥal wə·han·na·ḥal wə·na·ḥă·lê wə·na·ḥal wəhannaḥal wənaḥal wənaḥălê
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