Lexical Summary
nachar: To snort, to snore, to breathe heavily
Original Word:נַחַר
Part of Speech:Noun
Transliteration:nachar
Pronunciation:nah-KHAR
Phonetic Spelling:(nakh'-ar)
KJV: nostrils, snorting
Word Origin:[from an unused root meaning to snort or snore]
1. a snorting
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
nostrils, snorting
And (feminine) nacharah {nakh-ar-aw'}; from an unused root meaning to snort or snore; a snorting -- nostrils, snorting.
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] ; suffix
Job 39:20 (of horse).
[] id.; — constructJeremiah 8:16.
Topical Lexicon
Overview and Imageryנַחַר portrays the explosive, audible breath of a spirited horse. In both canonical settings its sound signals power in motion, conjuring images of pounding hooves, dilated nostrils, and dust-choked battlefields. Whether describing a creature formed by the Creator or the cavalry of an invading empire, the term communicates irresistible energy that demands a human response of awe, fear, or repentance.
Occurrences and Context
Job 39:20 – The Lord points Job to the “proud snorting” of the warhorse as evidence of divine craftsmanship that lies beyond human control.
Jeremiah 8:16 – The prophet hears “the snorting of their horses … from Dan,” a chilling acoustic omen of Babylonian judgment racing southward through the land.
The War Horse inJob 39
1. Divine Sovereignty: God alone equips the horse with its terrifying breath, setting a boundary between Creator and creature (Job 39:19-25).
2. Courage and Joy in Battle: The horse “rejoices in his strength” and “cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet,” his snorting symbolizing eagerness rather than dread.
3. Object Lesson for Humanity: Job’s limited power over such an animal underscores his limited understanding of Providence; humility is the fitting response (Job 40:3-5).
Impending Judgment inJeremiah 8
1. Acoustic Warning: The snorting reaches Judah “from Dan” (the northern border), granting the nation audible advance notice of invasion.
2. National Terror: The sound “causes the whole land to tremble,” revealing societal fragility when confronted with divine chastening.
3. Covenant Accountability: Judah’s broken covenant produces a judgment announced not merely by prophetic words but by the very breath of enemy horses.
Themes and Theology
• Power and Vulnerability: נַחַר frames power in motion, yet in both passages the power is ultimately subject to God—either bestowed (Job) or deployed for discipline (Jeremiah).
• Providence and Warning: Audible signs in nature and history testify that the Lord both sustains creation and governs nations.
• Human Response: Awe leads to submission; warning calls for repentance. The right hearing of נַחַר separates the wise from the hardened.
Historical Background
• Ancient Warfare: Cavalry and chariot units relied on the momentum and psychological impact of charging horses. Their snorting would echo across valleys, announcing conflict before first contact.
• Geography of Dan: Positioned at Israel’s northernmost frontier, Dan was the gateway through which Mesopotamian armies typically advanced, making Jeremiah’s imagery geographically precise.
• Near-Eastern Animal Husbandry: Domesticated warhorses were symbols of royal pride and military might (1 Kings 10:26). Their training cultivated the very traits—fearlessness, controlled aggression—expressed by נַחַר.
Practical and Pastoral Insights
1. Listening for Warning: Just as Judah was called to heed the approaching hooves, believers today must discern providential alarms—cultural, moral, or personal—that urge repentance.
2. Confidence in Conflict: The warhorse’s fearless breath illustrates the courage granted to those who trust their Maker (Psalm 27:1-3).
3. Humility Before Majesty: Encountering forces beyond human containment drives worship, not self-reliance (Proverbs 21:31).
Connections to the New Testament
• Eschatological Cavalry:Revelation 9:16-17 describes vast mounted forces whose horses breathe fire and brimstone, echoing Old Testament motifs of judgment announced by terrifying equine breath.
• Christ’s Triumphal Steed:Revelation 19:11 presents the faithful and true Rider on a white horse, the ultimate convergence of power and righteousness. The warhorse that once struck fear now serves the Prince of Peace, assuring believers that divine power is finally and forever for them, not against them.
Forms and Transliterations
נַחְר֣וֹ נַחְרַ֣ת נחרו נחרת nachRat nachRo naḥ·raṯ naḥ·rōw naḥraṯ naḥrōw
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