Lexical Summary
naar: Boy, lad, youth, servant, young man
Original Word:נַעַר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:na`ar
Pronunciation:nah'-ar
Phonetic Spelling:(nah'-ar)
KJV: babe, boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young (man)
NASB:young men, lad, servant, young man, servants, boy, youth
Word Origin:[fromH5287 (נָעַר - overthrew)]
1. (concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence
2. (by implication) a servant
3. (also, by interchange of sex), a girl (of similar range in age)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
babe, boy, child, damsel, lad, servant, young man
Fromna'ar; (concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by interch. Of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age) -- babe, boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young (man).
see HEBREWna'ar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitiona boy, lad, youth, retainer
NASB Translationattendants (1), boy (19), boy's (1), boys (1), child (12), children (4), lad (36), lad's (2), lads (3), servant (34), servant's (1), servants (23), young (12), young man (33), young men (38), young people (1), youth (14), youths (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. usually interpreted as , abstract for concrete =
scattered ones, only
Zechariah 11:16, but text corrupt, see We Now.
Topical Lexicon
General Sense and Range of Meaningנַעַר designates a male from infancy through early adulthood, emphasizing vitality, teachability, and subordinate status. Context determines whether the focus is on age (“boy,” “youth”) or role (“servant,” “attendant”). The word spans shepherd boys (Genesis 37:2), royal heirs (Genesis 41:12), military aides (1 Samuel 14:1), and priestly disciples (1 Samuel 2:11).
Stages of Life and Social Identity
1. Infancy to Early Childhood
•Exodus 2:6 pictures Moses as a naʿar still nursing.
•Isaiah 11:6 forecasts Messianic peace when “a little child will lead them.”
2. Adolescence and Training
• Joseph at seventeen is introduced as “a youth” (Genesis 37:2).
• David is called a naʿar when facing Goliath (1 Samuel 17:33).
3. Young Adulthood in Service
• Joshua ministers as “a young man” who “did not depart from the tent” (Exodus 33:11).
• Royal servants are repeatedly termed neʿarim (1 Kings 20:15).
Vocational and Social Functions
• Household Servant – Abraham travels with “two of his young men” (Genesis 22:3).
• Cultic Agent – “He sent young men of the Israelites, and they offered burnt offerings” (Exodus 24:5).
• Military Support – Jonathan’s armor-bearer (1 Samuel 14:6) exemplifies courage and loyalty.
• Messenger – “A young man ran and told Moses” (Numbers 11:27).
• Royal Courtier – Rehoboam’s peers, “the young men who had grown up with him,” misdirect policy (1 Kings 12:8).
Divine Calling and Revelation
God frequently selects a naʿar for strategic revelation:
• Samuel: “Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli” (1 Samuel 3:1).
• Jeremiah protests, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a youth” (Jeremiah 1:6), yet is set over nations.
Such call narratives stress that usefulness in God’s plan rests on His choosing, not on human maturity or status.
Worship and Discipleship
The apprentice atmosphere around the tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:11) models inter-generational ministry.Psalm 71:17 celebrates lifelong discipleship: “O God, You have taught me from my youth.” Proverbs addresses the naʿar directly, urging receptivity to wisdom (Proverbs 1:4; 22:6).
Moral and Ethical Emphases
1. Formation – “Train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6).
2. Boundaries – “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15).
3. Accountability – Ecclesiastes warns, “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth… but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment” (Ecclesiastes 11:9).
Military and Political Significance
Neʿarim often influence the fate of kingdoms:
• David’s band of “about four hundred young men” (1 Samuel 25:13) grows into his core warriors.
• Naʿarim of Ish-bosheth and David engage in deadly contest (2 Samuel 2:14).
• Ben-hadad’s “young men of the district governors” initiate battle under prophetic assurance (1 Kings 20:14).
Prophetic and Eschatological Imagery
Isaiah pictures renewed creation where “the nursing child will play by the cobra’s den” (Isaiah 11:8), projecting innocence and security.Zechariah 8:5 envisions Jerusalem streets filled with “boys and girls playing,” signaling covenant restoration.
Christological and Redemptive Trajectory
The pattern of God working through youths anticipates Mary’s Son, who, though not called naʿar in Hebrew, is portrayed at twelve “in My Father’s house” (Luke 2:49), embodying wisdom surpassing His years. The Old Testament portrait of the naʿar thus foreshadows the Messiah who matures in favor with God and man.
Pastoral and Ministry Applications
• Encourage early service: like Samuel, children may hear God’s voice.
• Mentor vigorously: elders shape the next generation’s fidelity.
• Guard against peer folly: Rehoboam’s downfall warns of unwise youthful counsel.
• Empower young leaders: Jonathan’s armor-bearer illustrates faith that kindles victory.
Summary
נַעַר gathers nearly every dimension of male youthfulness: promise, vulnerability, service, and participation in God’s unfolding purposes. Scripture’s consistent testimony is that neither age nor social position hinders divine calling; rather, God delights to advance His covenant through teachable, responsive hearts, whether in tents of meeting, royal courts, or shepherd fields.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּנַעֲרֵ֖י בִּנְעָרֵ֥ינוּ בַּנַּ֖עַר בנער בנערי בנערינו הַנְּעָרִ֔ים הַנְּעָרִ֖ים הַנְּעָרִ֛ים הַנְּעָרִ֜ים הַנְּעָרִ֣ים הַנְּעָרִ֤ים הַנְּעָרִ֥ים הַנְּעָרִֽים׃ הַנְּעָרִים֒ הַנַּ֔עַר הַנַּ֖עַר הַנַּ֗עַר הַנַּ֙עַר֙ הַנַּ֛עַר הַנַּ֜עַר הַנַּ֣עַר הַנַּ֣עַר ׀ הַנַּ֤עַר הַנַּ֥עַר הַנַּ֨עַר הַנַּעַר֒ הַנַּעַר֮ הַנָּ֑עַר הַנָּֽעַר׃ הנער הנער׃ הנערים הנערים׃ וְהַנַּ֔עַר וְהַנַּ֖עַר וְהַנַּ֗עַר וְהַנַּ֣עַר וְהַנַּ֥עַר וְהַנַּ֧עַר וְלַנַּ֖עַר וְנַ֖עַר וְנַ֥עַר וְנַעֲר֑וֹ וְנַעֲר֔וֹ וְנַעֲר֥וֹ וָנָ֑עַר וּבַנְּעָרִ֖ים וּמִנְּעָרַ֗י וּנְעָרִ֖ים וּנְעָרִ֤ים וּנְעָרַ֔י וּנְעָרַ֗י ובנערים והנער ולנער ומנערי ונער ונערו ונערי ונערים כַנַּ֙עַר֙ כנער לְ֝נַ֗עַר לְנַעֲר֔וֹ לְנַעֲר֗וֹ לְנַעֲר֛וֹ לְנַעֲר֥וֹ לִנְעָרֶ֙יהָ֙ לַ֭נַּעַר לַנְּעָרִ֔ים לַנְּעָרִ֗ים לַנְּעָרִֽים׃ לַנַּ֖עַר לַנַּ֗עַר לַנַּ֛עַר לַנַּ֜עַר לַנַּ֣עַר לַנַּ֥עַר לַנָּֽעַר׃ לנער לנער׃ לנערו לנעריה לנערים לנערים׃ מִֽנַּעֲרֵ֖י מִנַּ֖עַר מִנַּ֣עַר מִנַּ֨עַר מֵֽהַנְּעָרִ֔ים מֵֽהַנְּעָרִ֖ים מֵהַנְּעָרִ֖ים מֵהַנְּעָרִ֜ים מהנערים מנער מנערי נְעָרִ֑ים נְעָרִ֔ים נְעָרִ֖ים נְעָרִ֛ים נְעָרִ֣ים נְעָרִ֥ים נְעָרִֽים׃ נְעָרֶ֜יךָ נְעָרַ֔י נְעָרַי֮ נְעָרָ֔יו נְעָרָ֖יו נְעָרָ֗יו נְעָרָ֜יו נְעָרָֽי׃ נְעָרָיו֙ נַ֔עַר נַ֕עַר נַ֖עַר נַ֗עַר נַ֙עַר֙ נַ֚עַר נַ֛עַר נַ֣עַר נַ֤עַר נַ֤עַר ׀ נַ֥עַר נַ֧עַר נַּ֭עַר נַֽעַר־ נַעֲר֑וֹ נַעֲר֔וֹ נַעֲר֖וֹ נַעֲר֗וֹ נַעֲר֥וֹ נַעֲרֵ֖י נַעֲרֵ֛י נַעֲרֵ֣י נַעֲרֵ֤י נַעֲרֵ֥י נַעֲרֵֽי־ נַעֲרֵי֙ נַעֲרֵיהֶ֖ם נַעֲרָ֖הּ נַעֲרוֹ֙ נַעַר֮ נַעַרְךָ֖ נָ֑עַר נָֽעַר׃ נער נער־ נער׃ נערה נערו נערי נערי־ נערי׃ נעריהם נעריו נעריך נערים נערים׃ נערך ban·na·‘ar banna‘ar banNaar bə·na·‘ă·rê bəna‘ărê benaaRei bin‘ārênū bin·‘ā·rê·nū binaReinu chanNaar han·na·‘ar han·nā·‘ar han·nə·‘ā·rîm hanna‘ar hannā‘ar hanNaar hannə‘ārîm hanneaRim ḵan·na·‘ar ḵanna‘ar lan·na·‘ar lan·nā·‘ar lan·nə·‘ā·rîm lanna‘ar lannā‘ar lanNaar lannə‘ārîm lanneaRim lə·na·‘ă·rōw lə·na·‘ar ləna‘ar ləna‘ărōw leNaar lenaaRo lin‘ārehā lin·‘ā·re·hā linaReiha mê·han·nə·‘ā·rîm mêhannə‘ārîm mehanneaRim min·na·‘ă·rê min·na·‘ar minna‘ar minna‘ărê minNaar minnaaRei na‘ar nā‘ar na‘ar- na‘ărāh na‘ărê na‘ărê- na‘ărêhem na‘arḵā na‘ărōw na·‘ă·rāh na·‘ă·rê na·‘ă·rê- na·‘ă·rê·hem na·‘ă·rōw na·‘ar nā·‘ar na·‘ar- na·‘ar·ḵā Naar naaRah naarCha naaRei naareiHem naaRo nə‘ārāw nə‘āray nə‘ārāy nə‘āreḵā nə‘ārîm nə·‘ā·rāw nə·‘ā·ray nə·‘ā·rāy nə·‘ā·re·ḵā nə·‘ā·rîm neaRai neaRav neaReicha neaRim ū·ḇan·nə·‘ā·rîm ū·min·nə·‘ā·ray ū·nə·‘ā·ray ū·nə·‘ā·rîm ūḇannə‘ārîm ūminnə‘āray uminneaRai ūnə‘āray ūnə‘ārîm uneaRai uneaRim uvanneaRim vaNaar vehanNaar velanNaar veNaar venaaRo wā·nā·‘ar wānā‘ar wə·han·na·‘ar wə·lan·na·‘ar wə·na·‘ă·rōw wə·na·‘ar wəhanna‘ar wəlanna‘ar wəna‘ar wəna‘ărōw
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