What does נָא (nāʾ) mean in the Bible?
נָא (nāʾ): Softens imperatives into polite requests; transforms commands into supplications through modal particles.
Hebrew · H4994
נָא
'I pray' , 'now' , or 'then' ; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction
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נָאH4994
Pronunciationnāʾ
What does נָא (nāʾ) mean in the Bible?
נָא (nāʾ): Softens imperatives into polite requests; transforms commands into supplications through modal particles.
Full entry for נָא (H4994) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4994?
The BSB source-word alignment has 404 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Please (158), . . . (147), Now (58), I pray (7), So please (4).
Where does נָא (nāʾ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 12:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (74), 2 Samuel (36), 1 Samuel (35), 2 Kings (34).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItPlease158×Genesis 12:13, Genesis 13:8, Genesis 16:2, Genesis 18:3
. . .147×Genesis 12:11, Genesis 18:3, Genesis 18:4, Genesis 18:21
Now58×Genesis 13:9, Genesis 13:14, Genesis 15:5, Genesis 16:2
I pray7×Numbers 14:17, Numbers 14:19, Nehemiah 1:8, Nehemiah 1:11
So please4×Numbers 22:6, Numbers 22:17, 1 Kings 22:13, 2 Chronicles 18:12
-3×Numbers 12:13, Judges 19:24, 1 Samuel 10:15
I beg You2×2 Samuel 24:10, 1 Chronicles 21:8
O2×Psalms 7:9, Psalms 119:108
Therefore2×1 Chronicles 22:5, Jeremiah 18:11
we pray2×Psalms 80:14, Isaiah 64:9
but please1×1 Samuel 25:24
carefully1×Haggai 2:15
I am now1×Genesis 27:2
I exhort1×Isaiah 5:3
I urge you1×Joshua 7:19
if you please1×Job 5:1
indeed1×Exodus 33:13
let them now1×Jeremiah 27:18
may1×2 Chronicles 6:40
now, I plead1×Job 4:7
Please allow me1×Judges 6:39
please stay1×Genesis 30:27
Then1×Job 40:10
This time1×Judges 6:39
to see whether1×Genesis 37:32
until1×2 Samuel 13:28
We beseech You1×Psalms 118:25
Would you please1×1 Samuel 9:18
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 12:11נָ֣אto. . .InterjectionGenesis 12:13נָ֖אtoPleaseInterjectionGenesis 13:8נָ֨אtoPleaseInterjectionGenesis 13:9נָ֖אtoNowInterjectionGenesis 13:14נָ֤אtoNowInterjectionGenesis 15:5נָ֣אtoNowInterjectionGenesis 16:2נָ֞אtonowInterjectionGenesis 16:2נָא֙toPleaseInterjectionGenesis 18:3נָ֨אtopleaseInterjectionGenesis 18:3נָ֥אto. . .Interjection
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 12:11
Aligned rows404
Books represented30
Genesis74Exodus15Numbers19Deuteronomy2Joshua4Judges32Ruth21 Samuel352 Samuel361 Kings192 Kings341 Chronicles52 Chronicles3Ezra1Nehemiah6Job23Psalms16Ecclesiastes1Song Of Solomon2Isaiah17Jeremiah30Lamentations2Ezekiel5Daniel2Amos2Jonah3Micah4Haggai4Zechariah3Malachi3
Source forms
נָ֣א65xnāGenesis 12:11, Genesis 15:5, Genesis 18:4, Genesis 27:3
נָ֥א48xnāGenesis 18:3, Genesis 19:7, Genesis 24:2, Genesis 24:12
נָ֤א33xnāGenesis 13:14, Genesis 18:27, Genesis 18:31, Genesis 24:14
נָא֙33xnāGenesis 16:2, Genesis 25:30, Genesis 27:9, Genesis 33:10
נָ֖א31xnāGenesis 12:13, Genesis 13:9, Genesis 19:18, Genesis 24:23
נָּ֣א20xnāGenesis 18:21, Genesis 32:29, Genesis 33:15, Genesis 37:16
נָ֨א19xnāGenesis 13:8, Genesis 18:3, Genesis 19:8, Genesis 31:12
נָ֞א19xnāGenesis 16:2, Genesis 18:30, Genesis 18:32, Judges 9:2
Parsing patterns
Interjection404xGenesis 12:11, Genesis 12:13, Genesis 13:8, Genesis 13:9
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Softens imperatives into polite requests; transforms commands into supplications through modal particles.
Source Gloss
'I pray' , 'now' , or 'then' ; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Softens imperatives into polite requests; transforms commands into supplications through modal particles.
'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction Usage: I beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Cross-Language Connections
Greek words that correspond to or develop the meaning of this Hebrew word in the New Testament.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.