What does נָדַד (nadad) mean in the Bible?
נָדַד (nadad): Movement from instability to displacement: wavering motion becomes fugitive flight or forceful expulsion from place.
Hebrew · H5074
נָדַד
Properly, to wave to and fro (rarely to flap up and down); figuratively, to rove , flee , or (causatively) to drive away
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נָדַד H5074
Pronunciation nadad
What does נָדַד (nadad) mean in the Bible?
נָדַד (nadad): Movement from instability to displacement: wavering motion becomes fugitive flight or forceful expulsion from place.
Full entry for נָדַד (H5074) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5074?
The BSB source-word alignment has 28 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (2), have fled (2), they flee (2), and is chased (1), escaped (1).
Where does נָדַד (nadad) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 31:40. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (8), Psalms (5), Jeremiah (3), Job (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It . . . 2× Psalms 68:12, Isaiah 16:2
have fled 2× Isaiah 22:3, Jeremiah 9:10
they flee 2× Psalms 31:11, Isaiah 21:15
and is chased 1× Job 18:18
escaped 1× Esther 6:1
fled 1× Genesis 31:40
flee 1× Isaiah 33:3
flee in haste 1× Psalms 68:12
flees 1× Isaiah 10:31
fluttered 1× Isaiah 10:14
had fled 1× Jeremiah 4:25
he will be chased away 1× Job 20:8
I would flee 1× Psalms 55:7
raked aside 1× 2 Samuel 23:6
that strays 1× Proverbs 27:8
the fugitives 1× Jeremiah 49:5
the one who flees 1× Isaiah 16:3
the refugees 1× Isaiah 21:14
they fly away 1× Nahum 3:17
they have strayed 1× Hosea 7:13
wanderers 1× Hosea 9:17
wanders about 1× Job 15:23
who wanders 1× Proverbs 27:8
will recoil 1× Nahum 3:7
will shake their heads 1× Psalms 64:8
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 31:40 וַתִּדַּ֥ד to fled Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular 2 Samuel 23:6 מֻנָ֖ד to raked aside Verb - Hofal - Participle - masculine singular Esther 6:1 נָדְדָ֖ה to escaped Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular Job 15:23 נֹ֘דֵ֤ד to wanders about Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Job 18:18 יְנִדֻּֽהוּ׃ to and is chased Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular Job 20:8 וְ֝יֻדַּ֗ד to he will be chased away Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular Psalms 31:11 נָדְד֥וּ to they flee Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Psalms 55:7 נְדֹ֑ד to I would flee Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Psalms 64:8 יִ֝תְנֹדֲד֗וּ to will shake their heads Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Psalms 68:12 יִדֹּד֣וּן to flee in haste Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 31:40
Aligned rows 28
Books represented 10
Genesis 1 2 Samuel 1 Esther 1 Job 3 Psalms 5 Proverbs 2 Isaiah 8 Jeremiah 3 Hosea 2 Nahum 2
Source forms
נָדְדָ֖ה 2x nā·ḏə·ḏāh Esther 6:1, Isaiah 10:31
נָדְד֖וּ 2x nā·ḏə·ḏū Isaiah 33:3, Jeremiah 9:10
וְ֝יֻדַּ֗ד 1x wə·yud·daḏ Job 20:8
וְנוֹדַ֔ד 1x wə·nō·w·ḏaḏ Nahum 3:17
וַתִּדַּ֥ד 1x wat·tid·daḏ Genesis 31:40
יִדֹּד֣וּן 1x yid·dō·ḏūn Psalms 68:12
יִדֹּד֑וּן 1x yid·dō·ḏūn Psalms 68:12
יִדּ֣וֹד 1x yid·dō·wḏ Nahum 3:7
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 7x Psalms 31:11, Isaiah 21:15, Isaiah 22:3, Isaiah 33:3
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 6x Job 15:23, Proverbs 27:8, Isaiah 10:14, Isaiah 16:2
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun 2x Psalms 68:12
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular 2x Esther 6:1, Isaiah 10:31
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Job 20:8
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Pual - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 1x Nahum 3:17
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular 1x Genesis 31:40
Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 1x Jeremiah 49:5
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Movement from instability to displacement: wavering motion becomes fugitive flight or forceful expulsion from place.
Strong's H5074
Lexical occurrences 28 verses Word forms 3 forms 21 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Hosea 9:10-17 Source Gloss
properly, to wave to and fro (rarely to flap up and down); figuratively, to rove , flee , or (causatively) to drive away
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Movement from instability to displacement: wavering motion becomes fugitive flight or forceful expulsion from place.
properly, to wave to and fro (rarely to flap up and down); figuratively, to rove, flee, or (causatively) to drive away BDB: retreat Usage: chase (away), × could not, depart, flee (× apace, away), (re-) move, thrust away, wander (abroad, -er, -ing).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 21
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 19×
Perfect Hos 7:13 · Isa 21:15 · Isa 22:3 · Isa 33:3 · Jer 4:25 · Jer 9:9 · Ps 31:12 · Esth 6:1 · Isa 10:31 9×
Participle active Hos 9:17 · Isa 10:14 · Isa 16:2 · Isa 16:3 · Isa 21:14 · Job 15:23 · Prov 27:8 8×
Imperfect Nah 3:7 1×
Infinitive construct Ps 55:8 1×
Hophal causative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action 1×
Participle passive 2Sam 23:6 1×
Hithpolel 1×
Imperfect Ps 64:9 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to wander, flee
Showing 1 selected witness from 28 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
נָדַד is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Exilic dispersion imagery. Hosea 9:10-17
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.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain