What does נַחַל (naḥal) mean in the Bible?
נַחַל (naḥal): Seasonal watercourse that symbolizes transient abundance; often represents divine judgment or blessing's unpredictable flow.
Hebrew · H5158
נַחַל
A stream , especially a winter torrent ; (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a shaft (of a mine)
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נַחַל H5158
Pronunciation naḥal
What does נַחַל (naḥal) mean in the Bible?
נַחַל (naḥal): Seasonal watercourse that symbolizes transient abundance; often represents divine judgment or blessing's unpredictable flow.
Full entry for נַחַל (H5158) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5158?
The BSB source-word alignment has 141 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Valley (24), the Brook (14), of the valley (10), in the Valley (7), the Valley (7).
Where does נַחַל (naḥal) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 26:17. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (20), Joshua (16), Isaiah (11), 1 Kings (10).
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 Valley 24× Deuteronomy 2:24, Deuteronomy 2:36, Deuteronomy 3:8, Deuteronomy 3:12
the Brook 14× Deuteronomy 2:13, Deuteronomy 2:14, Joshua 15:47, Joshua 19:11
of the valley 10× Deuteronomy 3:16, Joshua 12:2, Joshua 13:9, Joshua 13:16
in the Valley 7× Genesis 26:17, Genesis 26:19, Numbers 21:12, Deuteronomy 2:36
the Valley 7× Numbers 13:23, Numbers 13:24, Numbers 32:9, Deuteronomy 1:24
the River 6× Judges 4:7, Judges 4:13, Judges 5:21, Ezekiel 47:9
River 4× Deuteronomy 2:37, Deuteronomy 3:16, Joshua 12:2, Judges 5:21
from the brook 3× 1 Kings 17:4, 2 Kings 24:7, Psalms 110:7
of the brook 3× Leviticus 23:40, Joshua 17:9, Job 40:22
of the river 3× Ezekiel 47:6, Ezekiel 47:7, Ezekiel 47:12
. . . 2× 2 Kings 23:6, Job 6:15
by the Brook 2× 1 Kings 17:3, 1 Kings 17:5
by the stream 2× Deuteronomy 21:4, Deuteronomy 21:6
from the brooks 2× 2 Samuel 23:30, 1 Chronicles 11:32
in the valleys 2× Psalms 104:10, Isaiah 57:5
of the wadis 2× Numbers 21:15, Job 30:6
stream 2× Isaiah 66:12, Amos 5:24
streams 2× Isaiah 11:15, Jeremiah 31:9
the stream 2× Genesis 32:23, Deuteronomy 9:21
the torrents 2× 2 Samuel 22:5, Psalms 18:4
to the Brook 2× Joshua 16:8, Joshua 17:9
torrent 2× Isaiah 30:28, Jeremiah 47:2
- 1× Joshua 17:9
[Edom’s] streams 1× Isaiah 34:9
[then] the torrent 1× Psalms 124:4
a river 1× Ezekiel 47:5
a shaft 1× Job 28:4
a valley 1× Deuteronomy 21:4
and along the Brook [of Egypt] 1× Ezekiel 47:19
and streams 1× Isaiah 35:6
and the flood 1× Psalms 74:15
and the stream 1× 2 Chronicles 32:4
and torrents 1× Psalms 78:20
at the Brook 1× 1 Samuel 30:21
at the River 1× Psalms 83:9
brook 1× Proverbs 18:4
but now it was a river 1× Ezekiel 47:5
flowing with 1× Job 20:17
from which the streams 1× Ecclesiastes 1:7
from Your river 1× Psalms 36:8
join the Brook 1× Numbers 34:5
joined the Brook 1× Joshua 15:4
like a river 1× Lamentations 2:18
like a torrent 1× Isaiah 30:33
like palm groves 1× Numbers 24:6
of brooks 1× Deuteronomy 8:7
of the ravine 1× Joshua 15:7
of the ravines 1× Job 22:24
or in the streams 1× Leviticus 11:9
or streams 1× Leviticus 11:10
ravines 1× Isaiah 7:19
rivers 1× Micah 6:7
the rivers 1× Ecclesiastes 1:7
the Wadi 1× Isaiah 27:12
the wadis 1× Numbers 21:14
then along the Brook [of Egypt] 1× Ezekiel 48:28
wadis 1× Job 6:15
with streams 1× Deuteronomy 10:7
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 26:17 בְּנַֽחַל־ to in the Valley Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Genesis 26:19 בַּנָּ֑חַל to in the valley Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 32:23 הַנָּ֑חַל to the stream Article | Noun - masculine singular Leviticus 11:9 וּבַנְּחָלִ֖ים to or in the streams Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural Leviticus 11:10 וּבַנְּחָלִ֔ים to or streams Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural Leviticus 23:40 נָ֑חַל to of the brook Noun - masculine singular Numbers 13:23 נַ֣חַל to the Valley Noun - masculine singular construct Numbers 13:24 נַ֣חַל to the Valley Noun - masculine singular construct Numbers 21:12 בְּנַ֥חַל to in the Valley Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Numbers 21:14 הַנְּחָלִ֖ים to the wadis Article | Noun - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 26:17
Aligned rows 141
Books represented 25
Genesis 3 Leviticus 3 Numbers 8 Deuteronomy 20 Joshua 16 Judges 6 1 Samuel 5 2 Samuel 5 1 Kings 10 2 Kings 7 1 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 7 Nehemiah 1 Job 8 Psalms 8 Proverbs 2 Ecclesiastes 2 Song Of Solomon 1 Isaiah 11 Jeremiah 3 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 9 Joel 1 Amos 2 Micah 1
Source forms
נַ֣חַל 23x na·ḥal Numbers 13:23, Numbers 13:24, Numbers 32:9, Deuteronomy 1:24
נַ֥חַל 10x na·ḥal Deuteronomy 2:13, Judges 4:13, Judges 5:21, 1 Samuel 30:10
בְּנַ֣חַל 6x bə·na·ḥal Judges 16:4, 1 Samuel 30:21, 2 Samuel 15:23, 1 Kings 17:3
הַנַּ֔חַל 6x han·na·ḥal Deuteronomy 3:16, Joshua 12:2, Joshua 19:11, 2 Samuel 17:13
נַ֨חַל 6x na·ḥal Deuteronomy 2:36, Joshua 12:2, Joshua 13:9, Joshua 13:16
בְּנַ֥חַל 4x bə·na·ḥal Numbers 21:12, 1 Kings 15:13, 2 Kings 23:6, 2 Chronicles 15:16
הַנַּ֖חַל 3x han·na·ḥal Deuteronomy 3:16, Deuteronomy 9:21, 1 Kings 17:6
הַנַּ֛חַל 3x han·na·ḥal Joshua 13:9, Joshua 13:16, 2 Chronicles 32:4
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular construct 38x Numbers 13:23, Numbers 13:24, Numbers 32:9, Deuteronomy 1:24
Article | Noun - masculine singular 22x Genesis 32:23, Deuteronomy 3:16, Deuteronomy 9:21, Joshua 12:2
Noun - masculine singular 11x Leviticus 23:40, Deuteronomy 21:4, Job 6:15, Job 21:33
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct 11x Genesis 26:17, Numbers 21:12, Judges 16:4, 1 Samuel 30:21
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 7x Genesis 26:19, Deuteronomy 2:36, Deuteronomy 21:4, Deuteronomy 21:6
Noun - masculine plural construct 6x Deuteronomy 8:7, Deuteronomy 10:7, 2 Samuel 22:5, Job 20:17
Article | Noun - masculine plural 4x Numbers 21:14, Numbers 21:15, 1 Kings 18:5, Ecclesiastes 1:7
Noun - masculine plural 4x Job 6:15, Job 22:24, Job 30:6, Isaiah 11:15
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Seasonal watercourse that symbolizes transient abundance; often represents divine judgment or blessing's unpredictable flow.
Source Gloss
a stream , especially a winter torrent ; (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a shaft (of a mine)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Seasonal watercourse that symbolizes transient abundance; often represents divine judgment or blessing's unpredictable flow.
a stream, especially a winter torrent; (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a shaft (of a mine) BDB: torrent Usage: brook, flood, river, stream, valley.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Water bodies, specifically streams or brooks where aquatic creatures live
Metaphorical use of flowing water representing abundant words from the mouth
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 141 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
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