What does נִיר (ner) mean in the Bible?
נִיר (ner): A lamp's burning flame: literal light-source and metaphor for divine guidance, life, or covenant faithfulness.
Hebrew · H5216
נִיר
A lamp (i.e. the burner) or light (literally or figuratively)
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נִיר H5216
Pronunciation ner
What does נִיר (ner) mean in the Bible?
נִיר (ner): A lamp's burning flame: literal light-source and metaphor for divine guidance, life, or covenant faithfulness.
Full entry for נִיר (H5216) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5216?
The BSB source-word alignment has 49 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include lamps (7), the lamps (7), a lamp (5), and its lamps (2), is a lamp (2).
Where does נִיר (ner) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 25:37. Its strongest book concentrations include Exodus (11), Proverbs (7), 2 Chronicles (5), Numbers (4).
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 lamps 7× Exodus 25:37, Exodus 37:23, Numbers 8:2, 1 Kings 7:49
the lamps 7× Exodus 30:7, Exodus 30:8, Exodus 40:25, Leviticus 24:4
a lamp 5× 1 Kings 11:36, 1 Kings 15:4, 2 Kings 8:19, 2 Chronicles 21:7
and its lamps 2× 1 Chronicles 28:15
is a lamp 2× Psalms 119:105, Proverbs 6:23
the lamp 2× 1 Samuel 3:3, Proverbs 24:20
to keep the lamps 2× Exodus 27:20, Leviticus 24:2
- 1× Numbers 8:2
. . . 1× Exodus 39:37
[is] the lamp 1× Proverbs 20:27
and her lamp 1× Proverbs 31:18
and lamps 1× Exodus 35:14
and the lamp 1× Job 18:6
and their lamps 1× 2 Chronicles 4:20
are my lamp 1× 2 Samuel 22:29
but the lamp 1× Proverbs 13:9
his lamp 1× Proverbs 20:20
is the lamp 1× Job 21:17
its lamps 1× Exodus 40:4
my lamp 1× Psalms 18:28
of the lamp 1× Jeremiah 25:10
so that [they] 1× Exodus 25:37
so that the lamp 1× 2 Samuel 21:17
the guides 1× Proverbs 21:4
to the lamps 1× Zechariah 4:2
when His lamp 1× Job 29:3
with its lamps 1× Numbers 4:9
with its row of lamps 1× Exodus 39:37
with lamps 1× Zephaniah 1:12
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 25:37 נֵרֹתֶ֖יהָ to lamps Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular Exodus 25:37 נֵ֣רֹתֶ֔יהָ to so that [they] Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular Exodus 27:20 נֵ֖ר to to keep the lamps Noun - masculine singular construct Exodus 30:7 הַנֵּרֹ֖ת to the lamps Article | Noun - masculine plural Exodus 30:8 הַנֵּרֹ֛ת to the lamps Article | Noun - masculine plural Exodus 35:14 נֵרֹתֶ֑יהָ to and lamps Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular Exodus 37:23 נֵרֹתֶ֖יהָ to lamps Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular Exodus 39:37 נֵרֹתֶ֗יהָ to with its row of lamps Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular Exodus 39:37 נֵרֹ֛ת to . . . Noun - masculine plural construct Exodus 40:4 נֵרֹתֶֽיהָ׃ to its lamps Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 25:37
Aligned rows 49
Books represented 15
Exodus 11 Leviticus 2 Numbers 4 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 2 1 Kings 3 2 Kings 1 1 Chronicles 3 2 Chronicles 5 Job 3 Psalms 3 Proverbs 7 Jeremiah 1 Zephaniah 1 Zechariah 2
Source forms
נֵ֖ר 3x nêr Exodus 27:20, Leviticus 24:2, Proverbs 24:20
הַנֵּרֹ֖ת 2x han·nê·rōṯ Exodus 30:7, Exodus 40:25
נִ֛יר 2x nîr 2 Kings 8:19, 2 Chronicles 21:7
נֵ֣ר 2x nêr Proverbs 6:23, Proverbs 20:27
נֵר־ 2x nêr- Job 21:17, Psalms 119:105
נֵרֹתֶ֖יהָ 2x nê·rō·ṯe·hā Exodus 25:37, Exodus 37:23
נֵ֣רֹתֶ֔יהָ 2x nê·rō·ṯe·hā Exodus 25:37, Numbers 4:9
נֵרֹתֶ֑יהָ 2x nê·rō·ṯe·hā Exodus 35:14, Numbers 8:3
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular 9x Exodus 25:37, Exodus 35:14, Exodus 37:23, Exodus 39:37
Noun - masculine singular 9x Leviticus 24:2, 1 Kings 11:36, 1 Kings 15:4, 2 Kings 8:19
Article | Noun - masculine plural 7x Exodus 30:7, Exodus 30:8, Exodus 40:25, Leviticus 24:4
Noun - masculine singular construct 6x Exodus 27:20, 2 Samuel 21:17, Job 21:17, Proverbs 20:27
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular 3x 1 Chronicles 28:15, 2 Chronicles 13:11
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural 2x 1 Chronicles 28:15, 2 Chronicles 4:20
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct 2x 1 Samuel 3:3, Proverbs 13:9
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural 2x 1 Kings 7:49, 2 Chronicles 4:21
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. A lamp's burning flame: literal light-source and metaphor for divine guidance, life, or covenant faithfulness.
Source Gloss
a lamp (i.e. the burner) or light (literally or figuratively)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
A lamp's burning flame: literal light-source and metaphor for divine guidance, life, or covenant faithfulness.
a lamp (i.e. the burner) or light (literally or figuratively) BDB: lamp Usage: candle, lamp, light.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
a lamp or light used for guidance
Showing 1 selected witness from 48 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
נִיר is built from these roots:
נוּר H5135
Why This Word Matters
Wisdom instruction illuminates the path of life and protects from danger. Proverbs 6:20-35
Canonical Themes
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