What does נַעַר (naʿar) mean in the Bible?
נַעַר (naʿar): Youth marked by active vigor and subordinate status, spanning infancy through adolescence regardless of gender.
Hebrew · H5288
נַעַר
(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)
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נַעַר H5288
Pronunciation naʿar
What does נַעַר (naʿar) mean in the Bible?
נַעַר (naʿar): Youth marked by active vigor and subordinate status, spanning infancy through adolescence regardless of gender.
Full entry for נַעַר (H5288) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5288?
The BSB source-word alignment has 239 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the boy (25), the servant (9), . . . (8), The young man (8), young men (8).
Where does נַעַר (naʿar) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 14:24. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Samuel (60), Genesis (27), 2 Samuel (26), 2 Kings (24).
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 the boy 25× Genesis 21:12, Genesis 21:18, Genesis 21:20, Genesis 22:5
the servant 9× Judges 16:26, Judges 19:11, 1 Samuel 2:13, 1 Samuel 2:15
. . . 8× Genesis 44:33, Judges 9:54, 1 Samuel 20:38, 1 Samuel 25:5
The young man 8× Genesis 34:19, 1 Samuel 14:1, 1 Samuel 14:6, 2 Samuel 1:5
young men 8× 1 Samuel 25:5, 1 Samuel 25:9, 1 Samuel 25:14, 1 Samuel 25:25
his servant 7× Judges 7:11, 1 Samuel 9:22, 1 Samuel 10:14, 1 Kings 18:43
young 7× Joshua 6:21, 1 Samuel 30:17, 2 Chronicles 13:7, 2 Chronicles 34:3
the servants 5× 2 Kings 4:22, 2 Kings 19:6, Job 1:15, Job 1:17
the young men 5× Ruth 2:9, 1 Samuel 21:4, 1 Samuel 26:22, Job 29:8
- 4× Genesis 37:2, Judges 19:13, 1 Samuel 9:7, 2 Samuel 13:32
A young man 4× Numbers 11:27, Judges 8:14, Proverbs 7:7, Proverbs 20:11
of the boy 4× Genesis 21:17, 1 Kings 14:3, 2 Kings 4:30
young man 4× 1 Samuel 17:55, 1 Samuel 17:58, 1 Chronicles 12:28, Zechariah 2:4
And the boy 3× 1 Samuel 2:26, 1 Samuel 3:1, 2 Kings 4:35
attendants 3× Esther 2:2, Esther 6:3, Esther 6:5
boy 3× 1 Samuel 1:27, 1 Samuel 20:35, 1 Kings 11:17
his young men 3× Ruth 2:15, 2 Samuel 4:12, 2 Samuel 13:28
of the young men 3× 1 Samuel 21:5, 2 Samuel 1:15, 2 Samuel 2:21
the boy’s 3× Judges 13:12, 2 Kings 4:29, 2 Kings 4:31
a servant 2× Genesis 18:7, 2 Kings 4:19
and his servant 2× Judges 19:9, Nehemiah 4:22
and the young man 2× Judges 17:11, Judges 17:12
both young 2× Genesis 19:4, Lamentations 2:21
but the boy 2× 1 Samuel 2:11, 1 Samuel 20:39
child 2× 1 Kings 3:7, 2 Kings 5:14
his servants 2× Genesis 22:5, Genesis 22:19
Is the young man 2× 2 Samuel 18:29, 2 Samuel 18:32
is young 2× 1 Chronicles 22:5, 1 Chronicles 29:1
just a boy 2× 1 Samuel 17:33, 1 Samuel 17:42
of his servants 2× Genesis 22:3, 2 Kings 5:23
of the servants 2× 1 Samuel 9:3, 1 Samuel 16:18
of the young 2× Judges 18:3, Judges 18:15
only a child 2× Jeremiah 1:6, Jeremiah 1:7
So the young 2× Joshua 6:23, 2 Kings 9:4
the foreman 2× Ruth 2:5, Ruth 2:6
to his attendant 2× 2 Samuel 13:17, 2 Kings 4:38
to his servant 2× 1 Samuel 9:5, 1 Samuel 9:10
When the young man 2× 1 Samuel 20:41, 2 Samuel 13:34
[he] 1× 2 Samuel 1:6
[my] young men 1× 1 Samuel 21:2
{will dash} young men 1× Isaiah 13:18
a boy 1× 1 Samuel 2:18
a boy [and say] 1× 1 Samuel 20:21
a child 1× Proverbs 22:6
a group of boys 1× 2 Kings 2:23
a young 1× Judges 17:7
a youth 1× Judges 8:20
and a little child 1× Isaiah 11:6
And as the boy 1× 1 Samuel 20:36
and gave the boy 1× Genesis 21:19
and my children 1× Job 29:5
and my servants 1× Nehemiah 5:10
and the servants 1× Job 1:16
And the young officers 1× 1 Kings 20:17
and the youth 1× Jeremiah 51:22
and young man 1× Judges 19:19
are for the young men 1× 2 Samuel 16:2
boys 1× Lamentations 5:13
but a child 1× Proverbs 29:15
But a young man 1× 2 Samuel 17:18
but his young 1× Exodus 33:11
But the young man 1× Judges 8:20
by his young servant 1× Nehemiah 6:5
By the young officers 1× 1 Kings 20:14
can a young man 1× Psalms 119:9
Even youths 1× Isaiah 40:30
for the young 1× Deuteronomy 28:50
for their children 1× Job 24:5
from a child 1× Proverbs 23:13
her servant 1× 2 Kings 4:24
him 1× 1 Samuel 20:37
if the boy 1× Genesis 44:30
is a youth 1× Ecclesiastes 10:16
Let us have the young men 1× 2 Samuel 2:14
like that young man 1× 2 Samuel 18:32
Meanwhile, the boy 1× 1 Samuel 2:21
men 1× 1 Samuel 25:12
mere lads 1× Isaiah 3:4
my men 1× Genesis 14:24
my servants 1× Nehemiah 5:16
my young men 1× Ruth 2:21
nor my servants 1× Nehemiah 4:23
Now a young 1× Genesis 41:12
of a child 1× Proverbs 22:15
of my servants 1× Nehemiah 4:16
of Nabal’s 1× 1 Samuel 25:14
of the young man 1× 2 Kings 6:17
of these young men 1× 1 Samuel 2:17
servant 1× 2 Samuel 9:9
servants 1× Numbers 22:22
So he 1× 2 Kings 6:15
So let my young men 1× 1 Samuel 25:8
So the boy 1× 1 Samuel 20:38
some of my servants 1× Nehemiah 13:19
some young men 1× Exodus 24:5
taking his servant 1× Judges 19:3
that a child 1× Isaiah 10:19
the boy’s safety 1× Genesis 44:32
the little boy 1× Exodus 2:6
the sons you have? 1× 1 Samuel 16:11
the steward 1× 2 Samuel 19:17
the young 1× Isaiah 3:5
the young officers 1× 1 Kings 20:15
the young people 1× Job 1:19
the youth 1× Isaiah 65:20
Their servants 1× Nehemiah 5:15
these boys 1× Genesis 48:16
Though the boy 1× 1 Samuel 1:24
to her young men 1× 1 Samuel 25:19
to him 1× 1 Samuel 20:21
to the boy 1× 1 Samuel 20:36
to the young 1× Proverbs 1:4
to the young men 1× 1 Samuel 25:27
Treat the young man 1× 2 Samuel 18:5
was a child 1× Hosea 11:1
was still young 1× 1 Samuel 1:24
When the boy 1× 1 Samuel 20:37
When the boys 1× Genesis 25:27
with our young 1× Exodus 10:9
with your servant 1× Judges 7:10
young officers 1× 1 Kings 20:19
young together 1× Psalms 148:12
your young men 1× 1 Samuel 25:8
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 14:24 הַנְּעָרִ֔ים to my men Article | Noun - masculine plural Genesis 18:7 הַנַּ֔עַר to a servant Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 19:4 מִנַּ֖עַר to both young Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 21:12 הַנַּ֣עַר to the boy Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 21:17 הַנַּעַר֒ to of the boy Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 21:17 הַנַּ֖עַר to of the boy Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 21:18 הַנַּ֔עַר to the boy Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 21:19 הַנָּֽעַר׃ to and gave the boy Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 21:20 הַנַּ֖עַר to the boy Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 22:3 נְעָרָיו֙ to of his servants Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 14:24
Aligned rows 239
Books represented 24
Genesis 27 Exodus 4 Numbers 2 Deuteronomy 1 Joshua 2 Judges 23 Ruth 6 1 Samuel 60 2 Samuel 26 1 Kings 11 2 Kings 24 1 Chronicles 3 2 Chronicles 2 Nehemiah 8 Esther 4 Job 7 Psalms 3 Proverbs 7 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 11 Jeremiah 3 Lamentations 2 Hosea 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
הַנַּ֔עַר 15x han·na·‘ar Genesis 18:7, Genesis 21:18, Genesis 22:12, Genesis 44:32
הַנַּ֖עַר 14x han·na·‘ar Genesis 21:17, Genesis 21:20, Genesis 44:22, Genesis 44:31
הַנַּ֙עַר֙ 11x han·na·‘ar Genesis 34:19, Judges 17:11, 1 Samuel 1:22, 1 Samuel 9:8
נַ֣עַר 9x na·‘ar Genesis 41:12, 1 Samuel 2:15, 1 Samuel 17:33, 1 Kings 3:7
הַנְּעָרִ֖ים 6x han·nə·‘ā·rîm Ruth 2:9, 1 Samuel 21:4, 1 Samuel 21:5, Job 1:15
נַ֥עַר 6x na·‘ar 2 Samuel 9:9, 2 Samuel 16:1, 1 Kings 11:17, 2 Kings 5:14
הַנַּ֥עַר 5x han·na·‘ar Judges 18:15, 1 Samuel 1:27, 1 Samuel 2:21, 2 Kings 9:4
הַנְּעָרִ֔ים 5x han·nə·‘ā·rîm Genesis 14:24, Genesis 25:27, 2 Samuel 2:14, 2 Samuel 16:2
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine singular 67x Genesis 18:7, Genesis 21:12, Genesis 21:17, Genesis 21:18
Noun - masculine singular 32x Genesis 37:2, Genesis 41:12, Exodus 2:6, Judges 8:14
Article | Noun - masculine plural 21x Genesis 14:24, Genesis 25:27, Genesis 48:16, Joshua 6:23
Noun - masculine plural construct 13x Exodus 24:5, 1 Samuel 25:9, 1 Samuel 25:12, 1 Samuel 25:25
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 11x Judges 7:11, Judges 9:54, 1 Samuel 9:22, 1 Samuel 10:14
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular 10x Genesis 22:5, Genesis 44:30, Genesis 44:33, Genesis 44:34
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular 10x Judges 13:8, 1 Samuel 3:8, 1 Samuel 4:21, 1 Samuel 9:27
Noun - masculine plural 9x 1 Samuel 25:5, 2 Samuel 18:15, 2 Kings 5:22, Job 29:8
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Youth marked by active vigor and subordinate status, spanning infancy through adolescence regardless of gender.
Source Gloss
(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)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Youth marked by active vigor and subordinate status, spanning infancy through adolescence regardless of gender.
(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) BDB: boy Usage: babe, boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young (man).
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
A young person of tender age, emphasizing youth and inexperience in divine commission
A boy or young person requiring instruction and training in the way they should go
A boy as subject of discipline and correction for foolishness and waywardness
A boy or young person requiring parental guidance and the rod of correction
A boy or young son with hope for correction and discipline during formative years
Showing 5 selected witnesses from 239 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
נַעַר is built from this root:
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