נַעֲרָה
Naarah, the name of an Israelitess, and of a place in Palestine
Definition
Naarah is a proper noun used in the Old Testament as both a personal name and a geographical location. As a personal name, it refers to a wife of the Judahite Ashhur, the mother of several sons (1 Chronicles 4:5-6). As a place name, it designates a town on the southern border of the tribe of Ephraim, mentioned in the description of the tribal allotments (Joshua 16:7). In both uses, the word is identical to the common noun for 'young woman' (na'arah), though its function as a proper name distinguishes it in context.
Biblical Usage
The word is used only three times in the Old Testament. In Joshua 16:7, it functions solely as a place name (Naarath) marking a territorial boundary. In 1 Chronicles 4:5-6, it is used twice as the name of a woman within a genealogical list, identifying her as a wife and mother in the lineage of Judah. There is no narrative usage; all occurrences are in descriptive, list-like contexts.
Etymology
Naarah is the same form as the feminine noun נַעֲרָה (H5291), meaning 'girl, young woman.' As a proper noun, it is derived directly from this common noun, a common practice in Hebrew for creating personal and place names. Its root is likely related to the verb נָעַר (na'ar, H5287), meaning 'to shake, shake out, or shake off,' possibly conveying a sense of youthful vigor or movement.
Semantic Range
The use of a common word for 'young woman' as a personal name (Naarah) reflects a common Hebrew naming convention, where positive attributes or common nouns became personal identifiers. The place name likely originated from a geographical feature, a founding figure, or a characteristic of the location. Its mention in Joshua 16:7 as a border town underscores the importance of precise territorial boundaries in the fulfillment of God's land promises to the tribes of Israel.
נַעֲרָה (naʻărâh, H5291) — The common noun meaning 'girl, young woman,' from which the proper name is derived. בְּתוּלָה (bᵉthûlâh, H1330) — A more specific term often translated 'virgin,' emphasizing maidenhood, whereas na'arah is a broader term for a young, unmarried woman.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →