נַחַת
Nachath, the name of an Edomite and of two Israelites
Definition
נַחַת (Nachath) is a proper noun used exclusively as a personal name in the Hebrew Bible. It refers to three distinct individuals: an Edomite chief descended from Esau (Genesis 36:13, 17; 1 Chronicles 1:37), a Levite from the family of Kohath (1 Chronicles 6:26), and an official under King Hezekiah who helped oversee temple contributions (2 Chronicles 31:13). The name itself is identical to the common noun נַחַת (H5183), meaning 'rest,' 'quietness,' or 'descent,' which likely served as its etymological source. While the name is applied to different people in various books, its meaning as a proper noun remains consistent—it is simply the identifier for these specific men.
Biblical Usage
This proper noun appears five times across three biblical books. In Genesis and its parallel in 1 Chronicles, it identifies Nachath as an Edomite chieftain, a grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:13, 17; 1 Chronicles 1:37). In 1 Chronicles 6:26, it refers to a Levite in the genealogy of Samuel. Finally, in 2 Chronicles 31:13, it denotes a Levitical official appointed during King Hezekiah's reforms to assist in managing the temple storerooms. The usage is strictly onomastic (name-related) with no variation in meaning across contexts.
Etymology
The name נַחַת (Nachath) is derived directly from the identical common Hebrew noun נַחַת (H5183), which carries the core meanings of 'resting,' 'quietness,' or 'going down.' This noun itself comes from the root נוח (n-w-ḥ), meaning 'to rest' or 'to settle.' As a personal name, Nachath likely embodied a positive attribute or parental hope, such as 'rest' or 'quietness,' common in Hebrew naming conventions where names conveyed meaning or character.
Semantic Range
In ancient Semitic culture, personal names were often significant and descriptive, not merely arbitrary labels. Naming a child Nachath ('rest' or 'quietness') may have reflected parental aspirations for the child's character or destiny, or perhaps circumstances surrounding the birth. The appearance of this name for both an Edomite (a traditional rival of Israel) and Israelites shows that meaningful name-giving crossed cultural boundaries within the biblical world.
נוח (nuach, H5117) — the verbal root meaning 'to rest' or 'settle,' from which נַחַת is derived. שלוה (shalvah, H7962) — another noun for 'quietness,' 'peace,' or 'ease,' but with a stronger connotation of prosperity and security.
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.
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