נְמוּאֵל
Nemuel, the name of two Israelites
Definition
Nemuel is the name of two distinct individuals in the Old Testament. The first Nemuel is mentioned in Numbers 26:9 as a son of Eliab and a Reubenite, who was part of the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. The second Nemuel appears in Numbers 26:12 and 1 Chronicles 4:24 as a son of Simeon and the founder of the Nemuelite clan. The name itself carries a meaning related to God, but the two bearers are separate figures from different tribes with different narrative roles.
Biblical Usage
The name Nemuel is used exclusively as a proper noun for two Israelite men. It appears in genealogical and census contexts within the books of Numbers and 1 Chronicles. In Numbers 26:9, it identifies a Reubenite involved in a major rebellion. In Numbers 26:12 and 1 Chronicles 4:24, it identifies a Simeonite and the patriarch of a family clan. There is no narrative usage beyond these identifications.
Etymology
The name Nemuel (נְמוּאֵל) is generally understood to be a variant or dialectical form of the name Jemuel (יְמוּאֵל, H3223), which means 'day of God' or possibly 'God is fullness'. It is constructed from elements meaning 'God' (אֵל) and a root (יָמַם or מוּל) related to days or circumcision. The shift from the initial letter 'Yod' (י) to 'Nun' (נ) is a known phonetic variation in Hebrew names.
Semantic Range
While the name Nemuel itself is theologically rich in meaning ('day of God'), the biblical characters bearing it are not central to major theological narratives. Its primary significance is in demonstrating the importance of genealogy and tribal identity within Israel's covenant community. The two bearers, from the tribes of Reuben and Simeon, reflect the distribution of God's promises and the consequences of rebellion (as seen with the Reubenite Nemuel) across the generations of Israel.
In ancient Israelite culture, names were often theophoric, containing a divine element like 'El' (God). Bearing such a name was a statement of identity within the covenant people. The recording of names like Nemuel in tribal lists and genealogies (Numbers 26, 1 Chronicles 4) was crucial for establishing lineage, inheritance rights, and military organization within the twelve tribes.
Jemuel (Yᵉmûwʼêl, H3223) — The standard form of the name, meaning 'day of God', borne by a son of Simeon in Genesis 46:10 and Exodus 6:15.
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 →