נֹעָה
Noah, an Israelitess
Definition
Noah (נֹעָה) is a proper name given to an Israelite woman, one of the five daughters of Zelophehad from the tribe of Manasseh. Her story is significant because she and her sisters petitioned Moses for the right to inherit their father's property since he had no sons, a request God granted (Numbers 27:1-7). This established a legal precedent for inheritance in Israel. The name appears in the context of these inheritance laws and the subsequent clarification about marriage within the tribe to preserve the allotted land (Numbers 36:11).
Biblical Usage
This name is used exclusively in four verses within the narrative concerning Zelophehad's daughters. It appears in the second census list (Numbers 26:33), in the daughters' petition (Numbers 27:1), in the law resolving their inheritance (Numbers 36:11), and later in a reference when the land is distributed (Joshua 17:3). The usage is consistently legal and genealogical, highlighting a key moment in Israelite jurisprudence.
Etymology
The name Noah (נֹעָה) is derived from the Hebrew root נוּעַ (H5128), meaning 'to move,' 'to wander,' or 'to shake.' It is the feminine form of the more famous masculine name נֹחַ (Noah, H5146), borne by the patriarch from Genesis. While sharing a similar root, the names are distinct words. The feminine form likely carries connotations of 'movement' or perhaps 'comfort,' relating to the root's range of meaning.
Semantic Range
The story of Noah and her sisters is theologically important as it demonstrates God's responsiveness to righteous appeals for justice and inclusion within the covenant community. Their case established that God's laws are adaptable to ensure fairness, particularly for vulnerable members of society (in this case, daughters without a male heir). Understanding this narrative enriches the reading of Numbers and Joshua by showing how divine law interacted with human initiative to expand and protect inheritance rights for women in ancient Israel.
In the patriarchal culture of ancient Israel, inheritance typically passed through male lines. The case of Zelophehad's daughters was culturally revolutionary, challenging the norm to prevent a man's name and property from being lost. God's endorsement of their claim adjusted cultural practice, showing that the covenant community's stability could sometimes require transcending standard social conventions to uphold justice and family continuity.
נֹחַ (Nōach, H5146) — The masculine name Noah, the patriarch who built the ark.
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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