נֹב
Nob, a place in Palestine
Definition
Nob was a priestly city in the territory of Benjamin, located near Jerusalem. It is most famously known as the site where David received the showbread from Ahimelech the priest while fleeing from King Saul (1 Samuel 21:1). The city later suffered a horrific massacre when Saul, in retaliation for aiding David, ordered the execution of Ahimelech and eighty-five other priests of Nob (1 Samuel 22:9, 1 Samuel 22:19). In later biblical history, Nob is listed among the towns resettled by the tribe of Benjamin after the exile (Nehemiah 11:32) and appears in a prophetic oracle as a location on the Assyrian army's march toward Jerusalem (Isaiah 10:32).
Biblical Usage
The name Nob is used exclusively as a proper noun for a geographical location. It appears in the historical narratives of 1 Samuel, detailing the tragic events involving David, Saul, and the priests. It is also referenced once in the post-exilic book of Nehemiah as a repopulated town and once in the prophetic book of Isaiah in a military context. All six occurrences (1 Samuel 21:1; 22:9, 11, 19; Nehemiah 11:32; Isaiah 10:32) consistently refer to the same place.
Etymology
The name נֹב (Nôb) is derived from the same root as the Hebrew noun נוֹב (nôb, H5108), meaning 'fruit' or 'produce.' This suggests the town may have been known for its fertility or agricultural yield. As a place name, it functions independently of its root's common meaning.
Semantic Range
Nob is theologically significant as a symbol of the tragic cost of unchecked power and religious persecution. Saul's slaughter of the priests at Nob (1 Samuel 22) represents a profound violation of the sanctity of the priesthood and God's anointed servants. This event marks a decisive turn in Saul's rejection as king and highlights the theme that God protects His chosen leader (David) even through severe injustice. The town's mention in Isaiah 10:32 also places it within God's sovereign control over the movements of invading armies.
As a 'priestly city' (1 Samuel 22:19), Nob was a Levitical settlement where priests and their families lived and served. Such cities were designated throughout Israel (Joshua 21). The presence of the tabernacle or sacred objects there at the time of David (indicated by the showbread and Goliath's sword) made it a major religious center after the destruction of Shiloh. Its proximity to Jerusalem made it strategically and spiritually important.
None applicable for a proper place name.
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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