נֹבַח

Nobach, the name of an Israelite, and of a place East of the Jordan

Definition

Nobach is a proper noun referring to both an Israelite warrior and a city in the Transjordan region. As a person, Nobach was a Manassite who captured the city of Kenath and renamed it after himself (Numbers 32:42). As a place, Nobach is mentioned as a location near Jogbehah, east of the Jordan River, where Gideon pursued the fleeing kings of Midian (Judges 8:11). The two biblical references thus distinguish between the individual and the geographical site named in his honor.

Biblical Usage

The word is used only twice in the Old Testament, both times as a proper name. In Numbers 32:42, it identifies the person Nobach, son of Machir, who conquered a city. In Judges 8:11, it refers to the place 'Nobah,' a location near Jogbehah. Both usages are tied to the territory of Manasseh east of the Jordan, linking the personal achievement of conquest with a lasting geographical name.

Etymology

Derived from the Hebrew root נָבַח (nābach, H5024), meaning 'to bark' (like a dog). As a proper name, Nobach likely carried a sense of 'barker' or possibly one who is vocal or assertive. The transition from a verb meaning 'to bark' to a personal name is not uncommon in Semitic onomastics, where animal characteristics or actions were often used for names.

Semantic Range

In ancient Israelite culture, naming a conquered city after oneself was a practice that asserted ownership, legacy, and military prowess. Nobach's act of renaming Kenath reflects the common Near Eastern custom where victors imposed their identity on captured territories, serving as a permanent memorial to their achievement and a claim of tribal inheritance in the newly allotted Transjordanian lands.

Kenath (Kenath, H7076) — the original name of the city conquered and renamed Nobach by the Israelite warrior.

Word Details

Scripture References