Bible Word Study
נַעַם
Naʻam · Naam, an Israelite
נַעַם
Naam, an Israelite
Definition
Naam is a proper noun referring to an individual in the Old Testament. The name appears only once, identifying Naam as a son of Caleb and a descendant of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:15). As a name, it is derived from the Hebrew root meaning 'pleasantness' or 'delight.' In this singular biblical occurrence, it functions solely as a personal identifier within a genealogical list, with no narrative or descriptive details provided about the person.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 4:15. Its usage is strictly genealogical, appearing in a list of descendants of Caleb within the tribe of Judah. There are no other contexts or patterns, as it is a unique personal name with no narrative attached.
Etymology
The name Naam (נַעַם) is derived from the root נָעֵם (H5276), which means 'to be pleasant, delightful, or lovely.' It is related to the common noun נֹעַם (no'am), meaning 'pleasantness' or 'beauty' (used in Psalms 90:17, Proverbs 3:17). The name essentially means 'Pleasantness' or 'Delight,' a typical Hebrew name reflecting a positive attribute.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, names were often significant and descriptive, reflecting character, circumstances, or parental hopes. Naam, meaning 'pleasantness,' fits this pattern. Being listed in a genealogy, especially of the tribe of Judah, signified inclusion in the covenant people and a connection to the lineage that would produce King David and, ultimately, the Messiah. While the individual Naam has no recorded story, his preserved name in Scripture underscores the value of each person within God's covenantal family. נֹעַם (Noʻam, H5278) — The common noun meaning 'pleasantness' or 'beauty,' from the same root. נָעֵם (Naʻem, H5276) — The verb meaning 'to be pleasant' or 'to be delightful.'
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]