Bible Word Study
נְבוֹ
Nᵉbôw · Nebo, the name of a Babylonian deity, also of a mountain in Moab, and of a place in Palestine
נְבוֹ
Nebo, the name of a Babylonian deity, also of a mountain in Moab, and of a place in Palestine
Definition
Nebo (נְבוֹ) is a proper noun with three distinct referents in the Hebrew Bible. First, it is the name of a prominent Babylonian deity, associated with wisdom and writing, mentioned in Isaiah 46:1. Second, it refers to a mountain in Moab (Deuteronomy 32:49, 34:1) from which Moses viewed the Promised Land before his death. Third, it designates a town or geographical location in the territories of Reuben (Numbers 32:3, 38) and later Judah (Ezra 2:29). These different senses are distinguished entirely by their biblical context.
Biblical Usage
The word is used 13 times, primarily in the Pentateuch (Numbers, Deuteronomy) and in the historical books (1 Chronicles, Ezra). In Numbers and Deuteronomy, it refers to the Moabite mountain (Numbers 33:47; Deuteronomy 32:49). In Numbers 32:3, 38 and 1 Chronicles 5:8, it refers to a town rebuilt by the Reubenites. In Ezra 2:29 and 10:43, it appears as a place name for returning exiles. Its use for the Babylonian god is confined to the prophetic taunt in Isaiah 46:1.
Etymology
The name is almost certainly of foreign, specifically Akkadian (Babylonian), derivation. It originates from the Akkadian 'nabû', meaning 'to name' or 'to call,' which was the name of the Babylonian god of wisdom and scribal arts. The Hebrews adopted this name for both the deity and for geographical locations, likely through cultural contact and conquest.
Semantic Range
The name Nebo is theologically significant for its stark contrast between the powerless idol and the sovereign God of Israel. The prophet Isaiah mocks the idol Nebo being carried into captivity (Isaiah 46:1), highlighting Yahweh's supremacy. Furthermore, Mount Nebo is the site of profound covenantal transition, where Moses sees the land promised to Abraham but does not enter it due to his sin (Deuteronomy 34:1-5), emphasizing both God's faithfulness and holiness. In the ancient Near East, Nebo (Nabu) was a major deity, the patron god of scribes and wisdom, son of the chief god Marduk. For Israelites, using this name for a mountain and town represented the reclaiming of Canaanite or Moabite territory under Yahweh's authority. The biblical taunt against the idol subverts its cultural prestige, asserting that the true God carries His people, not the other way around. As a proper noun for a deity or place, it has no direct Hebrew synonyms. For the concept of a 'mountain,' related words include: הַר (har, H2022) — the general Hebrew word for mountain or hill country.
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]