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נוֹבַי

𐤍𐤅𐤁𐤉

Novay

H5109 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נוב to bear fruit, to produce, to sprout

Definition

Nobai, a personal name referring to a specific Israelite individual cited in genealogical lists. The name likely means 'fruitful,' being derived from the root with the sense of bearing or producing fruit. In biblical usage, Nobai refers specifically to a head of a family or clan within the tribe of Benjamin, noted in post-exilic genealogical contexts. The semantic range is limited to use as a proper noun, denoting a person rather than describing a quality or characteristic more broadly.

Semantic Range

personal name (Nobai), clan leader among Israelites, variant spelling Nebai; denoting an individual rather than a quality

Root / Etymology

From the root נוב (n-w-b), meaning 'to bear fruit' or 'to sprout,' with the addition of the ending -ai, which is common in Israelite personal names. The form נוֹבַי is best understood as derived from this root, though its exact formation as a proper noun is not fully clear.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The name נוֹבַי (Nobai) appears in Nehemiah 7:7 as one of the leaders who returned from Babylonian exile, representing a clan among the Benjaminites. In related genealogical contexts, the variant Nebai (נְבַי) occurs, indicating a fluidity of spelling in post-exilic lists. While Strong's equates Nobai with 'Nebai,' Hebrew manuscript evidence distinguishes between these forms, though contextually they seem to reference the same lineage or individual. The translation 'fruitful' reflects the presumed root meaning but is not used adjectivally in the biblical text. Most English translations simply transliterate the name as 'Nobai' or 'Nebai.' The name is not connected to the geographic location Nob (נוֹב), which is an unrelated toponym. There is no evidence that this personal name carried any broader significance or usage beyond these specific genealogical records.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from נוֹב; fruitful; Nobai, an Israelite; Nebai (from the margin).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נוב (n-w-b) — to bear fruit, to produce, to sprout

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5011 נֹב in Nôb
H5032 נְבָיוֹת Nebayoth, Fruitful-ones
H5107 נוּב he will sprout
H5108 נוֹב produce of
H8570 תְּנוּבָה from yields of

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5109-02 נובי nvvy HNp Nobai Fruitful-One 1
H5109-01 נֵיבָֽי neyvay HNp Nebai Nobai 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5109-02 Nehemiah 10:20 נובי nvvy HNp Nobai Fruitful-One
H5109-01 Nehemiah 10:20 נֵיבָֽי neyvay HNp Nebai Nobai
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