נִיר
𐤍𐤉𐤓
nîyr
H5214 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To freshly break up, turn over, or cultivate the soil, especially by plowing; to till land in preparation for planting crops; the act of opening or turning the ground for agricultural purposes. In extended usage, occasionally indicates the general activity of making preparations or initiating action by removing what is resistant (i.e., preparing for a new beginning).
Semantic Range
to plow, break up soil, till, open up new ground, prepare land for sowing
Root / Etymology
The word נִיר (nîyr) is derived from the root ניר, which carries the sense of breaking up, turning over, or freshly plowing ground. While the root is used both as a noun (furrow, tilled land) and as a verb (to plow, break up soil), the specific form here is an action verb meaning 'to break up soil.' The connection between the noun and verb reflects the agricultural context where a freshly made furrow gleams in sunlight, though the root's fundamental sense is physical turning or opening of the soil.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical Hebrew, נִיר primarily appears in agricultural contexts. The act of plowing is seasonally essential in the Israelite agricultural cycle, representing preparation for sowing. In the First Temple period, plowing was performed with wooden plows drawn by oxen. The verb does not have significant metaphorical extension in the Hebrew Bible, though related roots (e.g., חרש, to plow) are more common. The standard English translation 'to plow' generally conveys the required sense, but may not fully express the nuances of breaking up new, previously untouched ground or the visual-tactile element of a freshly-turned, exposed furrow. There is some interchange between ניר (to plow, break up) and other roots like חרש, but נִיר can specifically refer to the initial act of breaking up untilled or hard ground. In contrast, חרש may denote the general activity of plowing or engraving, and עבד generally relates to working the land. The meaning remained relatively consistent from pre-exilic through post-exilic periods and is not associated with later theological or metaphorical developments in Judean or early Jewish literature.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a root probably identical with that of נִיר, through the idea of the gleam of a fresh furrow; to till the soil; break up.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ניר (n-y-r) — break up soil, plow, turn over ground, prepare land
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4500 | מָנוֹר | like a plow-yoke beam |
| H5215 | נִיר | freshly plowed ground |
| H5369 | נֵר | Ner |
| H5374 | נֵרִיָּה | Yahweh is my lamp |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5214-01 |
נִ֥ירוּ | niru | HVqv2mp |
break-up | Plow up! | Plow up | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5214-01 |
Jeremiah 4:3 | נִ֥ירוּ | niru | HVqv2mp |
break-up | Plow up! | Plow up |
H5214-01 |
Hosea 10:12 | נִ֥ירוּ | niru | HVqv2mp |
Break up | Plow up! | Plow up |