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נַעֲמָה

𐤍𐤏𐤌𐤄

Naamah

H5279 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נעם to be pleasant, to be delightful, to be lovely

Definition

A feminine proper name meaning 'pleasantness' or 'delight.' Used as the personal name of two women in the Hebrew Bible: (1) a descendant of Cain (Genesis 4:22), and (2) an Ammonite woman who became one of Solomon's wives and the mother of Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:21, 31; 2 Chronicles 12:13). Also occurs as a place name for a town in the territory allotted to Judah (Joshua 15:41). The primary lexical meaning is a designation denoting delight, pleasantness, or charm, likely reflecting favorable personal qualities or desirability. In some contexts, it functions simply as a personal or toponymic marker with semantic meaning secondary to identification.

Semantic Range

pleasantness, delight, charm (as an abstract quality or personal trait); used as a feminine proper name; used as the name of a town in Judah (toponym)

Root / Etymology

Root: נעם. The noun derives from the root נ-ע-מ (na‘am), meaning 'to be pleasant, delightful, sweet.' The feminine formation נַעֲמָה (Naʻămâh) arises from adding the feminine ending -ָה to an abstract noun expressing the quality of pleasantness. The root meaning 'to be pleasant' informs the lexical sense of the name as 'pleasantness.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

As a proper name, נַעֲמָה is distinguished both by its etymological meaning and by its use in naming individuals and a locality. In Genesis 4:22, Naamah is listed among the descendants of Cain, situating her in the primeval genealogies. In the monarchic history (1 Kings 14:21, 31; 2 Chronicles 12:13), another Naamah is designated as an Ammonite (not ethnically Israelite), noted as the mother of Rehoboam, thus connecting her to Judean royal succession and foreign origins. The attribution of the name to a town in Judah (Joshua 15:41) is more difficult to explain, but likely reflects either an older tradition or a toponym whose etymology matches the general root meaning. English translations treat Naamah primarily as a transliterated proper noun rather than by its lexical meaning, and this is appropriate except when explaining the sense the name might have conveyed. The use of Naamah to refer to Solomon’s Ammonite wife has sometimes been conflated with later terminology for 'Jewish' identity; it is important to note that she was explicitly identified as Ammonite, and in the context of the united monarchy period, she would not be called a Jew or Judean in a technical sense. The meaning of 'pleasantness' is evident in the name but does not denote occupation, role, or status. No evidence suggests the place Naamah was named after either woman named Naamah.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of נַעַם; pleasantness; Naamah, the name of an antediluvian woman, of an Ammonitess, and of a place in Palestine; Naamah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נעם (n-ʿ-m) — pleasantness, delightfulness, loveliness, sweetness

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4516 מַנְעַם in their delights
H5273 נָעִים in pleasant ones
H5276 נָעֵם you were pleasant
H5277 נַעַם and Pleasantness
H5278 נֹעַם in pleasantness of

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5279-01 נַֽעֲמָֽה naamah HNp was Naamah Pleasantness Naamah 4
H5279-02 וְ/נַעֲמָ֖ה venaamah HC/Np and Naamah and Pleasantness and Naamah 1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5279-01 Genesis 4:22 נַֽעֲמָֽה naamah HNp was Naamah Pleasantness Naamah
H5279-02 Joshua 15:41 וְ/נַעֲמָ֖ה venaamah HC/Np and Naamah and Pleasantness and Naamah
H5279-01 1 Kings 14:21 נַעֲמָ֖ה naamah HNp was Naamah Pleasantness Naamah
H5279-01 1 Kings 14:31 נַעֲמָ֖ה naamah HNp was Naamah Pleasantness Naamah
H5279-01 2 Chronicles 12:13 נַעֲמָ֖ה naamah HNp Naamah Pleasantness Naamah
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