H5051 H5051
Brightness, radiance, splendor — shining brilliance from a luminous or divine source, occasionally the light of dawn
The noun נֹגַהּ captures the quality of shining brilliance or resplendent radiance, whether natural or supernatural. It describes the dazzling light that accompanies God's theophany — coals kindled 'from His brightness' (2 Sam 22:13; Ps 18:12) — and the luminous glory surrounding the divine chariot-throne in Ezekiel's visions (Ezek 1:4, 27-28; 10:4). Prophetically, it pictures Zion's coming splendor: 'nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising' (Isa 60:3). In one poetic instance (Prov 4:18), it evokes the growing radiance of dawn as an image for the path of the righteous.
Senses
1. brightness, radiance, splendor — Shining brightness, radiance, or splendor emanating from a luminous source — especially divine or celestial. This sense covers the overwhelming majority of occurrences (18 of 19), including the brightness of theophany (2 Sam 22:13, Ps 18:12), Ezekiel's visions of divine glory (Ezek 1:4, 27-28; 10:4), the brightness of the moon and stars (Isa 60:19; Joel 2:10; 4:15), the fire-brightness of Isaiah's judgment imagery (Isa 4:5), and the prophetic splendor of Zion's redemption (Isa 60:3; 62:1). Spanish 'resplandor,' French equivalents, and German 'Glanz' all point to shining radiance rather than mere light, marking this as a quality-word — the luminous effect rather than the source itself. 18×
AR["الـ-ضِّياءِ", "ضِياءَ", "ضِياءَها", "ضِيَاءَ", "كَ-السَّطَاعِ", "لِ-سَطَاعِ", "لِسَنَاءِ", "مِنَ-السَّنَا", "مِنْ-سَنَاءٍ", "نُورٌ", "وَ-ضِياءٌ", "وَ-لَمَعَانَ", "وَ-لِ-سَطَاعٍ", "وَسَنَاءٌ"]·ben["-এবং-উজ্জ্বলতার-জন্য", "-তেজের", "আর-তেজ", "আলো", "উজ্জ্বলতা", "উজ্জ্বলতা-থেকে", "উজ্জ্বলতার-দিকে", "উজ্জ্বলতার-মতো", "এবং-দীপ্তি", "ও-তেজ", "ও-দীপ্তি", "তাদের-উজ্বলতা", "দীপ্তি-থেকে", "দীপ্তিতে", "দীপ্তিতে-"]·DE["Glanz", "[הנגה]", "[ולנגה]", "[ונגה]", "[כנגה]", "[לנגה]", "[נגה]", "und-Glanz", "von-brightness", "von-der-Glanz"]·EN["and-brightness", "and-brightness-of", "and-for-brightness", "at-the-gleam-of", "brightness", "brightness-of", "from-brightness", "from-the-brightness", "light", "like-the-brightness", "the-brightness", "their-brightness", "to-brightness-of"]·FR["[ולנגה]", "[ונגה]", "[כנגה]", "[לנגה]", "[נגה]", "de-splendeur", "de-éclat", "et-splendeur", "splendeur"]·heb["ה-נוגה", "ו-ל-נוגה", "ו-נוגה", "כ-נוגה", "ל-נוגה", "מ-נוגה", "נגהם", "נוֹגַה", "נוֹגהם", "נוגה"]·HI["और-चमक", "और-चमकके-लिए", "चमक", "चमक-अपनी।", "चमक-के-लिए", "चमक-से", "चमककी-ओर", "ज्योति-की-तरह", "ती-चमक", "प्रकाश", "से-चमक"]·ID["Dan-cahaya", "Dari-kecemerlangan", "cahaya", "cahaya-itu", "cahaya-mereka.", "dan-cahaya", "dan-untuk-cahaya", "dari-kecerahan", "dari-terang", "ke-kilatan", "menuju-kecerahan", "seperti-cahaya", "terang"]·IT["da-brightness", "e-splendore", "splendore"]·jav["Lan-padhang", "Saking-padhang", "dhateng-cahya", "ing-kilat", "kados-cahya", "lan-kangge-cahya", "lan-padhang", "lan-pepadhang", "padhang", "pepadhang-punika", "saking-pepadhang", "sorot", "sunaripun"]·KO["-에서-빛남", "그-광채의", "그들의-빛-을", "그리고-광채가", "그리고-빛-이", "그리고-에-밝음으로", "밝음처럼", "빛-에서", "빛남이", "빛으로", "빛이", "에-밝음으로", "에-번쩍임-으로"]·PT["Do-brilho", "Do-resplendor", "ao-brilho-de-", "ao-resplendor-de", "brilho-de", "brilho-seu", "como-o-resplendor", "de-brilho", "e-brilho", "e-brilho-de", "e-para-resplendor", "esplendor", "luz", "o-brilho"]·RU["и-для-сияния", "и-сияние", "к-сиянию-", "как-hа-сияние", "от-сияния", "при-сиянии", "света", "сияние-своё", "сиянием", "сияния"]·ES["Del-resplandor", "Y-el-resplandor", "al-resplandor-de", "al-resplandor-de-", "como-el-resplandor", "de-resplandor", "del-resplandor", "el-resplandor", "ni-para-resplandor", "resplandor", "resplandor-de", "resplandor-de-ellas", "y-resplandor", "y-resplandor-de"]·SW["Kutoka-mwangaza", "kama-mwangaza", "kutoka-mwanga", "kwa-mng'ao-wa", "kwa-mwangaza", "mwanga", "mwanga-wao", "mwangaza", "na-kwa-mwangaza", "na-mng'ao", "na-mwanga", "na-mwangaza-wa", "nuru"]·TR["Ve-parlaklık", "arasında", "gibi", "görünüşü", "isik", "ona", "parlaklik-gibi-", "parlaklina-", "parlaklıklarını", "parlaklıktan", "parlaklığını", "parıltı", "parıltıdan-", "parıltısına", "ve-parlaklik", "ve-parlaklik-icin-"]·urd["-چمک-سے", "اور-چمک", "اور-چمک-کے-لیے", "اپنی-چمک", "روشنی", "روشنی-کی-طرح", "چمک", "چمک-سے", "چمک-میں", "چمک-کی", "چمک-کی-طرف"]
2. dawn light, daybreak radiance — The brightness specifically of dawn or daybreak — the growing radiance that characterizes the breaking of day. Attested once in Prov 4:18, where the path of the righteous is likened to 'the light of dawn that shines ever brighter until full day.' English glosses render it 'dawn,' Spanish 'alba,' distinguishing this temporal-natural sense from the broader radiance of sense 1. The metaphorical force is progressive illumination, not static brilliance — a fitting image for spiritual maturation that the multilingual evidence sets apart from the more static or explosive radiance elsewhere. 1×
AR["سَاطِعٍ"]·ben["উজ্জ্বল"]·DE["Glanz"]·EN["dawn"]·FR["נגה"]·heb["נוגה"]·HI["चमकती-हुई"]·ID["fajar"]·IT["dawn"]·jav["kang-sumunar"]·KO["빛나는"]·PT["de-aurora"]·RU["рассвета,"]·ES["alba"]·SW["mapambazuko"]·TR["şafağın"]·urd["روشنی-کے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. נֹ֫גַהּ n.f. Hb 3:4 (?) brightness;—נ׳ abs. Am. 5:20 +; cstr. Is 4:5 +; sf. נָגְהָם Jo 2:10; 4:15;—brightness of a (clear, sunshiny) day Am 5:20 (‖ אוֹר; opp. אָפֵל, חֹשֶׁךְ), 2 S 23:4 (מִמָּטָר after rain); so fig. of Zion’s dawning, נ׳ זַרְחֵךְ Is 60:3 (‖ אוֹר); of her righteousness כַּנֹּגַהּ 62:1 (c. art. only here and Ez 1:28), ‖ כְּלַפִּיד יִבְעָ֑ר; of moon Is 60:19, of stars Jo 2:10;…