H5116a H5116a
Dwelling-place, habitation; pasture or meadow for flocks; fold or resting-place where animals lie down in safety.
The Hebrew noun naveh evokes the pastoral world at the heart of Israel's self-understanding — a place where sheep graze, shepherds dwell, and God's people find rest. Rooted in the imagery of settled habitation, it spans from God's holy dwelling (Exod 15:13, 'You guided them to Your holy habitation') to the open meadows where flocks feed (Isa 65:10) to the sheltered fold where lambs lie down secure (Jer 23:3). Spanish distinguishes morada (dwelling) from pastizal (pasture) and majada (fold), and German shifts between Wohnung, Weide, and Hurde, revealing that what Hebrew collapses into a single pastoral term, most languages must split along the axis of shelter versus openness. The prophets especially exploit this word's resonance: God as shepherd restoring Israel to their naveh is simultaneously a return to homeland, to green pasture, and to safety.
Senses
1. dwelling-place, habitation — A settled dwelling-place or habitation for people or for God, emphasizing an established, often beautiful home or abode. This dominant sense (22 occurrences) spans from God's holy habitation in the Song of the Sea (Exod 15:13) to Job's hope that God will restore the habitation of his righteousness (Job 8:6). It also encompasses the prophetic vision of Jerusalem or Zion as God's dwelling (Jer 25:30; 31:23; 50:7). Spanish morada, French habitation, and German Wohnung converge on residential permanence, while Hindi निवास and Arabic مسكن confirm the sense of settled, secure dwelling. 22×
AR["فِي-مَسْكَنِ","لِمَسْكَنِ","مَرْعَى","مَسْكَنًا","مَسْكَنٌ","مَسْكَنٍ","مَسْكَنَ","مَسْكَنَكَ","مَسْكَنَهُ","مَسْكَنَهُمْ","مَسْكَنِ","مَسْكَنِهِ","مَسْكِنَ-","مَسْكِنِ-","وَ-مَسْكَنَ"]·ben["-বাসস্থানে","আবাসস্থল","ও-বাসস্থান","তার-বাসস্থান","তার-বাসস্থানকে","তোমার-বাসস্থান","নিবাস","বাসস্থান","বাসস্থান-","বাসস্থান-তার","বাসস্থানে","বাসস্থানের"]·DE["Weide","[ונוה]","[לנוה]","[נוהו]","[נוך]","[נות]","habitation-von","sein-habitation"]·EN["a-habitation","a-haunt","a-pasture-of","a-quiet","against-dwelling-of","but-the-dwelling-of","dwelling-of","habitation-of","his-dwelling","his-habitation","in-an-abode","in-the-haunt","the-pasture-of-","their-pasture","your-habitation"]·FR["et-pâturage","habitation-de","pâturage","son-pâturage-lui","ton-pâturage-toi","à-pâturage"]·heb["ב-נווה","ו-נווה","ל-נוה","נוה","נוה-","נוהו","נווה","נווה-","נווהו","נווך","נוות"]·HI["अपने-निवास-को","उसके-निवास","उसके-निवास-को","और-निवास","गंधक","चरागाह","निवास","निवास-","निवास-पर","निवास-में"]·ID["di-tempat-tinggal","padang-penggembalaan","padang-rumput","tempat-kediaman","tempat-kediaman-","tempat-kediaman-Nya","tempat-tinggal","tempat-tinggal-","tempat-tinggalmu","tempat-tinggalnya","terhadap-tempat-kediaman","tetapi-tempat-tinggal"]·IT["[נוהו]","dwelling-of","e-ma-il-dwelling-di","habitation-di","pascolo","per-contro-dwelling-di","suo-dwelling-suo","tuo-habitation-tuo"]·jav["dhateng-griyanipun","ing-panggenan","ing-papan","lan-griyanipun","panggenan","panggenan-angon-","panggenan-ipun","panggonan-","panggonané","pangonan","pangonan-","pangonanipun","papan","papan-dedalem","papan-dedalem-panjenengan","papan-dedalemipun","papan-lenggah","papan-palereman"]·KO["거처-","거처-에","거처가","거처를","그-거처를","그-의-거처-를","그러나-거하는-곳-을","그의-거처를","그의-목장을","너의-우리를","에-거처에","처소가","처소로","처소를","처소인-"]·PT["contra-habitação-de","em-habitação-de","habitação","habitação-de","habitação-de-","habitação-tua","mas-morada-de","morada","morada-de","morada-de-","morada-dele","na-habitação-de","sua-habitação","sua-morada"]·RU["а-жилище","в-жилище-","его","жилище","жилище-","жилище-его","жилище-твоё","жилищем-","жилищу","обиталище-","против-жилища"]·ES["a-la-morada-del","en-la-morada","en-morada-de","la-morada-de","morada","morada-de","morada-de-","morada-de-el","morada-su","pero-la-morada-de","su-morada","tu-morada"]·SW["katika-makao","katika-makazi","kwa-makao-ya","lakini-makao-ya","makao","makao-ya","makao-yake","makao-yako","makao-yao","makazi","makazi-ya"]·TR["evine-karşı","konaklarına","konutunu","mesken","otlaginda","otlak","otlağı","otlağına","otlağına-","otlağını","ve-konutunu","yeri-","yurdunu","yuvanı","yuvasi","yuvasinda","yuvasını","yuvasının"]·urd["اُس-کے-مسکن","اُس-کے-گھر","اپنے-گھر","بستی","بستی-میں","بسیرہ","سکونت","لیکن-مسکن","مسکن","مسکن-اُس-کے","مسکن-میں","چراگاہ","چراگاہ-کو","گھر-کے-لیے"]
Exod 15:13, 2 Sam 15:25, Job 5:3, Job 5:24, Job 8:6, Job 18:15, Ps 79:7, Prov 3:33, Prov 21:20, Prov 24:15, Isa 27:10, Isa 32:18 (+10 more)
2. pasture, meadow — Open pasture or green meadow where flocks graze freely, highlighting the pastoral landscape of feeding rather than enclosure. Seven occurrences focus on the shepherd-and-flock imagery: God took David from the naveh — the sheep pastures — to shepherd Israel (2 Sam 7:8; 1 Chr 17:7), and Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks (Isa 65:10). Spanish pastizal/pradera, French paturage, and German Weide all deploy dedicated grazing vocabulary. The prophetic passages in Jeremiah 49:20 and 50:19, 45 picture restoration as return to lush pastureland, interweaving national hope with pastoral imagery. 7×
AR["المَرعى","الْمَرْعَى","في-مَرجٍ","لِ-مَرْعَى-","مَرَاعِي","مَرْعَاهُمْ","مَسْكَنِهِ"]·ben["-থেকে","চারণভূমি","তাদের-চরণভূমি","তার-চরাগাহে","মাঠে-","মেষপালের-স্থান-"]·DE["Weide","[בנוה]","[נות]","der-pasture"]·EN["a-pasture-for","his-pasture","in-a-meadow","pastures","the-pasture","their-pasture"]·FR["[הנוה]","demeure","le-pasture","pâturage"]·heb["ב-נווה","ה-נוה","ה-נווה","ל-נווה","נוהו","נוהם","נוות"]·HI["उनकी-चरागाह","उसकी-चरागाह","चरागाह","चरागाह-के-लिए","चरागाह-में","चरागाहें"]·ID["di-tempat-yang-indah","padang-penggembalaan-mereka","padang-rumput","padang-rumputnya"]·IT["[הנוה]","il-pasture","pascolo"]·jav["ing-padang","pangen","panggenan-","pangonan","pangonanipun","pengangonan"]·KO["그-목장","그-목초지","목장으로-그의","에-목장이","에-목초지에","처소를-그들의","초장들"]·PT["a-pastagem","em-prado","para-moradia-de-","pasto","pastos-de","sua-morada"]·RU["-пастбища","·-пастбища","жилище-их","на-пастбище","пастбищами","пастбище-его","пастбищем-для-"]·ES["el-pastizal","en-pradera","para-majada-de-","praderas-de","su-morada"]·SW["katika-kijani","makao-yake","makao-yao","malisho"]·TR["otlak-","otlakları-","otlaklarını","otlakta","otlaktan","otlağına"]·urd["بسیرہ-اُن-کا","چراگاہ","چراگاہ-اُس-کی","چراگاہ-میں","چراگاہ-کے-لیے-","چراگاہیں"]
3. fold, resting-place for flocks — A fold or sheltered resting-place where flocks lie down in protected safety, distinguished from open pasture by the connotation of bounded enclosure and secure rest. Five occurrences cluster in prophetic contexts: God will bring the scattered sheep back to their fold (Jer 23:3), Ammon's land will become a resting-place for camels (Ezek 25:5), and the restored people will find good pasturage and lie down on good fold (Ezek 34:14). Spanish majada, French bergerie, and German Hurde occasionally appear alongside the more general 'pasture' terms, while the parallel vocabulary in these passages — rabats (lie down), mireh (grazing-place) — confirms a sense of enclosed, secure rest distinct from open meadow. 5×
AR["فِي-مَرْبِضٍ","مَرْبِضًا-","مَرْبِضُهَا","مَرْبِضِهَا","مَرْبِضِهِ"]·ben["ঘরে","চরানোয়া-জায়গা-","তাদের-ঘর","তাদের-চরণীতে","বাসস্থান-তাঁর"]·DE["Weide"]·EN["as-pasture-for-","his-fold","in-pasture-of","their-fold","their-pasture"]·FR["demeure","pâturage"]·heb["ב-נווה","ל-נווה","נווהו","נווהם","נווהן"]·HI["अपनी-चराई-पर","उनकी-चराई-पर","चरागाह","सब"]·ID["di-tempat-tinggal","padang-rumput-mereka","sebagai-padang-rumput-","tempat-tinggal-Nya","tempat-tinggal-mereka;"]·IT["pascolo"]·jav["ing-kandhang","kandhangipun","kangge-pakuwon","pangonan-ipun"]·KO["그들의-목장으로","그들의-우리가","그분의-목장을","목장으로-","에-우리에서"]·PT["aprisco-delas","em-aprisco","por-pastagem-de","sua-pastagem"]·RU["верблюдов","на-пастбище","пастбище-Своё","пастбище-их"]·ES["como-pastizal-de","en-morada","morada-de-ellas","su-morada","su-morada;"]·SW["katika-makazi","kuwa-malisho-ya","makao-yao","malisho-yake","malisho-yao"]·TR["ağılda","ağılları","otlak-","otlaklarına","otlağına"]·urd["اُن-کا-بسیرا","بسیرے-میں","بَ-چراگاہ","چراگاہ-ان-کی","چراگاہ-اپنی"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)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×)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×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. נָוֶה n.m. Is 27:10 abode of shepherd, or flocks, poet. habitation;—abs. Is 27:10 +; cstr. נְוֵה Ex 15:13 +; נְוַת Jb 8:6 (as if from נָוָה; or read נְוֵה?); sf. נָֽוְךָ Jb 5:24, נָוֵ֫הוּ 2 S 15:25 +, נְוֵהֶם Je 49:20 Ez 34:14 (cf. Sta§ 351 c.), נְוֵהֶן Je 23:3 (so Baer Ginsb; נְוֵיהֶן van d. H., pl. according to Köii. 1, p. 77);— 1. a. abode, of sheep 2 S 7:8 (‖ מֵאַחַר הַצֹּאן) = 1 Ch…