H5128 H5128
To quiver, sway, stagger, wander, or shake; of unsteady motion, fugitive roaming, fear-induced trembling, and deliberate shaking.
Nua paints a vivid picture of instability in every direction. Trees sway rather than abandon their roots (Judg 9:9); drunkards stagger under judgment (Isa 24:20); Cain wanders the earth as a marked fugitive (Gen 4:12, 14); the whole land trembles at God's approach (Isa 19:1). The word's genius lies in how a single root captures both the involuntary — the quaking of fear, the tottering of exhaustion — and the deliberate: shaking the head in scorn (Ps 22:7) or sifting grain through a sieve (Amos 9:9). Spanish reveals the semantic spread beautifully: vagar for wandering, temblar for trembling, menear for head-shaking, and sacudir for sifting. The Hifil causative adds an agent who forces the motion — God scattering wanderers (Num 32:13) or sifting Israel among the nations (Amos 9:9).
Senses
1. sway, stagger, totter — To sway, stagger, or totter — unsteady back-and-forth motion, the core physical sense with 13 occurrences. The trees of Jotham's fable refuse to 'sway' over the bramble (Judg 9:9, 11, 13); Hannah's lips move as she prays and Eli thinks her drunk (1 Sam 1:13); the earth 'sways like a drunkard' under divine judgment (Isa 24:20); Job 28:4 describes miners dangling and swaying. Spanish mecer ('to rock/sway') and vacilar ('to wobble') consistently appear, while German bewegen ('to move') and French chanceler ('to totter') confirm the oscillating, unsteady quality. The simile of drunken staggering in Isaiah 24:20 is the iconic image for this sense. 13×
AR["اهْتَزَّتْ", "تَأَرجَحوا", "تَتَأَرْجَحُ", "تَتَحَرَّكَانِ", "تَتَرَنَّحُ", "تَرَنَّحُوا", "تَرَنُّحًا", "لِـ-أَتَمَايَلَ", "وَ-ارتَجَّت", "وَ-تَتَرَنَّحُ", "وَ-يَتَمايَلونَ"]·ben["এবং-তারা-ডোলত", "এবং-নড়বড়-করবে", "ও-কাঁপল", "তারা-দোলে", "তারা-নাড়ানো-হয়", "দুলতে", "দোলবে", "দোলা", "নড়ছিল", "নড়েছিলে", "বিচলিত-হয়েছে"]·DE["bewegen", "moving", "und-bewegen", "und-wankt", "und-wankte", "wankt", "zu-sway"]·EN["Staggering", "and-shook", "and-staggered", "moving", "staggers", "they-are-shaken", "they-stagger", "they-swing", "to-sway", "wander"]·FR["bougeant", "chanceler", "errer", "et-chanceler", "et-errer", "et-vaciller", "à-sway", "נעו"]·heb["ו-ינועו", "ו-נעוּ", "יינועו", "ל-נוע", "נוע", "נעו", "נעות", "תנוע"]·HI["और-डगमगाते-हैं", "और-भटकती-रहीं", "और-हिले", "डगमगाओ", "भटकते-हैं", "वे-हिलते-हैं", "वे-हिलाए-जाएँ", "हिलते-थे", "हिलना", "हिलने", "हिलेगी"]·ID["Dan-bergetar", "Dan-terhuyung-huyung", "Terhuyung-huyung", "berayun", "bergerak", "bergerak-gerak", "dan-mereka-sempoyongan", "mereka-diguncang,", "mereka-terhuyung-huyung", "terhuyung-huyung", "untuk-bergoyang"]·IT["a-sway", "e-vacillare", "e-vacilleranno", "e-vacillo'", "essi-vacillarono", "moving", "vacillare"]·jav["Lan-geter", "ebah", "kagoyangaken", "kangge-ngombang-ambing", "lan-sempoyongan", "oyag", "sempoyongan"]·KO["그리고-비틀거렸느니라", "그리고-흔들렸으니", "떠돈다", "매달렸다", "비틀거렸다", "움직이고있었다", "움직이다-", "흔들렸도다", "흔들리리니", "흔들리며", "흔들리면"]·PT["Cambalear", "E-tremeram", "E-vagavam", "balançam.", "cambaleai", "cambaleou", "e-titubeavam", "moviam-se", "para-oscilar", "são-sacudidas", "vacilam"]·RU["И-бродили", "блуждают", "двигались", "и-поколебались", "и-шатаются", "качаться", "потрясены-будут", "раскачиваются", "шатается", "шатанием", "шатаются"]·ES["Mecer", "Y-se-estremecieron", "Y-vagaron", "andan-errantes", "para-mecer", "se-balancean", "se-mece", "se-movían", "son-sacudidas", "tambalean", "y-se-tambaleaban"]·SW["Na-walitangatanga", "Na-zilitetemeka", "ikitikisika", "inayumba", "kuyumba", "kuyumba-yumba", "na-kupepesuka", "wanayumba", "yatatikiswa", "zi-na-yumba"]·TR["Sallanarak", "Ve-salladı", "kıpırdıyordu", "sallanir", "sallanmak-için", "sallanır", "sallanırlarsa", "sendelediler", "uzakta-sallandılar", "ve-sarsildı", "ve-sendelediler"]·urd["اور-لڑکھڑاتے-تھے", "اور-ہلیں", "جھومنے", "جھومنے-سے", "جھومے-گی", "لڑکھڑاؤ", "ڈولتے ہیں", "ڈولتے-ہیں", "ہل-رہے-تھے", "ہلائے-جائیں"]
2. wander, roam as fugitive — To wander or roam as a fugitive or homeless person — 10 occurrences capturing aimless, displaced movement. The primal instance is God's curse on Cain: na vanad, 'a wanderer and a vagabond' (Gen 4:12, 14), where the doubling with nad intensifies the rootlessness. Psalm 109:10 prays that the wicked's children 'wander about and beg'; Psalm 59:15 pictures enemies 'wandering about for food.' Spanish vagar ('to wander/roam') and German umherirren ('to wander about') are the consistent choices. The theological weight is significant: enforced wandering is a form of divine judgment, exile from the stability of land and community that Israelite theology so deeply values. 10×
AR["[يَتَجَوَّلونَ]", "أَنْ-يَهِيمُوا", "تَائِهًا", "تَاهُوا", "وَ-تَائِهين", "وَ-يَتِيهُونَ", "يَتيه", "يَتَجَوَّلونَ"]·ben["এবং-ভবঘুরে", "ও-তারা-বিচরণ-করবে", "ঘুরে-বেড়াতে", "ঘুরে-বেড়িয়েছে-তারা", "তারা-ঘুরে-বেড়ায়", "ভবঘুরে", "ভবঘুরে-বেড়াউক"]·DE["bewegen", "lass-wander", "und-wankt", "und-wankte", "unstet", "wankt", "wankte"]·EN["And-they-will-wander", "They-wandered", "[ketiv:they-will-wander]", "and-wandering", "let-wander", "they-wandered", "they-will-wander", "to-wander", "wanderer"]·FR["errer", "et-chanceler", "et-vaciller", "vaciller", "wanderer"]·heb["ו-נוע", "ו-נעוּ", "ינועו", "יניעון", "ל-נוע", "נע", "נעו"]·HI["और-भटकते", "और-भटकेंगे", "भटकता", "भटकते-थे", "भटकते-हैं", "भटकने-को", "भटकाते-हैं", "भटके", "भटकें"]·ID["Mereka-mengembara", "biarlah-mengembara", "dan-mengembara", "mengembara", "pengembara", "untuk-mengembara"]·IT["e-vacilleranno", "e-vacillo'", "essi-vacillarono", "vacillare", "vacillo'", "wanderer"]·jav["Lan-ngumbara", "Sami-ngumbara", "ing-sonten", "kanggé-kluyuran", "lan-sami-sempoyongan", "mlayu", "mugi-ngumbara", "sami-ngumbara", "sami-wangsul"]·KO["그들-이-헤맸네", "그리고-방황하며", "그리고-헤매리라", "방황하게-하소서", "방황하기를", "방황하라", "유리하는"]·PT["E-vagando", "E-vagarão", "Vaguearam", "errante", "para-vaguear,", "vaguearam", "vaguearão", "vagueiam", "vaguem"]·RU["Бродили", "И-будут-скитаться", "И-скитаясь", "кетив", "пусть-скитаются", "скитались", "скитальцем", "скитаться", "скитаются"]·ES["Vagaban", "Y-vagando", "Y-vagarán", "[ketiv]", "errante", "vagan", "vagar", "vagaron", "vaguen"]·SW["(wanatangatanga)", "Na-watatangatanga", "Walitangatanga", "[wanatangatanga]", "kutangatanga", "mtu-asiye-na-makazi", "na-kutangatanga", "wametangatanga", "watangatange"]·TR["(dolaşırlar)", "Dolaştılar", "[dolaşırlar]", "dolaşmayı-", "dolaştılar", "serseri", "serseri-gibi-gezsinler", "ve-dolaşacaklar", "ve-dolaşsınlar"]·urd["اور-بھٹکتے-رہیں", "اور-بھٹکیں-گے", "بَھٹکیں", "بھٹکتے-تھے", "بھٹکنا", "بھٹکنے-والا", "بھٹکیں", "بھٹکے"]
3. shake, wag transitive — Hifil transitive: to shake or wag something deliberately — 9 occurrences where the subject is an active agent causing the motion. Shaking the head in mockery or derision is the dominant image: passersby 'wag their heads' at the suffering psalmist (Ps 22:7; 109:25), the daughter of Zion 'shakes her head' at the retreating Assyrians (2 Kgs 19:21), and the man at the tomb says 'let his bones not be moved' (2 Kgs 23:18). Job 16:4 imagines 'shaking my head at you' in false comfort. Spanish menear ('to shake/wag') is used with striking consistency, while Korean 흔들다 confirms the deliberate, scornful gesture. This is not involuntary trembling but a calculated physical insult. 9×
AR["هَزَّتْ", "وَ-أَقَامَتْنِي", "وَ-أُهَزُّ", "وَهَزُّوا", "يَهُزّونَ", "يُحَرِّكْ", "يُلَوِّحُ", "يُنَغْنِغُونَ"]·ben["এবং-আমি-নাড়াতাম", "এবং-নাড়াল-আমাকে", "এবং-মাথা-নাড়িয়েছে", "তারা-নাড়ায়", "তারা-মাথা-নাড়ে", "নড়াউক", "নাড়াবে", "নাড়িয়েছে", "নাড়ে"]·DE["[ותניעני]", "bewegen", "move", "sie-shakes", "und-wankt", "wankt", "wankte"]·EN["and-I-would-shake", "and-it-set-me-trembling", "and-shake", "move", "of-Yerushalayim", "shakes", "she-shakes", "they-shake"]·FR["chanceler", "elle-shakes", "errer", "et-chanceler", "et-errer", "et-ואניעה", "move", "vaciller"]·heb["הניעה", "ו-אניעה", "ו-הניעתני", "ו-יניעו", "יניע", "יניעו", "יניעון", "ינע"]·HI["और-मैं-हिलाता", "और-सिर-हिलाते-हैं", "और-हिलाया-मुझे", "हिलाए", "हिलाएंगे", "हिलाते-हैं", "हिलाया"]·ID["dan-aku-menggelengkan", "dan-menggelengkan", "dan-menggerakkanku", "dia-menggelengkan", "menggeleng-gelengkan", "menggerakkan", "mengibas", "mereka-menggelengkan"]·IT["e-vacillare", "ella-shakes", "move", "vacillare", "vacillo'"]·jav["Yerusalem", "dipun-goyangaken", "geter-geter", "lan-kawula-goyang", "lan-mbangunaken-kula", "lan-piyambakipun-sami-goyang", "ngobahaken", "piyambakipun-ngobyahaken", "sami-goyangaken"]·KO["그리고-그들-이-흔든네", "그리고-떨게-하였느니라-나를", "그리고-흔들리라", "움직이라", "흔드나이다", "흔들나이다", "흔들리라", "흔들었다"]·PT["acenará", "e-me-fez-estremecer", "e-menearam", "e-menearia", "e-meneiam", "meneiam", "meneou", "mova"]·RU["и-качали", "и-кивал-бы", "и-подняла-меня", "качает", "качают", "кивают", "помашет", "трогает"]·ES["agitará", "menean", "meneó", "mueva", "mueven", "y-me-hizo-temblar", "y-menean", "y-menearía"]·SW["amekitikisa", "ametikisa", "atatikisa", "ayumbishe", "na-kutikisa", "na-ningetikisa", "na-ukanisogeza", "wanatikisa"]·TR["kımıldatsın", "salar", "salladi", "salladı", "sallarlar", "sallıyorlar", "ve-salladı-beni", "ve-salladılar", "ve-sallardım"]·urd["اور-ہلاتا", "اور-ہلاتے", "اور-ہلایا-مجھے", "وہ-سر-ہلاتے-ہیں", "ہلائے", "ہلائے-گا", "ہلاتی-ہے", "ہلاتے-ہیں"]
4. cause to wander, scatter — Hifil causative: to cause someone to wander or to scatter them — 4 occurrences where God or an authority drives people into displacement. God made Israel 'wander' forty years in the wilderness (Num 32:13); David tells Ittai 'shall I make you wander with us?' (2 Sam 15:20); the psalmist prays 'make them wander' (Ps 59:11). Spanish hacer vagar ('to cause to wander') and the French and German causative constructions all mark the agent-patient distinction. This sense is theologically charged: forced wandering is both a punishment (the wilderness generation) and a mercy (David's concern for Ittai the foreigner). The Hifil morphology grammaticalizes what is already implicit in sense 2 — someone causes the wandering. 4×
AR["(أُنيعُكَ)", "[أُنيعُكَ]", "بَعثِرهُم", "فَأَتَاهَهُمْ"]·ben["(ঘুরিয়ে-বেড়াব-তোমাকে)", "[ঘুরিয়ে-বেড়াব-তোমাকে]", "এবং-ভ্রমণ-করালেন", "তাদের-নড়বড়ে-কর"]·DE["[shall-ich-mache-du-wander]", "und-machte-ihnen-umherirren", "wankte"]·EN["[shall-I-make-you-wander]", "and-made-them-wander", "make-them-wander", "shall-I-make-you-wander"]·FR["[shall-je-fais-tu-wander]", "devra-je-fais-tu-wander", "et-fit-eux-wander", "le-vaciller"]·heb["(אניע-ך)", "[אנועך]", "הניע-מו", "ו-ינעם"]·HI["[मैं-भटकाऊँ]", "और-भटकाया", "भटका-उन्हें", "मैं-भटकाऊँ"]·ID["[aku-menggerakkanmu]", "aku-menggerakkanmu", "dan-mengembara-mereka"]·IT["[shall-io-fa-tu-wander]", "dovrà-io-fa-tu-wander", "e-fece-loro-wander", "vacillo'"]·jav["(kula-obahaken-panjenengan)", "Gusti Allah", "[kula-obahaken-panjenengan]", "lan-nglèmbara"]·KO["그리고-방황하게-하셨다", "방황하게-하리라-너를", "헤매게-하리라-너를", "흔들소서"]·PT["[te-farei-vagar]", "e-os-fez-vaguear", "faze-os-vaguear", "te-farei-vagar"]·RU["[кетив]", "заставлю-скитаться-тебя", "и-скитать-заставил-их", "рассей-их"]·ES["(te-haré-vagar)", "[te-haré-vagar]", "haz-tambalear", "y-los-hizo-vagar"]·SW["na-akawazungusha", "nitakutingisha", "wafanye-watangatange"]·TR["dolaştırayım-seni", "sersemlet-onları", "ve-dolaştırdı-onları"]·urd["[بھٹکاؤں]", "اور-بھٹکایا-انہیں", "بَھٹکا-اُنہیں", "بھٹکاؤں-تجھے"]
5. tremble, quake from fear — To tremble, quake, or shudder from fear or awe — 4 occurrences where the motion is involuntary and emotional rather than locomotory. At Sinai the people 'trembled' and stood at a distance (Exod 20:18); the trees of the forest — standing in for the house of David — 'shook as trees shake before the wind' at the approach of the Syro-Ephraimite alliance (Isa 7:2); Egypt's idols 'tremble' before the LORD (Isa 19:1). Spanish temblar ('to tremble') and German zittern ('to shudder') replace the usual movement vocabulary, confirming a distinct emotional-somatic register. The Isaiah 7:2 passage is doubly effective because nua captures both the physical trembling and the psychological panic in a single image. 4×
AR["كَارتِعَاشِ", "وَ-ارتَعَشَ", "وَ-ارْتَعَدُوا", "وَتَتَزَعْزَعُ"]·ben["-কাঁপার-মতো", "এবং-সরে-গেল", "ও-কাঁপবে", "ও-কাঁপল"]·DE["bewegen", "und-bewegen", "und-zitterte"]·EN["and-tremble", "and-trembled", "as-shaking-of"]·FR["errer", "et-errer", "et-trembla"]·heb["ו-ינע", "ו-נעו", "כ-נוע"]·HI["और-काँपेंगे", "और-कांपा", "और-कांपे", "जैसे-कांपते-हैं"]·ID["Dan-bergetar", "dan-bergetar", "dan-bergoncang", "seperti-bergoyangnya"]·IT["e-essi-vacillarono", "e-tremò", "e-vacillare", "vacillare"]·jav["Lan-geter", "kados-geteripun", "lan-gumeter"]·KO["그리고-떨었다", "그리고-흔들리리니", "떨렸도다", "떨림-같이"]·PT["como-tremem", "e-estremecerão", "e-tremeram", "e-tremeu"]·RU["и-задрожали", "и-затрепетало", "и-затрясутся", "как-трепещут"]·ES["Y-tembló", "como-tiemblan", "y-temblaron", "y-temblarán"]·SW["Na-ukatetemeka", "kama-kutetemeka", "na-wakatetemeka", "na-yatatetemeka"]·TR["titreyisi-gibi", "ve-sallandi", "ve-titredi"]·urd["اور-کانپ-اُٹھا", "اور-کانپیں-گے", "اور-کانپے", "جیسے-ہلتے-ہیں"]
6. sift, shake out as sieve — To sift or shake out as through a sieve — 2 occurrences, both in Amos 9:9, where God declares 'I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations, as grain is shaken in a sieve.' The Hifil causative here extends beyond human wandering into an agricultural metaphor: God sifts Israel the way a farmer sifts wheat, and 'not a pebble shall fall to the ground.' Spanish sacudir ('to shake out/sift') is the precise term, distinct from the staggering, wandering, and trembling vocabulary used elsewhere. The double occurrence in a single verse — once for the divine action, once for the simile — shows the prophet exploiting nua's physical-motion core for a new metaphorical application: sorting and purifying through shaking. 2×
AR["وَ-أُغَرْبِلُ", "يُغَرْبَلُ"]·ben["ও-আমি-নাড়ব", "নাড়া-হয়"]·DE["und-wankt", "wankt"]·EN["and-I-will-shake", "is-shaken"]·FR["chanceler", "et-chanceler"]·heb["ו-הנעוֹתי", "ינוֹע"]·HI["और-छानूँगा", "छाना-जाता-है"]·IT["e-vacillare", "vacillare"]·jav["ing-sadaya", "lan-boten"]·KO["그리고-흔들리라", "흔들린다"]·PT["e-sacudirei", "se-sacode"]·RU["и-трясу", "трясут"]·ES["se-sacude", "y-sacudiré"]·SW["inavyopepetwa", "na-nitaipepeta"]·TR["sallanır", "ve-sallayacağım"]·urd["اور-ہلاؤں-گا", "ہلایا-جاتا-ہے"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)G2309 1. want, desire (166×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† נוּעַ vb. quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter (NH Pilp. נִעְנַע shake, Aramaic נוּעַ waver, stagger (rare); Arabic نوع, نَاعَ bend (of boughs), v. commotus fuit (of id.), so Kam. Frey also change, نَوْعٌ kind, species, variety; Di cp. Ethiopic ነዐወ hunt);— Qal Pf. נָ֫עוּ Jb 28:4 +; וְנָע֫וּ Am 4:8 + 2 times; Impf. וַיָּ֫נַע Is 7:2; 3 fs. תָּנוּעַ Is 24:20; אֲנוּעֲךָ 2 S 15:20 Kt (but read Qr…