H5273b H5273b
pleasant, sweet-sounding, delightful; of music or singers
This adjective describes pleasant, sweet, or delightful qualities, particularly of sound and music. In 2 Samuel 23:1, David is called 'the pleasant/sweet one of Israel's songs'—traditionally 'the sweet psalmist of Israel.' Psalm 81:2 calls for music on 'the pleasant lyre'—a sweetly-sounding or melodious instrument. The root conveys aesthetic pleasure and agreeableness, especially auditory delight. Some interpret the 2 Samuel reference as describing David as the joy or delight of Israel's songs, though 'sweet singer' remains the dominant reading.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Both occurrences connect pleasantness to musical expression. The 2 Samuel 23:1 description of David as 'the pleasant/sweet one of the songs of Israel' (ne'im zemirot Yisrael) characterizes him as Israel's beloved songwriter—whether as the sweet singer himself or the one who brings sweetness/joy to Israel's worship. The parallel titles in that verse (the man raised on high, the anointed of Jacob's God) make this a climactic descriptor. Psalm 81:2 summons musical praise: 'Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the pleasant lyre (kinnor na'im) with the harp.' The 'sweet-sounding lyre' invites joyful worship. Both texts link pleasantness to worship music, creating an atmosphere of delight before God. The contrast between translations (Spanish 'agradable,' French 'agréable,' German 'lieblich') shows the range: agreeable, pleasant, lovely, sweet. 2×
AR["لَذِيذَةً", "وَلَذِيذِ"]·ben["এবং-মধুর", "মধুর"]·DE["lieblich", "und-pleasant-von"]·EN["and-pleasant-of", "pleasant"]·FR["agréable", "et-pleasant-de"]·heb["ו-נעים", "נעים"]·HI["और-मधुर", "मधुर"]·ID["dan-nyaman", "merdu"]·IT["e-piacevole-di", "piacevole"]·jav["ingkang-éca", "lan-manis"]·KO["그리고-아름다운", "아름다운"]·PT["agradável", "e-doce"]·RU["и-сладкого", "приятную"]·ES["agradable", "y-agradable-de"]·SW["na-mtamu", "tamu"]·TR["tatlı", "ve-tatlısı"]·urd["اور-میٹھا", "میٹھا"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. נָעִים adj. perhaps singing, sweetly sounding, musical;—abs. כִּנּוֹר נ׳ ψ 81:3 sweetly-sounding lyre; cstr., as subst., נְעִים זְמִרוֹת יִשׂ׳ 2 S 23:1 Israel’s sweet singer of songs (cf. Dr 2 S 8:10 Löhr; 𝔙 egregius psaltes Israel, and so Ges Ew al., from I. נעם; joy of the songs of Isr. HPS, cf. Klo Kit).