H5278 H5278
Pleasantness, delightfulness, gracious beauty; also 'Pleasantness' as a symbolic name for a shepherd's staff
A delicate noun capturing the quality of delight, beauty, and gracious favor. The psalmist longs to 'behold the no'am of the LORD' in his temple (Ps 27:4), and Proverbs celebrates wisdom's 'ways of pleasantness' (Prov 3:17). In Ps 90:17 Moses prays that God's no'am would rest upon Israel's work. Zechariah repurposes the word as a symbolic proper name for a shepherd's staff called 'Pleasantness,' representing God's favor toward his covenant people (Zech 11:7, 10). When that staff is broken, the covenant grace it symbolized is revoked, a powerful prophetic enactment.
Senses
1. pleasantness, beauty, favor — The abstract quality of pleasantness, delight, beauty, or gracious favor, attributed to God or to wisdom's ways. In Ps 27:4 the worshipper desires to contemplate the no'am (beauty/delight) of the LORD in his temple; Ps 90:17 prays for the Lord's favor to establish human endeavors. Proverbs uses it in construct chains: 'ways of pleasantness' (3:17), 'words of pleasantness' (15:26; 16:24). Arabic na'im ('delight'), Hindi manohar ('charming'), and Spanish deleite all converge on the sense of gentle, attractive loveliness. 5×
AR["بَهَاءَ-", "لُطْفٍ", "نَعِيمٍ", "نِعْمَةُ"]·ben["মধুরতা", "মনোরম", "মনোরমের", "সৌন্দর্য-"]·DE["[נעם]", "der-beauty-von-", "der-favor-von"]·EN["pleasantness", "the-beauty-of-", "the-favor-of"]·FR["agrément", "dans-agrément"]·heb["ב-נועם-", "נועם"]·HI["आनन्द-की", "मनोहर-के", "मिठास", "में-सुन्दरता-"]·ID["kasih-karunia", "kenikmatan", "manis", "menyenangkan"]·IT["[בנעם]", "[נעם]", "pleasantness"]·jav["kalangkungan-", "kang-sengsem", "kasaénan", "kasengsem"]·KO["아름다움-을-", "은혜-가", "은혜로운", "즐거움-의"]·PT["a-beleza-de", "a-beleza-do", "agradabilidade", "deleite"]·RU["благодать", "красоту-", "приятности,", "приятные"]·ES["agrado", "deleite", "hermosura-de", "la-hermosura-de"]·SW["furaha", "upole", "uzuri-wa"]·TR["hoş", "hoşluğun", "hoşluğunu-", "hoşnutluğu"]·urd["-خوبصورتی-کو", "خوشی", "خوشی-کی", "پیارے"]
2. Pleasantness (symbolic proper name) — A symbolic proper name, 'Pleasantness' (or 'Favor/Grace'), given to one of two shepherds' staves in Zechariah's prophetic action (Zech 11:7, 10). The staff represents God's gracious covenant with the nations on Israel's behalf; when the prophet breaks it, the covenant is annulled. Spanish Gracia and French grâce render it as a personified proper name, while English capitalizes 'Pleasantness,' all distinguishing it from the common-noun usage by its function as a symbolic title in prophetic allegory. 2×
AR["نُعْمَى"]·ben["সৌন্দর্য", "সৌন্দর্যকে"]·DE["[נעם]"]·EN["Pleasantness"]·FR["grâce"]·heb["נועם"]·HI["मनोहरता"]·ID["Kebaikan"]·IT["piacevolezza"]·jav["Éndah"]·KO["은혜", "은혜라"]·PT["Graça"]·RU["Благоволение"]·ES["Gracia"]·SW["Uzuri"]·TR["Hoşluk", "Hoşluğu"]·urd["نعمت"]
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
† נֹ֫עַם n.m. ψ 90:17 delightfulness, pleasantness (Ecclus נועם תירוש 32:6);—נ׳ abs. Zc 11:7 + 4 times; cstr. ψ 27:4; 90:17;— 1. delightfulness of י׳: contemplated in temple ψ 27:4, shewn in his favour, וִיהִי נ׳ אדני … עָלֵינוּ 90:17. 2. name of one of two symbol. staves Zc 11:7, 10. 3. pleasantness, as defining genit.: דַּרְכֵי־נ׳ Pr 3:17; אִמְרֵי־נ׳ 15:26; 16:24.