H5288 H5288
A boy, youth, or young man; also a personal servant or attendant regardless of age; occasionally in temporal expressions meaning 'from youth.'
One of the most semantically flexible words for a male person in the Hebrew Bible, naʿar covers the entire span from a newborn infant (Moses in the basket, Exod 2:6) to a vigorous young warrior, and simultaneously serves as the standard term for a personal attendant or servant. Context alone determines whether age or social role is foregrounded. Arabic splits these into صَبِيٌّ ('child'), شَابٌّ ('young man'), and خَادِمٌ ('servant'), revealing distinctions that Hebrew collapses into one word. The overlap is sometimes deliberate: when Abraham takes his naʿar to Mount Moriah (Gen 22:3), the word evokes both youthful vigor and servant loyalty.
1. Youth, young man — A youth or young man of vigorous age (122x), emphasizing the life-stage between childhood and full maturity. Used of Joseph at seventeen (Gen 37:2), the young Absalom, and groups of fighting-age men. Korean 젊은이 ('young person') and Spanish joven consistently select age-focused vocabulary. In Exodus 24:5 the 'young men of Israel' serve as sacrificial assistants, blending youth with cultic function. 122×
AR["الشّبانُ","الغُلامَ-","الغُلامُ","الـ-غُلامِ","الـ-غُلاَم","الـ-غُلَام","الـ-غُلَامَ","الفَتى","الْ-فَتَى","الْغُلامُ","الْغُلامِ","الْغُلَامُ","الْغُلَامِ"]·ben["-যুবক","-সেই-যুবক","বালক","বালকের","যুবক","যুবককে","যুবকটি","যুবকটিকে","যুবকের","যুবকেরা-(সেই)","সেই-যুবক"]·DE["der-Jüngling","der-jung-Maenner","der-jung-Mann"]·EN["the-young-man","the-young-men"]·FR["le-jeune-homme","le-jeune-hommes"]·heb["ה-נער","ה-נערים"]·HI["जवान","जवान-ने","जवानने","सेवक","हन्नअर"]·ID["-pelayan","-pelayan-itu","-pelayan-muda","anak-laki-laki","anak-muda","bujang","pemuda","pemuda-itu","pemuda-pemuda"]·IT["il-giovane-uomini","il-giovane-uomo"]·jav["abdi-nom","abdi-punika","enèm","ing-abdi-nom","jejaka","laré","laré-énem","nem-nem","para-priyantun-enem","sang-abdi-anem","tiyang-anem"]·KO["그-소년","그-소년-은","그-소년-의","그-소년-이","그-소년을","그-소년이","그-젊은이가","그-젊은이들이","그-젊은이의","그-젯은이가","젊은이가","청년을-"]·PT["o-jovem","o-moço","o-rapaz","os-jovens"]·RU["-юноша","-юношу","отрок","отроку","слуга","слуги","слугу","юноша","юноше","юноши","юношу"]·ES["al-joven","el-joven","el-muchacho","el-siervo","los-jóvenes"]·SW["kijana","msichana","vijana","ya-kijana"]·TR["-genç-adam","genc","genci","genç","genç-e","genç-o","gençler","kılıcını"]·urd["جوان","خادم-کی","لڑکا","لڑکے","لڑکے-نے","نوجوان","نوجوان-نے","نوجوان-کی","نوجوان-کے"]
Gen 34:19, Exod 24:5, Num 11:27, Josh 6:23, Judg 8:20, Judg 9:54, Judg 17:11, Judg 17:12, Judg 18:3, Judg 18:15, 1 Sam 2:17, 1 Sam 14:1 (+38 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. Servant, attendant — A personal servant, attendant, or retainer (67x), where social role rather than age is primary. Includes armor-bearers (Judg 7:10-11), Gehazi serving Elisha (2 Kgs 4:24), and household attendants. Arabic خَادِمٌ ('servant') and Spanish criado/siervo select dedicated servant vocabulary distinct from the 'youth' glosses. The possessive construction 'his naʿar' (נַעֲרוֹ) almost always signals this sense (Gen 18:7; 22:3, 5, 19). 67×
AR["الغِلْمانَ","غُلامَ","غُلامَهُ","غُلامُ","غُلامُ-","غُلامِ","غُلامِهِ","غُلَامُ","غُلَامِهِ","لِ-غُلَامِهِ","لِ-فَتَاهُ","لِغُلَامِهِ"]·ben["-তাঁর-দাসকে","তাঁর-দাসকে","তার-দাস","তার-দাসকে","তার-দাসের","দাস","দাসদের","বালক"]·DE["Junge","Knecht-von","der-Jungen","sein-Knecht","zu-sein-Knecht"]·EN["his-servant","servant-of","the-servants","to-his-servant"]·FR["le-jeune-homme","serviteur-de","son-serviteur","à-son-serviteur"]·heb["ה-נערים","ל-נערו","נַעֲרוֹ","נער","נערו"]·HI["अपने-सेवक","अपने-सेवक-को","अपने-सेवक-से","जवानों","नअर","लड़के-उसके","से-लड़के-अपने","सेवक","सेवक-उस-के","सेवक-से"]·ID["bujang","bujang-nya","bujangnya","hamba","kepada-bujang-nya","kepada-bujangnya","kepada-pelayannya","kepada-pembantunya","para-pelayan","pelayan","pembantunya"]·IT["a-suo-servo","il-giovane","servo-di","suo-servo"]·jav["abdi","abdi-enom","abdinipun","abdnipun","dhateng-abdining","dhateng-abdinipun","dhateng-batur-nipun","para-batur-ènom"]·KO["그-종들을","그의-사환","그의-사환-에게","그의-소년에게","그의-소년을","그의-종","그의-종에게","그의-종을","그의-하인에게","사환","소년","소년이라","에게-그의-하인에게","종이"]·PT["a-seu-servo","ao-servo-dele","ao-seu-servo","jovem-de","moço-de","os-jovens","para-seu-servo","servo","servo-de","servo-dele","servo-seu","seu-servo"]·RU["отрок","слуг","слуга","слуге","слуге-его","слуге-своему","слугу","слугу-его"]·ES["a-su-criado","a-su-siervo","criado-de","joven","joven-de","los-jóvenes","siervo-de","su-criado","su-siervo"]·SW["kwa-mtumishi-wake","mtumishi","mtumishi-wa","mtumishi-wake","watumishi"]·TR["genc","hizmetkari","hizmetkârına","hizmetkârını","hizmetçi","hizmetçileri","hizmetçisi","hizmetçisine","hizmetçisini","icin-gencine"]·urd["اُس-کے-خادم-سے","اپنے-خادم","اپنے-خادم-سے","اپنے-نوکر-سے","خادم","خادم-نے","نوکر","نوکر-سے","نوکروں-کو"]
3. Boy, child, infant — A young child, boy, or infant (47x), emphasizing tender age. Used of baby Moses at three months (Exod 2:6), the child Samuel, the boy Ishmael (Gen 21:12-19), and newborns (1 Sam 4:21). Arabic صَبِيٌّ ('small child'), Korean 아이, and Spanish niño all select dedicated child vocabulary, confirming semantic distance from sense 1. Judges 13:5-12 uses it repeatedly for the Nazirite child to be born to Manoah's wife. 47×
AR["الصَّبِيَّ","الصَّبِيُّ","الصَّبِيِّ","صَبيًّا","صَبِيٌّ","غُلَامًا","غُلَامٌ","نَعَر"]·ben["-বালক","-বালকের","বালক","বালক-","বালকের","শিশু"]·DE["Junge","am-ein-youth","dem-Knaben","den-Knaben","der-Knabe","des-Knaben","ein-youth","youth"]·EN["a-youth","am-a-youth","is-a-youth","the-boy","the-lad","youth"]·FR["am-un-jeune-homme","jeune-homme","le-garçon","le-lad","un-jeune-homme"]·heb["ה-נער","נער"]·HI["बच्चा","बालक","लड़का","लड़के","लड़के-की","लड़के-के","लड़के-को","लड़के-ने"]·ID["anak-itu","anak-muda","pemuda","seorang-anak"]·IT["am-un-giovinezza","giovane","giovinezza","il-lad","il-ragazzo","ragazzo","un-giovinezza"]·jav["lare","laré-punika"]·KO["그-소년","그-소년-의","그-소년-이","그-소년에게","그-소년을","그-소년의","소년","소년도","소년이었다","아이","아이이다","어린-아이였느니라"]·PT["jovem","menino","o-rapaz","rapaz","é-menino"]·RU["-отрок","-отрока","отрок","отрок,","отрока","отроком","юноша"]·ES["el-joven","el-mozo","el-niño","muchacho","niño","un-niño"]·SW["kale","kijana","mdogo","mtoto","na-akajifanya","na-akakubwa","na-akamkita","na-kama","ni-mtoto"]·TR["-oğlana","-oğlanla","-oğlanı","-oğlanın","cocuk","genc","çocuk"]·urd["-لڑکے","بچہ","لڑکا","لڑکے","لڑکے-نے","لڑکے-کی","لڑکے-کے"]
Gen 21:12, Gen 21:17, Gen 21:17, Gen 21:18, Gen 21:19, Gen 21:20, Gen 22:12, Exod 2:6, Judg 13:8, 1 Sam 1:22, 1 Sam 1:24, 1 Sam 1:24 (+35 more)
4. From youth (temporal) — A temporal usage meaning 'from youth / since young' (3x), found in expressions like מִנַּעַר ('from being a naʿar'). In Genesis 19:4 and Joshua 6:21 it appears in 'from young to old' merisms denoting totality. Arabic مِن صِغَرِهِ and Spanish desde joven both render it as a temporal origin point rather than a person. This sense functions adverbially, marking the starting point of one's life experience. 3×
AR["مِن-صَغيرٍ","مِنَ-الصَّغِيرِ","مِنْ-الشَّابِّ"]·ben["-থেকে-যুবক","থেকে-বালক","বালক-থেকে"]·DE["vom-Jungen","von-Junge","von-jung"]·EN["from-young","from-youth"]·FR["de-jeune","jeune-homme"]·heb["מ-נער"]·HI["जवन-से","जवान-से","बालक-से"]·ID["dari-anak-anak","dari-anak-muda","dari-muda"]·IT["da-giovane","giovane"]·jav["saking-alit","saking-enèm","saking-nem"]·KO["에서","에서-어린이","젊은이에서"]·PT["de-jovem","desde-jovem"]·RU["от-юноши"]·ES["desde-joven"]·SW["kutoka-kijana"]·TR["gençten","gençten-"]·urd["جوان-سے","سے-نوجوان"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H0376 1. man, person, human male (2130×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H0001 1. father, immediate male parent (1031×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
II. נַ֫עַר239 n.m. 1. boy, lad, youth. 2. retainer (not in P) (NH as BH; Ph. נער Lzb 324);—נ׳ abs. Gn 37:2 +; cstr. 1 S 2:13 +; sf. נַעֲרוֹ Ju 19:3 +, נַעֲרָהּ 2 K 4:24; pl. נְעָרִים 1 S 25:5 +, cstr. נַעֲרֵי Ex 24:5 +; sf. נְעָרַי Ne 4:10; 5:10, etc.;— 1. boy, lad, youth (c. 133 times) a. of infant Ex 2:6 (E; 3 months old), to be born Ju 13:5, 7, 8, 12, just born 1 S 4:21, not weaned 1 S 1:22;…