H5410b H5410b
A path or byway; figuratively, a course of life or moral conduct.
The feminine counterpart of נָתִיב, this noun evokes a smaller, less-traveled path — a track or byway as distinct from the broad דֶּרֶךְ (highway). In Judges 5:6, during the days of Shamgar, 'travelers walked by winding paths' (נְתִיבוֹת), painting a picture of a land made dangerous by enemies. The word moves naturally into figurative territory: wisdom stands at the crossroads of paths (Proverbs 8:2), and God's word is a lamp to the psalmist's path (Psalm 119:105). Spanish 'senda' and French 'sentier' both capture this sense of an intimate, personal trail rather than a public road.
Senses
1. path, track, byway — A physical path, track, or byway — a route one travels on, typically smaller or less established than the main road (דֶּרֶךְ). In Judges 5:6 the parallelism with אֳרָחוֹת (roads) underscores that נְתִיבוֹת are secondary routes that travelers resort to in dangerous times. Job 38:20 uses the word for the 'paths' to the dwelling-places of light and darkness — cosmic tracks with a spatial, almost geographical quality. Proverbs 8:2 places wisdom at the intersection of these byways, suggesting well-trodden but intimate routes. 11×
AR["السُّبُلِ","سَبِيلًا","سُبُلٍ","سُبُلُهُمْ","سُبُلِ","عَنْ-سُبُلِ","فِي-سُبُلٍ","مَسَالِكَ","مِنْ-سَبِيلِهِمْ"]·ben["গলিগুলির","ঘাটপথ","ঘাটপথে","জন্য-পথগুলি","তাদের-পথগুলি","তাদের-রাস্তা-থেকে","পথগুলি","পথগুলিতে","পথগুলির","রাস্তার"]·DE["-der-Pfade","[בנתיבות]","[לנתבות]","[מנתיבתם]","[נתיבה]","[נתיבות]","[נתיבותיהם]"]·EN["-the-paths","a-path","byways","for-paths-of","from-their-path","in-paths","paths","the-paths","the-paths-of","the-paths-to","their-paths"]·FR["-le-sentiers","de-leur-sentier-eux","sentier"]·heb["ב-נתיבות","ל-נתיבות","מ-נתיבתם","נתיבה","נתיבות","נתיבותיהם"]·HI["उनके-रास्ते","के-लिए-पगडंडियों","पगडंडियों-पर","पगडंडी","पथ","पथ-उनके-से","पथों","पथों-के","में-पगडंडियों","रास्तोंको","राहों"]·ID["dari-jalan-mereka","di-jalan-jalan-setapak","di-jalan-setapak","jalan-jalan","jalan-jalan-kecil","jalan-jalan-mereka","jalan-jalan-setapak","lintasan","tentang-jalan-jalan"]·IT["-il-sentieri","da-sentiero-loro","sentiero"]·jav["Ing-lurung-lurung","Margi-ipun","bab-margi-margi","dalan-dalan","lurung","margi-ipun","marginipun","ratan,","saking-dalan"]·KO["경로-들-의","그-들-의-길-에서","그들의-길들을","길들을","길들을-","낛을","에-길들을","에-오솔길들","오솔길들-을","오솔길들을"]·PT["as-veredas-de-","atalhos,","caminhos-de","de-suas-veredas","pelas-veredas-de","por-veredas","vereda","veredas","veredas-deles"]·RU["о-стезях","от-стези-их.","пути","стезей","стезями","тропами","тропу","тропы","тропы-свои"]·ES["de-su-senda","por-las-sendas","por-sendas","senda","sendas","sendas-de","senderos","sus-veredas","veredas"]·SW["kuhusu-njia","kutoka-njia-yao","kwa-mapito","mapito","mapito-ya","njia","njia-ndogo","njia-panda","njia-za-kando","njia-zao"]·TR["kenarları","patika","patikalarda","patikalarini","patikaları","patikaların","patikalarından","patikalarını","patikalarının","yollari"]·urd["ان-کی-راہ-سے","اُن-کے-راستے","راستوں-سے","راستے","راہ","راہوں-کی","پٹریوں-پر","پگڈنڈیوں","پگڈنڈیوں-کے-بارے"]
2. way of life or conduct — A figurative path denoting a course of life, conduct, or moral direction. Job 19:8 laments that God has 'walled up my path' (נְתִיבֹתַי), and Lamentations 3:9 echoes this with 'he has made my paths crooked.' Psalm 119:105 — 'a light to my path' — has become one of the most beloved verses in Scripture, and the Hebrew specifically uses נְתִיבָה rather than דֶּרֶךְ, suggesting an intimate, personal walk rather than a public highway. The Spanish 'senda' carries the same warmth of a personal trail through life. 9×
AR["سَبيلِي","سُبُلِهَا","سُبُلِي","فِي-سُبُلِهَا","فِي-سُبُلِهِ","لِ-سَبِيلِي","مَسْلَكِي","وَسُبُلَها"]·ben["-আমার-পথের-জন্য","আমার-পথ","আমার-পথে","এবং-তাঁর-পথগুলি","তাঁর-রাস্তায়","তার-রাস্তা","তার-রাস্তায়","পথ-আমার;"]·DE["[בנתיבותיה]","[בנתיבתיו]","[ונתיבותיה]","[נתיבותי]","[נתיבותיה]","[נתיבתי]","mein-Pfad","zu-mein-Pfad"]·EN["and-her-paths","her-paths","in-its-paths","into-her-paths","my-path","my-paths","to-my-path"]·FR["dans-sa-sentier-elle","dans-son-sentier-lui","et-chemin","mon-sentier-moi","sa-sentier-elle","sentier","à-sentier"]·heb["ב-נתיבותיה","ב-נתיבותיו","ו-נתיבותיה","ל-נתיבתי","נתיבותי","נתיבותיה","נתיבותיי","נתיבתי"]·HI["उसकी-पगडंडियों-में","और-पगडण्डियाँ-उसकी","पथ-उसके","पथ-मेरा","पथों-उसके-में","मेरा-मार्ग","मेरी-पगडंडियों-को","मेरी-पगडंडियों-पर"]·ID["bagi-jalanku","dan-jalan-jalannya","di-jalan-jalan-setapaknya","di-jalannya","jalan-jalan-setapakku","jalan-jalan-setapaknya","jalan-jalanku","jalan-ku","jalanku"]·IT["[ונתיבותיה]","in-sentiero-sua","in-sentiero-suo","sentiero","sentiero-mio","sentiero-sua"]·jav["ing-margi-margi-Ipun","ing-marginipun","kanggé-margi-kula","lan-lurung","lurung-kawula","margi-kula","margi-margi-kawula","marginipun"]·KO["그녀-의-경로-들-에서","그녀-의-경로-들-은","그리고-길들-그녀의-을","그의-길들에서","나-의-길-에","나-의-길-을","나의-길들에","나의-길을","내-길들-을"]·PT["e-veredas-dela","em-suas-veredas","em-suas-veredas.","minha-vereda","minhas-veredas","para-a-minha-vereda","suas-veredas"]·RU["для-стези-моей","и-тропы-её","на-стезях-Его","на-стезях-её.","стези-её -","стези-мои","стезю-мою"]·ES["en-sendas-de-ella","en-sus-sendas.","mi-senda","mi-sendero","mis-sendas","para-senda-de-mí","sus-sendas","y-sus-sendas"]·SW["katika-mapito-yake","kwa-njia-yangu","mapito-yangu","na-njia-zake","njia-yangu","njia-zangu","zote"]·TR["patikaları-onun","patikalarımı","patikalarımın","patikalarında","patikalarında-onun","patikama","ve-yollarını","yolumu"]·urd["اور-راستے-اُس-کے","توڑ دیا","راستوں-اُس-کے-میں","راستوں-میرے","راستے-اُس-کے","میری-راہ","میری-راہ-کے-لیے","میری-راہیں"]
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
† נְתִיבָה n.f. id.;—abs. נ׳ Is 43:16, sf. נְתִיבָתִי Jb 30:13 + 2 times, נְתִיבָתָם Pr 1:15; pl. abs. נְתִיבוֹת Pr 8:2 +; cstr. id. Jb 38:20 +; sf. נְתִיבֹתַי Jb 19:8 La 3:9, נְתִיבֹתָיו Jb 24:13, etc.;—path: 1. lit. הֹלְכֵי נְתִיבוֹת Ju 5:6 goers on paths, i.e. travellers, Pr 8:2 Is 58:12 (Oort Lag Klo נְתִיצוֹת but against this Du); path through sea Is 43:16 (in fig.); of path to house of…