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…