Lexical Summary nod: Wandering, exile Original Word: נֹאד Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bottle Or noywd {node}; also (feminine) no)dah {no-daw'}; from an unused root of uncertain signification; a (skin or leather) bag (for fluids) -- bottle. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition a skin bottle, skin NASB Translation bottle (2), jug (1), wineskin (1), wineskins (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs נֹאד (Judges 4:19 Kt נאוד, i.e. probably נְאוֺד, noun masculineJoshua 9:4 skin-bottle, skin (√ unknown; Late Hebrew נוֺד; Assyrian nâdu, DlHWB 438; Aramaic נוֺדָא); — ׳נ absolute Psalm 119:83; construct Judges 4:19; 1 Samuel 16:20; suffix נאֹדֶ֑ךָ Psalm 56:9; plural נאֹדוֺת Joshua 9:4,13; — skin, יַיִן ׳נ Joshua 9:4,13; 1 Samuel 16:20; הֶחָלָב ׳נ Judges 4:19; for tears Psalm 56:9 (figurative; see Che); בְּקִיטוֺר ׳נ i.e. shrivelled and useless Psalm 119:83 (in simile; compare [De] Che Schu De Witt We > as thrust aside, out of the way Now (in Hup), compare De, or as black and wrinkled outwardly, while retaining the choice wine within Bae, after Rosenm Hup). — See WinerRWB. Art. Schlauch KmpRi HWB id. Topical Lexicon Physical Form and Everyday Function The נֹאד was a pliable, sewn skin-bag—usually goatskin—used in the Ancient Near East to carry liquids such as water, milk, curds, or wine. After the animal was flayed almost whole, the legs were tied off and the neck served as the mouth of the vessel. Pitch or resin sealed seams, and a cord allowed the container to be slung over the shoulder or hung inside a tent. Because it was organic, constant use, heat, and smoke could dry it, causing cracks or leaks; alternatively, fresh skins were supple and capable of stretching as wine fermented. These simple details underlie every biblical occurrence of נֹאד and supply rich metaphors for faith and life. Canonical Occurrences and Narrative Contexts Joshua 9:4, 13 – The Gibeonites “took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old, cracked wineskins” to masquerade as distant travelers. Their battered נֹאד underscored how convincing signs can mislead when leaders fail to seek the Lord. Judges 4:19 – When the fleeing Sisera begged Jael for water, “she opened a skin of milk” and refreshed him, lulling him into a fatal sense of safety. The נֹאד became an instrument in God’s deliverance of Israel, showing how commonplace items can serve providential purposes. 1 Samuel 16:20 – Jesse loaded “a skin of wine” onto a donkey along with bread and a young goat as David’s gift to Saul. The offering conveyed respect and goodwill, illustrating that hospitality in Scripture is both relational and sacrificial. Psalm 56:8 – “Put my tears in Your bottle” (נֹאד). David pictures God storing every tear as a treasured record: grief is not wasted, and divine remembrance is personal and meticulous. Psalm 119:83 – “Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.” The psalmist likens spiritual desolation to a shriveled נֹאד hanging in a smoky tent—parched, darkened, apparently useless—yet still committed to God’s word. Symbolic and Theological Themes 1. Preservation and Provision. In desert culture a skin-bag meant survival. The image highlights God’s sustaining grace, from Jael’s milk to Jesse’s wine. Historical and Cultural Insights • Nomadic existence demanded portable storage; skins could be patched yet remained vulnerable to heat and stretching. Ministry Applications • Pastoral Care: Psalm 56:8 authorizes the language of lament; congregations can assure sufferers that every tear matters to God. Christological Echoes The נֹאד motif of stored tears anticipates Revelation 21:4, where God wipes away every tear; the collection in a bottle hints at ultimate redemption. Furthermore, the need for new wineskins prefigures the new covenant in Christ’s blood, poured into hearts renewed by the Holy Spirit. Summary Strong’s Hebrew 4997 נֹאד, though a humble skin-bag, traverses Scripture as a witness to God’s provision, human vulnerability, divine remembrance, and the call to discernment. From the tents of nomads to the prayer-closets of psalmists, the נֹאד invites readers to trust the One who both fills and preserves, collects every tear, and makes all things new. Forms and Transliterations בְנֹאדֶ֑ךָ בנאדך וְנֹ֣אד וְנֹאד֥וֹת ונאד ונאדות כְּנֹ֣אד כנאד נֹ֧אוד נֹאד֤וֹת נאדות נאוד ḇə·nō·ḏe·ḵā ḇənōḏeḵā kə·nōḏ keNod kənōḏ nō·ḏō·wṯ nō·wḏ Nod noDot nōḏōwṯ nōwḏ veNod venoDecha venoDot wə·nō·ḏō·wṯ wə·nōḏ wənōḏ wənōḏōwṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 9:4 HEB: בָּלִים֙ לַחֲמ֣וֹרֵיהֶ֔ם וְנֹאד֥וֹת יַ֙יִן֙ בָּלִ֔ים NAS: on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out KJV: and wine bottles, old, INT: worn-out their donkeys and wineskins and wine worn-out Joshua 9:13 Judges 4:19 1 Samuel 16:20 Psalm 56:8 Psalm 119:83 6 Occurrences |