5104. nahar

Lexical Summary

nahar: river, rivers, Euphrates

Original Word: נָהָר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: nahar
Pronunciation: naw-har'
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-hawr')
KJV: flood, river
NASB: river, rivers, Euphrates, floods, streams, canals, current
Word Origin: [from H5102 (נָהַר - To flow)]

1. a stream (including the sea
2. expec. the Nile, Euphrates, etc.)
3. (figuratively) prosperity

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

flood, river

From nahar; a stream (including the sea; expec. The Nile, Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity -- flood, river.

see HEBREW nahar

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from nahar
Definition
a stream, river
NASB Translation
canals (1), current (1), Euphrates (5), Euphrates river (1), floods (3), river (69), rivers (36), stream (1), streams (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

נָהָר noun masculine^{Genesis 2:10} stream, river; — absolute ׳נ Genesis 2:10 +; construct נְהַר Deuteronomy 1:7 +; plural נְהָרִים Isaiah 18:27 4t., construct נַהֲרֵי Isaiah 18:1 2t; but oftener נְהָר(וֺ)ת Isaiah 19:6 23t.; construct נַהֲרוֺת 2 Kings 5:12 2t.; suffix נַהֲרוֺהֶיךָ Ezekiel 32:2, נַהֲרֹתַיִךְ Isaiah 44:27, נַהֲרֹתֶיהָ Ezekiel 31:4,15, נַהֲרֹתָם Exodus 7:19, נַהֲרוֺתָם Ezekiel 32:2,14; apparently dual נַהֲרַיִם Genesis 24:10 2t., נַהֲרָ֑יִם Judges 3:8 (see below) (all in ׳אֲרַם נ); —

1 stream, river, Numbers 24:6 (JE), Job 14:11; Job 40:23; Psalm 105:41 (in simile), Isaiah 48:18 (id.), Isaiah 59:19 (id.) + often; frequently of particular rivers; r. of Eden Genesis 2:10 and its branches Genesis 2:13; Genesis 2:14 (all J); נְהַר מִצְרַיִם Genesis 15:18 (J; i.e., si vera 1., the Nile) but read probably ׳נַחַל מ, whence נהר through influence of following נהר — compare 2 Kings 24:7 — Nö^{ZMG xi.1886, 699} (alternative), Lag^{BN 140} Ball^Hpt; נָהָר of Nile Isaiah 19:5; especially of Euphrates נְהַר מְּרָת Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 1:7 (both + הַגָּדוֺל ׳הַנּ) Joshua 1:4 8t. + 2 Samuel 8:3 (Qr ᵐ5 and "" 1 Chronicles 18:3; Kt omit מְּרָת; — compare also Genesis 2:14b above); oftener (of Euphrase) without ׳הַנָּהָר ׃פ κατ’ ἐξοχήν, Genesis 31:21; Exodus 23:31; Numbers 22:5; Joshua 24:2,3,14,15 (all E), possibly also Genesis 36:37 (P; compare Di) = 1 Chronicles 1:48, + 13 t. + 2 Samuel 8:3 Kt (see above); and even without article (poetry) Isaiah 7:20; Jeremiah 2:18; Micah 7:12; Zechariah 9:10; Psalm 72:8; ׳הַגּ ׳הַנּ once of Tigris Daniel 10:4; נְהַר גוֺזָן (חבור) 2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 18:11 compare 2 Chron 5:26; plural נַהֲרֵי בוּשׁ Zephaniah 3:10; perhaps of a canal: נְהַרכְּֿבָר Ezekiel 1:1,36t. Ezekiel; הַנָּהָר אַהֲלוא Ezra 8:21, ׳נְהַר א Ezra 8:31; compare נַהֲרוֺת בָּבֶל Psalm 137:1; canals possibly also in ׳שַׁעֲרֵי הַנּ Nahum 2:7 (of Nineveh); of canals of Egypt Exodus 7:19 ("" יְאֹרִים etc.), Exodus 8:1 ("" id.).

2 נְהָרוֺת (מִבְּכִי) Job 28:11 usually understood of (underground) streams; Szold^{Comm. Job} Gr^{Monatsschr.1887, 410 and} Perles^{Analekten 69} proposes ׳נ ׳נִבְכֵ sources of rivers (compare Job 36:16); Wetzst Hoffm Bu ׳נ ׳מַבְּכֵ (not elsewhere) with similar meaning.

3 figurative of ׳י s favour Psalm 46:5. — On נַהֲרַיִם ending apparently dual, see אֲרַם; Tel Amarna Na-ri-ma, Na—rima (Wkl^{Tel Am. 40}*), and Egyptian Nhrina (WMM^{As.u.Eur.249ff.}) point however to original ending יִ֯ם; this inconsistent with view of EMey^{Geschichte. § 180} that יִַ֯ם here a locative ending (compare Ba^{§ 194 c. Anm. l} Buhl^{Ges 12}), see also Di^{Genesis 24:10}.

Topical Lexicon

Definition and Scope

The Hebrew noun נָהָר denotes a perennial river or broad stream, distinguished from seasonal wadis and smaller brooks. It appears approximately 119 times across the Old Testament, describing literal waterways, boundary markers, sources of life-giving fertility, and figurative channels of divine blessing or judgment.

Geographic and Historical Context

1. Rivers of Eden: Genesis 2:10-14 names four נְהָרוֹת flowing from the garden—Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates—linking the concept of paradise with abundant, ordered waters.
2. National Boundaries: Genesis 15:18 and Deuteronomy 1:7 set Israel’s promised borders “from the River of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.” נָהָר thus frames covenant geography.
3. Exodus and Confrontation: The Nile (הַיְאֹר, yet called נָהָר in Exodus 7:19) becomes the arena where the LORD triumphs over Egypt’s gods, turning the river to blood.
4. Exile and Return: Ezekiel 1:1 situates the prophet “by the Kebar River,” signifying God’s presence even in foreign lands. Cyrus’s edict (Ezra 4:10, 16) mentions peoples transplanted “to Samaria and elsewhere in the province Beyond the River.”
5. Trade and Empire: Assyrian and Babylonian records align with Isaiah 7:20 and 8:7, where “the River” (Euphrates) symbolizes imperial might flooding Judah.

Key Theological Themes

1. Life, Provision, and Blessing
• “He will be like a tree planted by streams of water” (Psalm 1:3).
• “There is a river whose streams delight the city of God” (Psalm 46:4).
• The messianic age is pictured as an unceasing flow: “I will extend peace to her like a river” (Isaiah 66:12).

2. Judgment and Overthrow
• The overflowing Euphrates embodies divine chastening: “The LORD will bring against them the mighty waters of the River” (Isaiah 8:7-8).
• Nahum 2:6 records Nineveh’s gates opened by the river’s flood in fulfillment of prophecy.

3. Salvation and Restoration
• Ezekiel’s temple vision (Ezekiel 47:1-12) reveals a river issuing from the sanctuary, healing the Dead Sea and producing trees “whose leaves will not wither.”
• Zechariah 14:8 foresees “living waters will flow out from Jerusalem,” anticipating Revelation 22:1.

4. Covenant Expansion
• Psalm 72:8 prays that Messiah’s dominion stretch “from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth,” tying geography to worldwide reign.
• Daniel 10:4’s setting “on the bank of the great River, the Tigris” frames apocalyptic revelation.

Liturgical and Poetic Imagery

Hebrew poetry frequently couples נָהָר with joy, security, and hope. In Job 20:17 the wicked are denied “streams of honey and cream,” while Isaiah 41:18 promises that God will “turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into flowing springs.” The term enriches praise, lament, and wisdom literature alike.

Ministry Applications

1. Spiritual Vitality: Like trees by the river, believers are called to root themselves in Scripture and prayer for continual nourishment (Psalm 1).
2. Mission and Kingdom Vision: The ever-deepening river in Ezekiel 47 urges ministries to expect increasing influence through the Spirit’s work.
3. Assurance in Exile: Commemorating God’s presence by the Kebar reminds the church that no circumstance places it beyond His sustaining flow.
4. Warning Against Complacency: Prophecies of overflowing judgment (Isaiah 8) caution leaders and congregations to resist alliances that ignore divine sovereignty.

Christological and Eschatological Fulfillment

Jesus proclaims, “Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:38), echoing Isaiah’s and Ezekiel’s visions. Revelation 22:1-2 culminates the biblical river motif, depicting the water of life proceeding from God’s throne, nourishing the tree of life for the healing of the nations.

See Also

• עַיִן (spring)
• מַיִם (water)
• Greek ποταμός (river) in the New Testament

Forms and Transliterations

בְּנַהֲרוֹתֶ֗יךָ בִּֽנְהַר־ בַּ֭נָּהָר בַּנְּהָרִים֙ בנהר בנהר־ בנהרותיך בנהרים הֲבִנְהָרִים֙ הַ֨נְּהָרֹ֔ת הַנְּהָר֖וֹת הַנָּהָ֑ר הַנָּהָ֔ר הַנָּהָ֖ר הַנָּהָ֗ר הַנָּהָ֛ר הַנָּהָ֣ר הַנָּהָ֤ר הַנָּהָ֥ר הַנָּהָ֧ר הַנָּהָֽר׃ הַנָּהָר֙ הבנהרים הנהר הנהר׃ הנהרות הנהרת וְ֝נָהָ֗ר וְהַנָּהָ֥ר וְכַנְּהָר֖וֹת וְנַהֲרֹתַ֖יִךְ וְנַהֲרוֹתָ֖ם וְנָהָ֖ר וְנָהָרּ֙ וּ֝מִנָּהָ֗ר וּֽבַנְּהָר֥וֹת וּבַנְּהָר֖וֹת וּמִנָּהָ֖ר וּנְהַ֣ר וּנְהָר֖וֹת ובנהרות והנהר וכנהרות ומנהר ונהר ונהרות ונהרותם ונהרתיך כְּנָהָ֨ר כַּנְּהָר֕וֹת כַּנְּהָר֣וֹת כַנָּהָר֙ כנהר כנהרות לְנַֽהֲרֵי־ לַנָּהָ֑ר לנהר לנהרי־ מִנְּהַ֣ר מנהר נְ֝הָר֗וֹת נְהַ֥ר נְהַר־ נְהָר֔וֹת נְהָר֖וֹת נְהָר֣וֹת נְהָר֥וֹת נְהָר֨וֹת ׀ נְהָרִ֖ים נְהָרִ֥ים נְהָרִים֙ נְהָרֽוֹת׃ נְהָרוֹת֙ נַהֲר֣וֹת נַהֲר֥וֹת נַהֲר֨וֹת ׀ נַהֲרֵ֥י נַהֲרֹתֶ֗יהָ נַהֲרֹתָ֣ם ׀ נַהֲרוֹתֶ֔יהָ נַהֲרוֹתָֽם׃ נָ֝הָ֗ר נָ֭הָר נָהָ֑ר נָהָ֔ר נָהָ֗ר נָהָֽר׃ נָהָר֙ נהר נהר־ נהר׃ נהרות נהרות׃ נהרותיה נהרותם׃ נהרי נהרים נהרתיה נהרתם ban·nā·hār ban·nə·hā·rîm bannāhār Bannahor bannehaRim bannəhārîm bə·na·hă·rō·w·ṯe·ḵā benaharoTeicha bənahărōwṯeḵā bin·har- binhar binhar- channaHar hă·ḇin·hā·rîm hăḇinhārîm han·nā·hār han·nə·hā·rō·wṯ han·nə·hā·rōṯ hannaHar hannāhār hannehaRot hannəhārōṯ hannəhārōwṯ havinhaRim ḵan·nā·hār kan·nə·hā·rō·wṯ ḵannāhār kannehaRot kannəhārōwṯ kə·nā·hār kenaHar kənāhār lan·nā·hār lannaHar lannāhār lə·na·hă·rê- lənahărê- lenaharei min·nə·har minneHar minnəhar na·hă·rê na·hă·rō·ṯām na·hă·rō·ṯe·hā na·hă·rō·w·ṯām na·hă·rō·w·ṯe·hā na·hă·rō·wṯ nā·hār naHar nāhār nahărê nahaRei nahaRot naharoTam nahărōṯām nahărōṯehā naharoTeiha nahărōwṯ nahărōwṯām nahărōwṯehā Nahor nə·hā·rîm nə·hā·rō·wṯ nə·har nə·har- nehar nəhar nəhar- nehaRim nəhārîm nehaRot nəhārōwṯ ū·ḇan·nə·hā·rō·wṯ ū·min·nā·hār ū·nə·hā·rō·wṯ ū·nə·har ūḇannəhārōwṯ uminnaHar ūminnāhār uneHar ūnəhar unehaRot ūnəhārōwṯ uvannehaRot vechannehaRot vehannaHar venaHar venaharoTam venaharoTayich wə·han·nā·hār wə·ḵan·nə·hā·rō·wṯ wə·na·hă·rō·ṯa·yiḵ wə·na·hă·rō·w·ṯām wə·nā·hār wəhannāhār wəḵannəhārōwṯ wənāhār wənahărōṯayiḵ wənahărōwṯām

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 2:10
HEB: וְנָהָרּ֙ יֹצֵ֣א מֵעֵ֔דֶן
NAS: Now a river flowed out of Eden
KJV: And a river went out of Eden
INT: river flowed of Eden

Genesis 2:13
HEB: וְשֵֽׁם־ הַנָּהָ֥ר הַשֵּׁנִ֖י גִּיח֑וֹן
NAS: of the second river is Gihon;
KJV: of the second river [is] Gihon:
INT: the name river of the second is Gihon

Genesis 2:14
HEB: וְשֵׁ֨ם הַנָּהָ֤ר הַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙ חִדֶּ֔קֶל
NAS: of the third river is Tigris;
KJV: of the third river [is] Hiddekel:
INT: the name river of the third is Tigris

Genesis 2:14
HEB: קִדְמַ֣ת אַשּׁ֑וּר וְהַנָּהָ֥ר הָֽרְבִיעִ֖י ה֥וּא
NAS: And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
KJV: And the fourth river [is] Euphrates.
INT: east of Assyria river and the fourth he

Genesis 15:18
HEB: הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את מִנְּהַ֣ר מִצְרַ֔יִם עַד־
NAS: land, From the river of Egypt
KJV: this land, from the river of Egypt
INT: land From the river of Egypt far

Genesis 15:18
HEB: מִצְרַ֔יִם עַד־ הַנָּהָ֥ר הַגָּדֹ֖ל נְהַר־
NAS: as the great river, the river
KJV: unto the great river, the river
INT: of Egypt far river as the great the river

Genesis 15:18
HEB: הַנָּהָ֥ר הַגָּדֹ֖ל נְהַר־ פְּרָֽת׃
NAS: river, the river Euphrates:
KJV: river, the river Euphrates:
INT: river as the great the river Euphrates

Genesis 31:21
HEB: וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר אֶת־ הַנָּהָ֑ר וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־
NAS: and crossed the [Euphrates] River, and set
KJV: and passed over the river, and set
INT: arose and crossed the River and set his face

Genesis 36:37
HEB: שָׁא֖וּל מֵרְחֹב֥וֹת הַנָּהָֽר׃
NAS: of Rehoboth on the [Euphrates] River became king
KJV: of Rehoboth [by] the river reigned
INT: and Shaul of Rehoboth the River

Exodus 7:19
HEB: מִצְרַ֜יִם עַֽל־ נַהֲרֹתָ֣ם ׀ עַל־ יְאֹרֵיהֶ֣ם
NAS: over their rivers, over
KJV: of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers,
INT: of Egypt over their rivers over their streams

Exodus 8:5
HEB: בְּמַטֶּ֔ךָ עַל־ הַ֨נְּהָרֹ֔ת עַל־ הַיְאֹרִ֖ים
NAS: over the rivers, over
KJV: with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers,
INT: your staff over the rivers over the streams

Exodus 23:31
HEB: וּמִמִּדְבָּ֖ר עַד־ הַנָּהָ֑ר כִּ֣י ׀ אֶתֵּ֣ן
NAS: and from the wilderness to the River [Euphrates]; for I will deliver
KJV: and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver
INT: the wilderness against to the River for will deliver

Numbers 22:5
HEB: אֲשֶׁ֧ר עַל־ הַנָּהָ֛ר אֶ֥רֶץ בְּנֵי־
NAS: is near the River, [in] the land
KJV: to Pethor, which [is] by the river of the land
INT: which is near the River the land of the sons

Numbers 24:6
HEB: כְּגַנֹּ֖ת עֲלֵ֣י נָהָ֑ר כַּאֲהָלִים֙ נָטַ֣ע
NAS: beside the river, Like aloes
KJV: as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes
INT: gardens beside the river aloes planted

Deuteronomy 1:7
HEB: וְהַלְּבָנ֔וֹן עַד־ הַנָּהָ֥ר הַגָּדֹ֖ל נְהַר־
NAS: as the great river, the river
KJV: unto the great river, the river
INT: and Lebanon far river as the great the river

Deuteronomy 1:7
HEB: הַנָּהָ֥ר הַגָּדֹ֖ל נְהַר־ פְּרָֽת׃
NAS: river, the river Euphrates.
KJV: river, the river Euphrates.
INT: river as the great the river Euphrates

Deuteronomy 11:24
HEB: וְהַלְּבָנ֜וֹן מִן־ הַנָּהָ֣ר נְהַר־ פְּרָ֗ת
NAS: to Lebanon, [and] from the river, the river
KJV: and Lebanon, from the river, the river
INT: to Lebanon at the river the river Euphrates

Deuteronomy 11:24
HEB: מִן־ הַנָּהָ֣ר נְהַר־ פְּרָ֗ת וְעַד֙
NAS: [and] from the river, the river Euphrates,
KJV: from the river, the river Euphrates,
INT: at the river the river Euphrates far

Joshua 1:4
HEB: הַזֶּ֜ה וְֽעַד־ הַנָּהָ֧ר הַגָּד֣וֹל נְהַר־
NAS: as the great river, the river
KJV: even unto the great river, the river
INT: and this far river as the great the river

Joshua 1:4
HEB: הַנָּהָ֧ר הַגָּד֣וֹל נְהַר־ פְּרָ֗ת כֹּ֚ל
NAS: river, the river Euphrates,
KJV: river, the river Euphrates,
INT: river as the great the river Euphrates all

Joshua 24:2
HEB: יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֗ר יָשְׁב֤וּ אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙
NAS: beyond the River, [namely], Terah,
KJV: on the other side of the flood in old time,
INT: of Israel beyond the River lived your fathers

Joshua 24:3
HEB: אַבְרָהָם֙ מֵעֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֔ר וָאוֹלֵ֥ךְ אוֹת֖וֹ
NAS: from beyond the River, and led
KJV: from the other side of the flood, and led
INT: Abraham side the River and led all

Joshua 24:14
HEB: אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֜ם בְּעֵ֤בֶר הַנָּהָר֙ וּבְמִצְרַ֔יִם וְעִבְד֖וּ
NAS: beyond the River and in Egypt,
KJV: on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt;
INT: your fathers beyond the River Egypt and serve

Joshua 24:15
HEB: (מֵעֵ֣בֶר ק) הַנָּהָ֔ר וְאִם֙ אֶת־
NAS: were beyond the River, or the gods
KJV: that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods
INT: which beyond the River whether the gods

2 Samuel 8:3
HEB: לְהָשִׁ֥יב יָד֖וֹ בִּֽנְהַר־ (פְּרָֽת ק)
NAS: to restore his rule at the River.
KJV: his border at the river Euphrates.
INT: to restore his rule the River Euphrates

119 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 5104
119 Occurrences

ban·nā·hār — 1 Occ.
ban·nə·hā·rîm — 1 Occ.
bə·na·hă·rō·w·ṯe·ḵā — 1 Occ.
bin·har- — 4 Occ.
ḵan·nā·hār — 2 Occ.
han·nā·hār — 32 Occ.
han·nə·hā·rōṯ — 3 Occ.
hă·ḇin·hā·rîm — 1 Occ.
kan·nə·hā·rō·wṯ — 2 Occ.
kə·nā·hār — 1 Occ.
lan·nā·hār — 1 Occ.
lə·na·hă·rê- — 2 Occ.
min·nə·har — 2 Occ.
nā·hār — 8 Occ.
na·hă·rê — 1 Occ.
na·hă·rō·wṯ — 3 Occ.
na·hă·rō·ṯām — 2 Occ.
na·hă·rō·ṯe·hā — 2 Occ.
nā·hār — 1 Occ.
nə·har- — 17 Occ.
nə·hā·rîm — 3 Occ.
nə·hā·rō·wṯ — 15 Occ.
ū·min·nā·hār — 2 Occ.
ū·nə·har — 1 Occ.
ū·nə·hā·rō·wṯ — 1 Occ.
ū·ḇan·nə·hā·rō·wṯ — 2 Occ.
wə·ḵan·nə·hā·rō·wṯ — 1 Occ.
wə·han·nā·hār — 1 Occ.
wə·nā·hār — 4 Occ.
wə·na·hă·rō·w·ṯām — 1 Occ.
wə·na·hă·rō·ṯa·yiḵ — 1 Occ.