Lexical Summary neharah: Young woman, maiden, girl Original Word: נְהָרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance light From nahar in its original sense; daylight -- light. see HEBREW nahar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom nahar Definition a light, daylight NASB Translation light (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs נְהָרָה noun feminine light, daylight (as Aramaic נְהוֺרָא  masculine); — ׳וְאַלתּֿוֺפַע עָלָיו נ Job 3:4 (opposed to חשֶׁךְ). Topical Lexicon Semantic Range נְהָרָה draws upon the imagery of the dawning day, the first gleam that scatters darkness. While related Hebrew terms (אוֹר, נֵר, מָאוֹר) speak broadly of illumination, נְהָרָה is the poetic flare of daylight itself—radiance that signals the world is once again habitable. Scriptural Occurrence Job 3:4 is the lone biblical instance: “If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it.” (Berean Standard Bible). In the opening lament Job calls for the erasure of his birthday. The request that “no נְהָרָה shine upon it” reveals just how far suffering has driven him: he would see even God’s most primal blessing—daylight—withdrawn. Theological Themes 1. Light as Divine Gift. From “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) to “The LORD is my light” (Psalm 27:1), Scripture consistently frames light as a gracious act of God’s creative and sustaining power. By pleading that daylight be cancelled, Job tacitly acknowledges its Source. Historical and Cultural Background Ancient Near Eastern societies rose and rested by the sun. Daylight made agriculture, trade, and worship possible; it represented life itself. To wish for its removal was socially unthinkable, underscoring the extremity of Job’s grief. The text therefore mirrors Near Eastern laments that invert cosmic order when calamity strikes, yet does so within Israel’s monotheistic conviction that only God governs light and darkness (Isaiah 45:7). Intercanonical Connections • Prophetic Hope: Isaiah foresees a people “who walked in darkness” seeing “a great light” (Isaiah 9:2), anticipating messianic deliverance where נְהָרָה will never be withdrawn again. Pastoral and Ministry Significance 1. Addressing Spiritual Depression. Job validates the believer who feels engulfed by darkness. Ministers may allow lament while gently directing sufferers toward the irrevocable promises of God’s light. Summary נְהָרָה is a single-use word whose solitary appearance magnifies its impact. It stands at the crossroads of creation and chaos, faith and despair, setting the stage for the biblical drama in which God refuses to let darkness have the final word. Forms and Transliterations נְהָרָֽה׃ נהרה׃ nə·hā·rāh nehaRah nəhārāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 3:4 HEB: תּוֹפַ֖ע עָלָ֣יו נְהָרָֽה׃ NAS: care for it, Nor light shine on it. KJV: it from above, neither let the light shine INT: shine and light 1 Occurrence |
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