5373. nerd
Lexical Summary
nerd: Spikenard

Original Word: נֵרְדְּ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: nerd
Pronunciation: nayrd
Phonetic Spelling: (nayrd)
KJV: spikenard
NASB: nard, nard plants, perfume
Word Origin: [of foreign origin]

1. nard, an aromatic

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
spikenard

Of foreign origin; nard, an aromatic -- spikenard.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
nard
NASB Translation
nard (1), nard plants (1), perfume (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
נֵרְדְּ noun masculine, nard, an odorific plant from India (via Persia) (Sanskrit naladâ; Persian nârdîn; Sabean, Arabic transposed according to DHMBurgen u. Schlosser 975 (SB xcvii) see also SabDenkm82; Greek νάρδος [so ᵐ5] (through Semites) LewyFremdwörter 40; compare LöwNo. 316 LagM. ii. 25); — absolute ׳נ Songs 4:14; suffix נִרְדִּי תַן רֵיחוֺ Songs 1:12; plural נְרָדִים Songs 4:13.

נֵרִיָּה see נֵר below נור

Topical Lexicon
Botanical and Trade Background

Nard (Nērd), obtained from the rhizome of the Himalayan plant Nardostachys jatamansi, was among the costliest perfumes of the ancient world. Harvested high in rugged mountain terrain, its transport to the Levant required long caravan routes through Arabia and Mesopotamia. By the time it reached Israel it was a luxury item, stored in alabaster or onyx flasks, reserved for royalty, bridal trousseaus, and sacred uses. Its rarity explains both its poetic allure and its connection with lavish acts of devotion.

Occurrences in the Old Testament

The Hebrew term appears three times, all in the Song of Songs—Song of Songs 1:12; 4:13; 4:14—where it frames scenes of marital delight and covenant intimacy.

• Song of Songs 1:12: “While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance.” The bride’s nard fills the royal banqueting chamber, suggesting a love that is both public and regal.
• Song of Songs 4:13-14 lists nard among an orchard of exotic plants, picturing the bride as a well-tended garden whose fragrance beckons the bridegroom. The rich perfume underscores exclusivity—she is set apart, as Israel was called to be a holy people (Exodus 19:6).

Symbolism in the Song of Songs

1. Extravagant Love: Nard’s costliness mirrors love that holds nothing back (compare Romans 8:32).
2. Inviting Presence: Fragrance signals nearness; in worship terminology it evokes the “pleasing aroma” of acceptable sacrifice (Leviticus 1:9).
3. Covenant Fidelity: The locked garden (Song of Songs 4:12) filled with spikenard signifies reserved affection—paralleling God’s jealousy for His people (Exodus 34:14).

Connection to New Testament Devotion

The New Testament twice records the breaking of an alabaster jar of “pure nard” to honor Jesus (Mark 14:3; John 12:3). These scenes echo the Song’s imagery:
• Value: “worth over three hundred denarii” (Mark 14:5), a year’s wages, intensifying the theme of costly love.
• Burial Anticipation: Jesus links the anointing to His death (Mark 14:8), shifting the perfume’s symbolism from nuptial joy to sacrificial atonement.
• Fragrance Spreading: “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (John 12:3), a literal outworking of Song of Songs 1:12 and a metaphor for the gospel that would fill the earth (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).

Cultic and Worship Context

Though not required in Temple ritual, nard’s sweetness aligned with the biblical principle that worship is to be offered from the best (cf. Malachi 1:8). In private devotion, fragrant oils accompanied fasting (Matthew 6:17) and burial (John 19:40). The association with intimacy and sacrifice reinforces the holistic nature of biblical worship—heart, body, and resources united.

Historical Reception in the Church

• Early Church: Gregory the Great took the bride’s nard as a figure of contemplative prayer whose fragrance rises to God.
• Reformation: Reformers used the anointing narratives to emphasize justification by faith, noting that Mary’s act preceded the cross and therefore could earn no merit, only testify to gratitude.
• Modern Missions: Hudson Taylor cited John 12:3 before embarking for China, urging believers to “pour out the alabaster box” of their lives for Christ.

Practical Ministry Lessons

1. Costly Obedience: Genuine discipleship is measured not by minimal compliance but by lavish surrender.
2. Fragrance of Christ: Saints are called to spread “the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15). The believer’s life, like spikenard, must be broken to release its scent.
3. Undivided Affection: Just as nard was kept for a single, climactic use, our primary devotion belongs to the Lord; lesser loyalties find their place only after Him (Matthew 6:33).

Eschatological Outlook

Revelation 18:13 lists “cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense” among Babylon’s wares, implying that earthly luxuries will be swallowed up in judgment. By contrast, the Song’s nard imagery is redeemed in the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7), where the church, having offered herself without reserve, is received by the Bridegroom forever.

Summary

Nard in Scripture embodies the meeting of costly devotion, covenant intimacy, and sacrificial love. From the bride’s garden in Solomon’s Song to Mary’s act in Bethany, its fragrance heralds the gospel message: the greatest treasure is poured out for the Beloved, and the sweetness of that offering fills the house of faith and, ultimately, the whole world.

Forms and Transliterations
נְרָדִֽים׃ נִרְדִּ֖י נֵ֣רְדְּ ׀ נרד נרדי נרדים׃ nə·rā·ḏîm nê·rəd neraDim nərāḏîm Nered nêrəd nir·dî nirDi nirdî
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Songs 1:12
HEB: שֶׁ֤הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ בִּמְסִבּ֔וֹ נִרְדִּ֖י נָתַ֥ן רֵיחֽוֹ׃
NAS: was at his table, My perfume gave
KJV: [sitteth] at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth
INT: the king his table my perfume gave fragrance

Songs 4:13
HEB: כְּפָרִ֖ים עִם־ נְרָדִֽים׃
NAS: henna with nard plants,
KJV: fruits; camphire, with spikenard,
INT: henna with nard

Songs 4:14
HEB: נֵ֣רְדְּ ׀ וְכַרְכֹּ֗ם קָנֶה֙
NAS: Nard and saffron, calamus
KJV: Spikenard and saffron; calamus
INT: Nard and saffron calamus

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 5373
3 Occurrences


nə·rā·ḏîm — 1 Occ.
nê·rəd — 1 Occ.
nir·dî — 1 Occ.

5372
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