נַעַר

n.m. 1. boy, lad, youth. 2. retainer (not in P) (NH as BH; Ph. נער Lzb 324);—נ׳ abs. Gn 37:2 +; cstr. 1 S 2:13 +; sf. נַעֲרוֹ Ju 19:3 +, נַעֲרָהּ 2 K 4:24; pl. נְעָרִים 1 S 25:5 +, cstr. נַעֲרֵי Ex 24:5 +; sf. נְעָרַי Ne 4:10; 5:10, etc.;— boy, lad, youth (c. 133 times) of infant Ex 2:6 (E; 3 months old), to be born Ju 13:5, 7, 8, 12, just born 1 S 4:21, not weaned 1 S 1:22; also Is 8:4, cf. 7:16 +. of lad just weaned 1 S 1:24 (del. 2nd נער, cf. further Dr Bu HPS), v 25, 27, etc. = youth: of young Ishmael Gn 21:12f. (E), Isaac 22:5, 12 (E), Joseph Gn 37:2 (E; 17 years old,), Benj. 43:8; 44:22f. (J), sons of Samuel 1 S 2:17, of Jesse 1 S 16:11; נ׳ קָטֹן little lad 1 S 20:35; 1 K 3:7; 2 K 5:14; Is 11:6, נ׳ קָטָן 1 K 11:17, pl. 2 K 2:23. נ׳ with special stress on youthfulness Ju 8:20; 1 S 17:33, 42; Ho 11:1 Is 3:4 cf. Ec 10:16; Is 3:5; 10:19; Je 1:6, 7; 1 Ch 22:5; 29:1; 2 Ch 13:7; 34:3; so in phr. מִנּ׳ וְעַד זָקֵן Gn 19:4 (J), Jos 6:21 (J), Est 3:13 cf. Ex 10:9 (E), Dt 28:50; Is 20:4; 65:20; Je 51:22; La 2:21 ψ 37:25; 148:12; Pr 22:6. of marriageable age Gn 34:19 (J), warrior Absalom 2 S 18:5, 12 +, Zadok 1 Ch 12:29, etc. servant, retainer (c. 105 times): = personal attendant, household servant, Nu 22:22 (J), Ju 7:10, 11; 19:3; 1 S 9:3f. 2 K 4:12, 25 + often = retainer, follower Gn 14:24; 1 S 25:5f.; 2 S 2:14f.; 1 K 20:14f.; 2 K 19:6 = Is 37:6, Jb 1:15, 16, 17; Ne 4:10, 17 + often—Zc 11:16 is corrupt, cf. We Now.— נער occurs in Pent. as Kt with Qr perpet. נַעֲרָה q.v.