נָא (na)
na
please
H:IntjQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 363 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:Intj
Word Overview
The Hebrew particle na serves as a linguistic tool for softening commands or requests, functioning much like the English word "please." It appears frequently in the Old Testament—over three hundred times—with a heavy concentration in Genesis and the Samuel books. Rather than being a standalone verb, it is an enclitic particle attached to other words, primarily imperatives or future verbs, to transform a blunt order into an entreaty or exhortation.
This word carries a range of nuances depending on its context. It can express humble pleading, as when Abraham asks God not to be angry in Genesis 18:30, or it can serve as an urgent prompt, such as when Moses asks God to show him His glory in Exodus 33:18. In some instances, it simply means "now," adding immediacy to a statement without necessarily implying deep emotional distress.
The theological weight of na lies in its ability to bridge the gap between authority and relationship. It is often used by individuals speaking to those of higher status, including kings or God, signaling respect while still making a request. This particle reveals that biblical communication valued politeness and humility, allowing speakers to maintain dignity even when asking for difficult things.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word na appears hundreds of times in Scripture, often translated as "please" or "now." It is not merely a polite filler but a softener that turns commands into requests and blunt instructions into earnest pleas. When Abraham asks Sarah to identify herself as his sister, or when Lot urges strangers to enter his home, na signals a moment of high stakes and emotional intensity. It reminds us that biblical characters navigated delicate social hierarchies with humble persistence rather than casual ease.
This particle teaches us how to approach God and one another with care. It marks moments where the speaker is aware of their position—whether standing before a king, pleading for mercy, or seeking guidance. The word invites us to recognize that our requests matter, but they are best offered with a heart that respects both the gravity of the situation and the dignity of those involved.
In your own life, you may find yourself in situations where words feel too sharp or demands too rigid. Na offers a model for softening our speech, not out of weakness, but out of wisdom. It encourages us to seek favor through humility and to approach difficult conversations with a spirit that honors God’s presence in every interaction.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 363 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- please392×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נָ֣א63×
- נָ֥א47×
- נָא֙31×
- נָ֤א31×
- נָ֖א30×
- נָּ֣א19×
- נָ֨א19×
- נָ֞א19×
- נָ֔א11×
- נָ֛א10×
- נָ֭א9×
- נָּא֙8×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 12:13
Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”
Abraham uses na to soften a request that reveals his fear, showing how the word can mask vulnerability behind a plea for protection.
-
Genesis 18:27
Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.
Here na accompanies Abraham’s bold intercession for Sodom, highlighting the tension between human humility ("dust and ashes") and spiritual courage.
-
Genesis 24:12
He said, “Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
The servant’s prayer uses na to frame his request for guidance as a dependent appeal to God’s kindness rather than a demand.
-
Genesis 19:7
He said, “Please, my brothers, don’t act so wickedly.
Lot employs na in a desperate attempt to prevent violence, illustrating the word’s role in urgent moral appeals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word na mean?
How is na different from other Hebrew particles?
Where does na appear most often?
Every Occurrence (363 verses across 29 books)
Genesis 62 verses
When he had come near to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to…
Genesis 12:13Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”
Genesis 13:8Abram said to Lot, “Please, let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for…
Genesis 13:9Isn’t the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the…
Genesis 13:14Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are,…
Genesis 15:5Yahweh brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He…
Genesis 16:2Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will…
Genesis 18:3and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant.
Genesis 18:4Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
Genesis 18:21I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.”
Genesis 18:27Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.
Genesis 18:30He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” He said, “I will not…
Genesis 18:31He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?” He said, “I…
Genesis 18:32He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He said, “I…
Genesis 19:2and he said, “See now, my lords, please come into your servant’s house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can…
Genesis 19:7He said, “Please, my brothers, don’t act so wickedly.
Genesis 19:8See now, I have two virgin daughters. Please let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them what seems good to…
Genesis 19:18Lot said to them, “Oh, not so, my lord.
Genesis 19:19See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you have shown…
Genesis 19:20See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn’t it a little one?), and my…
Genesis 22:2He said, “Now take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a…
Genesis 24:2Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please put your hand under my…
Genesis 24:12He said, “Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
Genesis 24:14Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, ‘Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,’ then she says,…
Genesis 24:17The servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher.”
Genesis 24:23and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay?”
Genesis 24:42I came today to the spring, and said, ‘Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go—
Genesis 24:43behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes out to draw, to whom I will…
Genesis 24:45Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to…
Genesis 25:30Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with some of that red stew, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom.
Genesis 26:28They said, “We saw plainly that Yahweh was with you. We said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and…
Genesis 27:2He said, “See now, I am old. I don’t know the day of my death.
Genesis 27:3Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and get me venison.
Genesis 27:9Go now to the flock and get me two good young goats from there. I will make them savory food for your father, such as…
Genesis 27:19Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of…
Genesis 27:21Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”
Genesis 27:26His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.”
Genesis 30:14Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then…
Genesis 30:27Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that Yahweh has blessed me…
Genesis 31:12He said, ‘Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and…
Genesis 33:10Jacob said, “Please, no, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, because I have…
Genesis 33:11Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” He…
Genesis 33:14Please let my lord pass over before his servant, and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the livestock that…
Genesis 33:15Esau said, “Let me now leave with you some of the people who are with me.” He said, “Why? Let me find favor in the…
Genesis 34:8Hamor talked with them, saying, “The soul of my son, Shechem, longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife.
Genesis 37:6He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
Genesis 37:14He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again.”…
Genesis 37:16He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock.”
Genesis 37:32They took the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it,…
Genesis 38:16He turned to her by the way, and said, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he didn’t know that she was his…
Genesis 38:25When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man who owns these.” She also…
Genesis 40:8They said to him, “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it.” Joseph said to them, “Don’t…
Genesis 40:14But remember me when it is well with you. Please show kindness to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me…
Genesis 44:18Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t…
Genesis 44:33Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his…
Genesis 45:4Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” They came near. He said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you…
Genesis 47:4They also said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’…
Genesis 47:29The time came near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, “If now I have found favor in…
Genesis 48:9Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” He said, “Please bring them to me, and I…
Genesis 50:4When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s staff, saying, “If now I have found favor in your…
Genesis 50:5‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying. Bury me in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of…
Genesis 50:17‘You shall tell Joseph, “Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to…