נָדַד (na.dad)
na.dad
to wander
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 19 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb nadad describes a movement that is often involuntary or driven by external forces, carrying meanings such as to retreat, flee, depart, or wander abroad. While it can simply mean to move or stray, its most distinctive usage involves fleeing from danger or being chased away. This sense of displacement appears in various contexts, from people escaping threats to birds fluttering their wings in agitation.
A striking example of this word’s range is found in Job 39:20, where it describes the warhorse’s proud neighing as if it were ready to charge, but also in the same chapter (Job 39:18) where it depicts locust swarms scattering or fleeing when the sun rises. The imagery shifts from the stability of a home to the instability of being driven out, emphasizing a loss of place or security rather than a chosen journey.
Translators often render nadad as "wander" or "flee," depending on whether the subject is acting voluntarily or reacting to pressure. In Proverbs and Isaiah, this word frequently underscores the consequences of folly or divine judgment, where individuals are left without a fixed abode. The verb captures the physical reality of being uprooted, serving as a powerful metaphor for spiritual or social instability.
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.dad paints a picture of movement that is rarely chosen. It describes being driven out, fleeing from danger, or wandering without a fixed home. This instability can feel like a loss of security, leaving a person exposed to the elements and uncertain of their next step. In ancient times, this was a terrifying reality for those displaced by war or judgment.
Yet, this word also appears in moments of unexpected care. When Isaiah speaks of fugitives fleeing from swords, he immediately follows with commands to offer bread and water to those who are thirsty. The text does not leave the wanderer alone in their fear. Instead, it calls the community to recognize the dignity of the displaced.
For your faith life, this offers a gentle reminder that you are not defined by your stability or your home. When circumstances shift and you feel like you are wandering, there is still space for provision and protection. The same God who allows for movement also provides for those on the road, inviting trust rather than demanding control.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 19 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they have fled3×
- fluttering2×
- wanderers1×
- they had fled1×
- they flee1×
- they chase away/ him1×
- it has fled1×
- it fled1×
- fugitive[s]1×
- and/ it fled1×
- and/ he may be chased away1×
- a fugitive1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נָדְדָ֖ה2×
- נוֹדֶ֣דֶת1×
- נוֹדֵ֥ד1×
- נוֹדֵ֖ד1×
- נֹדֵֽד\׃1×
- נֹדֵ֣ד1×
- נֹדֵ֖ד1×
- נֹדְדִ֖ים1×
- נֹ֘דֵ֤ד1×
- נָדָֽדוּ\׃1×
- נָדָ֑דוּ1×
- נָדְד֣וּ1×
Key Verses
-
Proverbs 27:8
As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.
This verse uses the image of a bird leaving its nest to illustrate how painful it is when a person wanders far from their own home.
-
Isaiah 16:3
Give counsel! Execute justice! Make your shade like the night in the middle of the noonday! Hide the outcasts! Don’t betray the fugitive!
Here the word describes fugitives who need hiding and counsel, showing that displacement creates a urgent need for community protection.
-
Hosea 7:13
Woe to them! For they have wandered from me. Destruction to them! For they have trespassed against me. Though I would redeem them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
The prophet uses this term to describe Israel's spiritual drifting away from God, linking physical wandering with covenant unfaithfulness.
-
Job 15:23
He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
This occurrence highlights the anxiety of displacement, where the wanderer goes out for bread but faces only the threat of darkness.