נַהֲלֹל (na.ha.lol)
na.ha.lol
watering
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun nahalol refers to a pasture or a place where animals are watered. It appears only once in the entire Old Testament, found in Isaiah 7:19. In this specific context, it describes a location that becomes significant during a time of judgment.
Its meaning centers on sustenance and provision for livestock. The word highlights a resource essential for survival, whether as grazing land or a water source. This single usage underscores how even basic needs are affected by the historical events described in the prophecy.
Translators typically render it as "pasture" or "watering-place," reflecting its dual potential. The rarity of the term makes this solitary occurrence particularly notable for understanding the specific imagery Isaiah employs to convey desolation and subsequent restoration.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word nahalol points to a watering place or pasture, a basic necessity for life. In Isaiah 7:19, it appears in a prophecy of judgment where even these sources of sustenance become part of the desolation. This reminds us that God’s sovereignty extends over every detail of our physical needs.
When we face uncertainty, this image can be unsettling. Yet it also shows that no resource is beyond His reach. Whether providing or withholding, He remains the ultimate source of all provision. We can trust Him with our daily bread and our deepest anxieties.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ watering-places1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/נַּהֲלֹלִֽים\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 7:19
They shall come, and shall all rest in the desolate valleys, in the clefts of the rocks, on all thorn hedges, and on all pastures.
This verse uses nahalol to describe a pasture that becomes part of the desolation, showing how judgment affects even basic sustenance.