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NAAMAN [na´-a-man] (pleasant) — the name of three or four men in the Old Testament:
1. A son of Benjamin (Gen. 46:21).
2. The founder of the Naamites (Num. 26:40). He may be the same Naaman who is the son of Benjamin.
3. A commander of the Syrian army who was cured of leprosy through the prophet Elisha.
4. A son of Ehud, of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chron. 8:7).
NABAL [na´-bal] — a wealthy sheep farmer (1 Sam. 25:2–39). Nabal was “harsh and evil” and was “such a scoundrel” that no one could reason with him (1 Sam. 25:3, 17).
His wife Abigail saved him and the men in their family from being killed by David after Nabal refused to provide food for David and his men (1 Sam. 25:4–35).
NABOTH [na´-both] — an Israelite of Jezreel who owned a vineyard next to the summer palace of King Ahab (1 Kings 21:1). Ahab was jealous and wanted the property. He offered Naboth a lot of money or a better vineyard, but Naboth said no because the vineyard was a family inheritance to be passed on to his descendants.
Jezebel bribed two men to lie about Naboth and say that he blasphemed God and the king. Because of their lies, Naboth was found guilty and both he and his sons were stoned to death (2 Kings 9:26). After that, Jezebel was able to get the property for Ahab. Elijah the prophet said Ahab and his household (family) would suffer a great deal for their disgusting act of false witness (1 Kings 21:1–29; 2 Kings 9:21–26).
NADAB [na´-dab] (liberal or willing) — the name of four men in the Old Testament:
1. A son of Aaron and Elisheba (Exod. 6:23) and a priest at the tabernacle (Exod. 28:1).
2. The son of Jeroboam I and a king of Israel (1 Kings 14:20; 15:25).
3. A son of Shammai, of the family of Jerahmeel.
4. A Benjamite who was the son of Jeiel and Maacah (1 Chron. 8:30).
NAHUM [na´-hum] (compassionate) — an Old Testament prophet and the author of the Book of Nahum. He prophesied about God’s judgment against Assyria.
Another man named Nahum was an ancestor of Jesus (Luke 3:25).
NAHUM, BOOK OF — a short prophetic book of the Old Testament that tells about the coming destruction of the sinful nation of Assyria and its capital city, Nineveh.
NAOMI [na´-o-mee] (my joy) — the mother-in-law of Ruth. After her husband and two sons died, Naomi went home to Bethlehem. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, followed her. Naomi sent Ruth to work for a good man named Boaz (Ruth 2:1). After Boaz and Ruth got married, Naomi stayed with them and they took care of her.
NAPHTALI [naf´-ta-li] (my wrestling) — the sixth son of Jacob (Gen. 35:25).
NATHAN [na´-than] (he gave) — the name of several men in the Old Testament. The best known was a prophet during the reign of David and Solomon, who told David that he would not be the one to build the temple (1 Chron. 17:1–15).
NATHANAEL [na-than´-a-el] (God has given) — a native of Cana in Galilee (John 21:2) who became a disciple of Jesus (John 1:45–49). Nathanael was introduced to Jesus by his friend Philip.
Many scholars believe Nathanael is the same person as Bartholomew (Matt. 10:3), one of the twelve apostles of Christ.
NAVE — a wheel hub (1 Kings 7:33, KJV).
NAZARENE [naz-a-reen´] — a person who was born in or who lived in Nazareth. Jesus was called a “Nazarene.”
NAZARETH [naz´-a-reth] (watchtower) —a town of lower Galilee where Jesus spent His childhood (Matt. 2:23).
NAZIRITE [naz´-a-rite] (separated, consecrated) — a person who made a vow (special promise) to God to live a holy life (Num. 6:1–8). Anyone could take this vow, including the poor, women, and slaves.
NEBO [ne´-bo] — the name of a mountain in Moab (Num.33:47).Moses was on Nebo when God allowed him to see the Promised Land. He was buried in a nearby valley (Deut. 32:49).
Nebo was also the name of two towns (Num. 32:3, 38; Ezra 2:29), a man (Ezra 10:43), and a Babylonian god.
Modern Nazareth, successor to the village in lower Galilee where Jesus grew up (Luke 2:39; 4:16, 31–34).
NEBUCHADNEZZAR [neb-u-kad-nez´-ar] (O god Nabu, protect my son) — the king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (ruled 605–562 B.C.) who captured Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and carried the people of Judah into captivity in Babylonia.
NECROMANCER — a person who tries to communicate with the dead (Deut. 18:10–12).
NEEDLE, EYE OF — a phrase Jesus used to explain the difficulty a rich person would have entering the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 19:24).
NEHEMIAH [ne-he-mi´-ah] (the Lord is consolation) — the governor of Jerusalem who helped rebuild the wall of the city (Neh. 1–12). Nehemiah had been the personal cupbearer for Artaxerxes I Longimanus.
Another man named Nehemiah was a clan leader who returned from the Captivity with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2; Neh. 7:7).
NEHEMIAH, BOOK OF — a historical book of the Old Testament that describes the rebuilding of the city walls around Jerusalem. The book is named for its main character.
Nehemiah teaches an excellent lesson about good leadership and also the importance of prayer (1:5–11; 2:1–20; 4:1–14; 6:9–14).
NEPHILIM [nef´-il-im] (fallen ones) — the “Nephilim” were thought to be giants. They were also called “mighty warriors.” (Gen. 6:4; Num. 13:33).
NETHER — under (Exod. 19:17, NKJV).
NETTLE — a thorn (Job 30:7, NKJV).
NETWORK — the grate of bronze inside the altar of burnt offering (Exod. 27:4; 38:4, NKJV). Also, the decorative bronzework on the capitals of Jachin and Boaz, which became the two great bronze pillars in Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 7:18, NKJV; 2 Chron. 4:12, NKJV; Jer. 52:22–23, NKJV).
Excavated section of the wall built by Nehemiah in Jerusalem after the Jewish people returned from the Captivity in Babylonia.
NEW JERUSALEM — (See Jerusalem, New.)
NEW TESTAMENT — the second major set of books (27) in the Bible. These books tell about the life and ministry of Jesus and the growth of the early church.
NICODEMUS [nic-o-de´-mus] (conqueror of the people) — a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin who became a disciple of Jesus (John 3:1, 4, 9; 7:50). Jesus described him as “the teacher of Israel,” because he was well trained in Old Testament law and tradition.
NIGER [ni´-jur] (black) — the Latin last name of Simeon. He was one of the Christian prophets and teachers in the church of Syrian Antioch when Barnabas and Paul were called to missionary service (Acts 13:1–3).
NIGH — near (Ps. 145:18, KJV).
NILE [nile] — a great Egyptian river that flows more than three thousand five hundred miles from central Africa to the Mediterranean Sea.
NIMROD [nim´-rod] — a son of Cush, a grandson of Ham, and a great-grandson of Noah (Gen. 10:8–12; 1 Chron. 1:10). Nimrod was a skilled hunter and warrior who became a powerful king. He is the first hero mentioned in the Bible.
NINEVEH [nin´-e-veh] — the ancient capital city of the Assyrian Empire. Ninevah is the city the prophet Jonah did not want to go to and preach. Finally Jonah went, and the people repented and turned to God (Jon. 3:5–10).
NISAN [ni´-san] — the name given to Abib, the first month of the Jewish sacred year, after the Captivity (Esther 3:7). (See Calendar.)
NOAH [no´-ah] (rest, relief) — a son of Lamech and the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. He was a hero of faith who obeyed God by building an ark (a giant boat) that was used to save mankind from total destruction by the Flood (Gen. 5:28–9:29).
There was also a woman named Noah in the Bible (Num. 26:33).
The mound of Kuyunjik, one of the major mounds of the magnificent city of Nineveh in ancient Assyria.
NORTHERN KINGDOM — the northern ten tribes of Israel (1 Kings 14:19–30).
NUMBER, NUMBERS — figures, characters, or symbols used for counting and mathematics. The people of the Bible used numbers more for counting than math.
NUMBERS, BOOK OF — an Old Testament book that tells what happened to the Israelites through their long period of wandering in the wilderness as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. The book is called Numbers because of two censuses (counting) or “numberings” of the people are recorded in chapters 1 and 26.
NUN (fish) — the father of Joshua (pronounced none) and an Ephraimite (Exod. 33:11; Num. 27:18).
Nun is also the fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet (pronounced noon). It is used in the NKJV as a heading over Psalm 119:105–112. In the original Hebrew language, each of these eight verses began with the letter nun.