A Hebrew particle of entreaty or exhortation, used to add urgency, politeness, or emphasis to a request. Translated variously as please, now, I pray, I beseech. It softens commands into requests and adds personal earnestness to prayers and petitions. It is one of the most frequently occurring particles in the Hebrew Bible.
Though tiny, na reveals the relational, personal nature of biblical faith. When Moses says 'Show me your glory, please' (Exodus 33:18), the particle transforms a demand into an intimate request between friends. When Abraham pleads 'Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak' (Genesis 18:30), na shows a man bold enough to negotiate with God yet humble enough to add 'please.' This particle models biblical prayer: bold yet reverent, urgent yet submissive. It appears in some of Scripture's most dramatic moments — Lot pleading with angels, Elijah calling for fire, Nehemiah praying before the king — always marking the intersection of human desperation and divine relationship.