The Hebrew neged (נֶגֶד) functions as both noun and preposition, meaning "in front of," "before," "in the sight of," or "opposite." It conveys spatial position (directly in front of something) and relational presence (in the sight or awareness of someone). The phrase neged Yahweh or leneged appears in worship contexts, indicating actions performed in God's conscious presence.
Neged is the foundational term behind the profound statement in Psalm 16:8: "I have set the LORD always before me [leningdi tamid]; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken." This declaration of perpetual God-consciousness — setting the LORD "before" oneself always — is the heart of contemplative faith. The phrase "a table before me in the presence [neged] of my enemies" (Psalm 23:5) places the believer in God's protective presence even when surrounded by threats. Neged describes the posture of all true worship: living life consciously in God's sight.