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H5102 · Hebrew · Old Testament
נָהַר
Nahar
Noun, masculine / Verb
River / Stream / To Flow / To Be Radiant

Definition

The Hebrew word nahar (נָהָר) as a noun means river or stream, and as a verb means to flow or to shine/be radiant. It appears about 119 times in the OT. The four rivers of Eden (Genesis 2:10–14) are called neharim.

Usage & Theological Significance

Rivers in the Bible carry profound theological weight. The nahar of Eden (Genesis 2:10) flowed from the garden to water the whole earth — a picture of life flowing from God's presence. The great rivers — Euphrates, Tigris, Nile — marked covenant geography. Isaiah 48:18 declares: 'If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river' — shalom as an overflowing nahar. Ezekiel's vision of the river flowing from the temple (Ezekiel 47) is one of Scripture's most powerful eschatological images — wherever the river flows, everything lives. This finds its ultimate fulfillment in Revelation 22:1–2: the river of the water of life, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Key Bible Verses

Genesis 2:10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters.
Psalm 46:4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
Isaiah 48:18 If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.
Ezekiel 47:9 Where the river flows everything will live.
Revelation 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

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