Ner (H5369) means 'lamp' and is both a common noun (lamp, light) and a personal name — the grandfather of King Saul (1 Sam 14:50-51, 1 Chr 8:33). The lamp (ner) is one of the most powerful theological symbols in Scripture: the seven-branched menorah in the tabernacle (Exod 25:37), the lamp of the Lord searching the spirit (Prov 20:27), the lamp of God's word illuminating dark paths (Ps 119:105), and the lamp of the righteous that burns brightly (Prov 13:9).
The lamp of God is associated with His presence, His word, and the life of the righteous. 'Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path' (Ps 119:105). God's Spirit is described as a lamp searching the depths of the human spirit (Prov 20:27). In the New Testament, the lamp imagery continues: believers are lamps set on stands (Matt 5:14-16), the ten virgins watch with lamps (Matt 25:1-13), and the entire New Jerusalem needs no lamp because the Lamb is its light (Rev 21:23). From Ner in Saul's genealogy to the eternal Light of Christ, the lamp speaks of both human frailty and divine illumination.