by The word study process within the Elementary Biblical Hebrew textbook is a little different with verbs compared to nouns. The first two steps are similar, but then there is an analysis on the verb stem and root. The intention of this study is to determine the importance on specific words within a biblical passage to grasp its full theological and contextual significance. Using Exodus 14:26-31, this word study explores the centrality of the verb “overthrew” to convey God’s definitive and transformative act in delivering the Israelites. By examining the Hebrew root of this word, its verb stem, and the contextual nuances influencing its translation, this analysis helps clarify the meaning of 2 נָעַר, nāʿar.
Within Exodus 14:26-31, the passage is centered on the Lord eliminating the Egyptians from capturing, hurting, and eliminating Moses and the children of Israel. The Lord did this as he “overthrew” the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. This verb is central to properly understanding the passage and what God did for His people. “Overthrew” is considered an important word to study as it meets the qualifications. Roden explains, “Another way of choosing which words to study is to look for the word or concept upon which the entire verse or passage centers.”[1]
The word “overthrew” is the English word when reading the New King James Version (NKJV) and the New American Standard Version (NASB 2020). The New International Version (NIV) and the Lexham English Bible (LEB) uses “swept.”
When looking at the source documents, the Hebrew word used in the verse is וַיְנַעֵר, and the root is 2 נָעַר, transliterated as nāʿar. This is Strong’s number H5287. The definition of this verb is to shake off, toss; shake out.[2] “To shake off” means to get rid of something that is on or attached to something else by shaking.[3]
The inflected word, the exact word in the source documents is וַיְנַעֵר, which includes the conjunction, וַ. The software shows that this is the Piel stem. This means it has an active voice and is intensive. When reading this word in the passage, this aligns with the context of God shaking off the Egyptians and having them drown to death in the sea.
Heiser and Setterholm state, “In Biblical Hebrew, ‘stem’ refers to the relationship of the verb’s subject to the action of the verb. That is, stems convey grammatical ‘voice’ relationships. The piʿʿēl stem expresses the bringing about of a state.”[4]
There are several English words for נָעַר, nāʿar, which is used eleven times in the Old Testament. It is used the most in Isaiah and Nehemia where it is used three times in each. It is used only once in the Pentateuch and that is in this verse, Exodus 14:27.
NASB 2020 translates the word as shake/shakes, shaken, overthrew, shook, shaken off, and lose. Shake/shakes is used the most at four. When looking at the root and the other Hebrew words from that root, there are three more words and they translate to, “what is combed off from flax” (Judges 16:9, Isaiah 1:31), “Naarah” as a place (Joshua 16:7), and “Naaran” which seems to be another location (1 Cron. 7:28).
Changing the verb stem does change the meaning as it is different to shake something versus overthrowing control from something like this passage. To shake and to shake something so hard that it is lose is different. This also changes the meaning when something is shaken so hard that this is shaken off from something that it could have been strongly attached to.
“Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes” (Isaiah 33:15, NKJV) uses the Qal stem, which is נֹעֵ֤ר. NASB 2020 uses “shakes” as in shakes his hands. This is a very different meaning than “overthrew.”
The contextual setting of God removing a whole army from pursuing Moses and the Israelites requires a word that is stronger, more intense, and more descriptive than “shake,” which is the simple verb. In this case, a word like “overthrew” is appropriate and correct. The translation “shook off” is acceptable but not everyone today knows what that exactly means and it is less descriptive than “overthrew” as it is possible for an army to be shook off of something and then recover from it. The word “overthrew” infers that the control is not there anymore and will not be reestablished. This word is used again in Psalm 136:15 as it is describing the same event from Exodus.
The impression of what happened is devastating. Lienhard and Rombs state, “The entire Egyptian multitude with their king was overwhelmed and killed, and the entire province, which had previously been tortured by plagues, became empty by this last slaughter.”[5]
The Hebrew word, 2 נָעַר, (nāʿar), is central to understanding what happened to the Egyptian army that was pursuing Moses and his people. Through this word study of the Hebrew word 2 נָעַר, (nāʿar) and its use in Exodus 14:26-31, it becomes evident that the choice of the verb “overthrew” in translation accurately captures the intensity and finality of God’s actions against the Egyptians. This exploration of the word’s stem, context, and alternative translations reveals how nuances in language shape our understanding of divine intervention and deliverance. This word study is an example of the value of going through the process.
Bibliography
Brannan, Rick, ed. Lexham Research Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020.
Heiser, Michael S., and Vincent M. Setterholm. Glossary of Morpho-Syntactic Database Terminology. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013.
Lienhard, Joseph T., and Ronnie J. Rombs, eds. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.
Roden, Chet. Elementary Biblical Hebrew. 2nd ed. Solana Beach, CA: Cognella Incorporated, 2024.
The Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017.
[1] Chet Roden, Elementary Biblical Hebrew, 2nd ed. (Solana Beach, CA: Cognella Incorporated, 2024), 69.
[2] The Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017).
[3] Rick Brannan, ed., Lexham Research Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020).
[4] Michael S. Heiser and Vincent M. Setterholm, Glossary of Morpho-Syntactic Database Terminology (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013), piʿʿēl.
[5] Joseph T. Lienhard and Ronnie J. Rombs, eds., Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 76.