Word Study for H4997 (נֹאד) | Strong's Concordance

nôʼd /node/ Ask about this word

Rootor נאוֹדlemma נֹאוד vowel, corrected to class="strongs-hebrew-text">נאוֹדxlit nôʼwd corrected to nʼôwd

Meaningalso (feminine) נֹאדָה; from an unused root of uncertain signification; a (skin or leather) bag (for fluids)

KJV usagebottle.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nôʼd — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word nôʼd, represented by H4997, refers to a (skin or leather) bag (for fluids); bottle. It appears 6 times across 6 unique verses in the Bible. This term denotes a common, practical vessel used for carrying liquids, which also serves as a potent metaphor for human experience.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H4997 is used in both literal and figurative contexts. It is a standard container for provisions, such as the "bottle of wine" H3196 Jesse sent with David to Saul 1 Samuel 16:20 or the "bottle of milk" H2461 Jael opened for Sisera Judges 4:19. The Gibeonites cleverly used "old, and rent, and bound up" wine bottles to support their story of coming from a distant country (Joshua 9:4, Joshua 9:13). Figuratively, the psalmist expresses deep distress by saying, "I am become like a bottle in the smoke" Psalms 119:83, and in a plea for divine remembrance, David asks God to put his tears into His bottle Psalms 56:8.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the function and contents associated with H4997:

H3196 yayin (wine): This word for "wine (as fermented)" is a common liquid carried in a nôʼd. It is offered as a provision or gift 1 Samuel 16:20 and is central to the Gibeonites' deception Joshua 9:4.
H2461 châlâb (milk): Described as "milk (as the richness of kine)," this liquid is shown to be stored in a nôʼd when Jael offers it to Sisera Judges 4:19.
H1832 dimʻâh (tears): Meaning "weeping; tears," this word is metaphorically contained within God's bottle, signifying that God sees and remembers human sorrow Psalms 56:8.

Theological Significance

The symbolic weight of H4997 is significant, illustrating deeper theological truths.

Vessel for Sustenance and Deceit: As a practical object, the nôʼd carries essential liquids like wine H3196, representing provision 1 Samuel 16:20. Its condition—old and rent—can also be part of a wily strategy, as shown by the Gibeonites Joshua 9:4.
Symbol of Affliction: The image of a "bottle in the smoke" Psalms 119:83 powerfully conveys a state of being shriveled, neglected, and worn out by trial, like a leather skin dried and blackened by soot.
Emblem of Divine Remembrance: David's request for God to collect his tears H1832 in His bottle H4997 elevates the object to a symbol of God's intimate awareness of suffering. This act of collection is linked to God's accounting, as the verse asks, "are they not in thy book H5612?" Psalms 56:8.

Summary

In summary, H4997 is far more than a simple skin bag. It functions as a mundane object for carrying vital fluids like wine and milk, yet it is also transformed into a profound symbol in scripture. It illustrates how a common vessel can represent the human condition—worn by affliction like a bottle in the smoke—and serve as a metaphor for God's compassionate remembrance, storing the very tears of His people.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 6 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

נֹאדֶ
נֹאדוֹת
נֹאד

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 6 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Joshua and Psalms (2 verses each); never once in the other 35.

Joshua

Judges

1 Samuel

Psalms

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.