Word Study for H4998 (נָאָה) | Strong's Concordance

nâʼâh /naw-aw'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningproperly, to be at home, i.e. (by implication) to be pleasant (or suitable), i.e. beautiful

KJV usagebe beautiful, become, be comely.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nâʼâh — 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 nâʼâh, represented by H4998, is a primitive root meaning to be pleasant, suitable, or beautiful. Its base definition is "properly, to be at home, i.e. (by implication) to be pleasant (or suitable), i.e. beautiful; be beautiful, become, be comely." Despite its rich meaning, it is a rare term, appearing only 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H4998 is used to describe three distinct types of suitability. In a physical sense, it denotes attractiveness, as seen in the description, "Thy cheeks are comely" Song of Solomon 1:10. The word also expresses what is fitting in a sacred context, with holiness being the attribute that "becometh" the house of the Lord Psalms 93:5. Most significantly, it is used to describe the profound appeal of the gospel message, where the feet of the messenger are called beautiful because they bring news of salvation Isaiah 52:7.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which beauty and suitability are found:

H3895 lᵉchîy (cheek): The direct object described as comely in Song of Solomon 1:10. Its definition, "the cheek (from its fleshiness); hence, the jaw-bone," grounds H4998 in physical appearance.
H6944 qôdesh (holiness): In Psalms 93:5, it is holiness that 'becometh' the house of the Lord. Defined as "a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity," this word establishes the divine attribute that is suitable for God's presence.
H1319 bâsar (bringeth good tidings): This verb is central to Isaiah 52:7, where the feet of the messenger are beautiful. Defined as "to announce (glad news)," it connects the beauty of H4998 to the act of proclaiming a positive message.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4998 is expressed through its specific contexts:

The Beauty of Redemption: The beauty described in Isaiah 52:7 is not merely aesthetic but functional. The feet are beautiful because they carry the messenger who publishes H7965 peace and H3444 salvation. This links the concept of beauty directly to the announcement of God's redemptive work.
The Suitability of Holiness: In Psalms 93:5, nâʼâh is translated as "becometh," signifying that H6944 holiness is the uniquely appropriate characteristic of God's house. This establishes a theological principle that sanctity is the fitting and proper state for the divine presence.
Physical Comeliness: The use of nâʼâh in Song of Solomon 1:10 to describe comely cheeks affirms that physical pleasantness is recognized within scripture as something suitable and beautiful.

Summary

In summary, H4998 nâʼâh carries a meaning that transcends simple appearance. Though used only three times, it illustrates a biblical concept of beauty that encompasses physical comeliness Song of Solomon 1:10, the inherent suitability of holiness for God's presence Psalms 93:5, and the profound attractiveness of the message of salvation Isaiah 52:7. It demonstrates how what is 'at home' or fitting can range from a physical feature to the very nature of God's redemptive plan.

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 verb across 3 occurrences, inflected in 2 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.

נָּאווּ
נַאֲוָה

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

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 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms, Song of Solomon, and Isaiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

Psalms

Song of Solomon

Isaiah

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.