The Hebrew word nâʼar, represented by H5010, is a primitive root that means to reject; abhor, make void. Though it appears only 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible, its usage conveys a profound and severe sense of repudiation. It describes an active and total rejection of things once held sacred.
In its biblical usage, H5010 depicts acts of divine judgment. In Lamentations, it is used to describe God's response to sin, where The Lord H136 has abhorred his sanctuary H4720, casting off His altar and giving the walls of the palaces over to the hand of the enemy H341 Lamentations 2:7. In the Psalms, the word is used to express a feeling of abandonment, where the psalmist states that God has made void the covenant of his servant and profaned his crown Psalms 89:39.
Several related words help clarify the solemn context of H5010:
- H2186 zânach: This root, meaning to push aside, i.e.; reject, forsake, fail, appears alongside H5010 in Lamentations 2:7, where the Lord has cast off His altar, intensifying the theme of abandonment.
- H2490 châlal: This word means to profane... to break (one's word). It is used in parallel with H5010 in Psalms 89:39 to describe how God has profaned his servant's crown, linking the voiding of the covenant with desecration.
- H5462 çâgar: Meaning to shut up; figuratively, to surrender, this term is used to describe how God has given up the sanctuary walls to the enemy, showing the tangible outcome of the abhorrence described in Lamentations 2:7.
The theological weight of H5010 is significant, highlighting the severity of divine judgment.
- Rejection of the Sacred: The word demonstrates that even the most consecrated places are not immune to God's judgment. God himself is shown to abhor His own sanctuary H4720 as a direct consequence of defilement Lamentations 2:7.
- Nullification of Covenant: It is used to describe the breaking of a divine promise. The act of making a covenant void Psalms 89:39 is a powerful statement about the consequences of unfaithfulness, where God's own word appears to be nullified.
- Divine Sovereignty in Judgment: In both instances, the action is initiated by The Lord H136. This shows that the rejection and abhorrence are not accidental but are sovereign and deliberate acts of God in response to a broken relationship.
In summary, H5010 is a potent and rare term that signifies a complete and forceful rejection. It is not a simple dismissal but a profound abhorrence that results in the voiding of covenants and the abandonment of sacred spaces. The use of nâʼar illustrates the solemn reality of divine judgment, where God Himself will cast off and abhor that which has been profaned.
TRV