Word Study for H5015 (נְבוֹ) | Strong's Concordance

Nᵉbôw /neb-o'/ Ask about this word

Rootprobably of foreign derivation

MeaningNebo, the name of a Babylonian deity, also of a mountain in Moab, and of a place in Palestine

KJV usageNebo.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Nᵉbôw — 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 Nᵉbôw, represented by H5015, is used to identify a Babylonian deity, a mountain in Moab, and a place in Palestine. It appears 13 times across 13 unique verses in the Bible, carrying significant weight in prophetic, historical, and geographical contexts.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H5015 is used in several distinct ways. It is named as a Babylonian deity whose idols are powerless, bowing down and being carried away as a burden on weary beasts Isaiah 46:1. Geographically, it is the name of a mountain from which Moses was shown the land of Canaan before he died Deuteronomy 34:1. The name also refers to a city in Moab that is subject to God's judgment Jeremiah 48:1 and a town rebuilt by the Israelites Numbers 32:38. Finally, it appears as the name of an Israelite family, with the "children of Nebo" returning from exile Ezra 2:29.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which Nebo appears:

H1078 Bêl (Bel, the Baal of the Babylonians): This deity is mentioned alongside Nebo in a prophecy declaring their downfall, highlighting their status as prominent foreign idols Isaiah 46:1.
H2022 har (a mountain or range of hills): This word is used to specifically identify mount Nebo as the vantage point from which Moses saw the promised land Deuteronomy 32:49.
H5682 ʻĂbârîym (regions beyond; Abarim, a place in Palestine): This refers to the mountain range where Mount Nebo is located, establishing its broader geographical setting Numbers 33:47.
H6449 Piçgâh (a cleft; Pisgah, a Mountain East of Jordan): This specifies the very top of Mount Nebo from which Moses viewed the land of Gilead, Dan, and Jericho Deuteronomy 34:1.

Theological Significance

The name H5015 is associated with several key biblical themes:

The Powerlessness of Idols: Nebo, the deity, is depicted as an idol that "stoopeth" and cannot save itself, let alone its worshippers. This serves as a powerful declaration of the LORD's sovereignty over the gods of other nations Isaiah 46:1.
Divine Judgment on Nations: The city of Nebo is a focal point in prophecies of judgment against Moab. The "Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled" demonstrates God's authority over all territories and peoples Jeremiah 48:1.
The Threshold of the Promise: Mount Nebo is the critically important location where Moses's life and leadership culminate. It is a place of seeing the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel, even while being personally barred from entering it Deuteronomy 34:1.

Summary

In summary, H5015 is a multifaceted name in scripture, designating a false god, a significant mountain, a city, and a family. It functions not as a single concept but as a landmark in Israel's story, marking the boundary between the wilderness and the promised land, and serving as a subject in prophecies that contrast the futility of idols with the ultimate power of the God of Israel.

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 13 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.

נְבוֹ
נְבוֹ
נְבוֹ

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 13 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Numbers (3 verses); never once in the other 32.

Numbers

Deuteronomy

1 Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

Isaiah

Jeremiah

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.