Word Study for H5168 (נַחְנוּ)

nachnûw /nakh-noo'/ Ask about this word

Meaningwe

KJV usagewe.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nachnûw — 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 nachnûw, represented by H5168, is a pronoun meaning we. It appears only 6 times in 6 unique verses, making each usage significant. It functions to establish a collective identity, whether a family, a military unit, or an entire people group, defining them as a single entity in speech and action.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H5168 is used to express a unified stance in various situations. The sons of Jacob use it to assert their shared identity and innocence, declaring, "We are all one man's sons; we are true men" Genesis 42:11. The tribes of Gad and Reuben use it to affirm their military commitment, stating, "We will pass over armed before the LORD" Numbers 32:32. In a moment of national lament, the pronoun conveys corporate guilt, as in the confession, "We have transgressed and have rebelled" Lamentations 3:42. It is also used by Moses and Aaron to distinguish themselves from God, asking "what are we?" to show that the people's murmurings were truly against the LORD Exodus 16:7-8.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context in which this collective identity is expressed:

H6586 pâshaʻ (to break away from just authority, i.e. trespass, apostatize, quarrel): This is the action confessed by the collective "we" in Lamentations 3:42, defining the nature of the group's rebellion.
H2502 châlats (to pull off; hence (intensively) to strip, (reflex.) to depart; by implication, to deliver, equip (for fight)): This word describes the state of the people who declare "we will pass over armed" Numbers 32:32, highlighting their shared readiness for battle.
H3651 kên (properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just): This describes the character of the brothers in their plea to Joseph, who insist "we are true men" Genesis 42:11, using it to define their collective integrity.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5168 lies in its ability to articulate corporate identity before God.

Collective Responsibility: The word is central to the concept of corporate sin and confession. The declaration, "We have transgressed" Lamentations 3:42, is not an individual admission but a national one, showing that the people see themselves as a single entity in their relationship with God.
Unified Covenant Action: It is used to express a group's unified commitment to a divine command. By saying "We will pass over armed" Numbers 32:32, the tribes demonstrate their collective resolve to fulfill their obligation to God and their brethren.
Humanity's Position: The phrase "what are we?" Exodus 16:8 establishes a clear theological distinction. Moses and Aaron use it to deflect the people's complaints, reminding them that their ultimate relationship, and therefore their rebellion, is with the LORD, not with their human leaders.

Summary

In summary, H5168 is a concise but powerful pronoun that defines a group's identity. Though appearing rarely, it is used in pivotal moments to assert innocence, declare unified purpose, confess national sin, and clarify the relationship between humanity and God. It demonstrates how the concept of "we" is essential for understanding collective action, covenant faithfulness, and corporate responsibility in scripture.

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 pronoun and a verb across 6 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.

נַחְנוּ
נַחְנוּ

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 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Exodus (2 verses); never once in the other 34.

Genesis

Exodus

Numbers

2 Samuel

Lamentations

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.