English · KJV
H5201

נָטַר

nâṭar /naw-tar'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto guard; figuratively, to cherish (anger)
KJV usagebear grudge, keep(-er), reserve.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nâṭar — 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 nâṭar, represented by H5201, is a primitive root with a dual meaning: to guard or, figuratively, to cherish anger. It appears 9 times across 8 unique verses in the Bible. The word's usage splits between a literal sense of being a keeper, such as for a vineyard, and a metaphorical sense of holding a grudge or reserving wrath.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical application, H5201 most often describes the act of retaining anger. The people of Israel are explicitly commanded not to "bear any grudge" against one another Leviticus 19:18. In contrast, the term is used to describe an aspect of God's divine judgment, as He "reserveth" wrath for His enemies Nahum 1:2. However, this is tempered by God's mercy, as both Jeremiah and the Psalms state that He will not "keep" His anger forever (Jeremiah 3:12, Psalms 103:9). In a more literal context, the Song of Solomon uses H5201 to depict the role of a "keeper" of vineyards, highlighting a responsibility of guardianship (Song of Solomon 1:6, Song of Solomon 8:11).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the scope of guardianship and retained anger:

  • H5358 nâqam (a primitive root; to grudge, i.e. avenge or punish; avenge(-r, self), punish, revenge (self), [idiom] surely, take vengeance): This word appears directly alongside H5201 in the command, "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge," distinguishing between active revenge and the passive holding of a grudge Leviticus 19:18.
  • H2534 chêmâh (heat; figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever); anger, bottles, hot displeasure, furious(-ly, -ry), heat, indignation, poison, rage, wrath(-ful)): This is the wrath that God "reserveth" H5201 for His enemies, linking the act of keeping with the object of divine fury Nahum 1:2.
  • H8104 shâmar (a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.; beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man)): This term is used in parallel with H5201 when questioning if God will "reserve his anger for ever" and "keep it to the end," suggesting a closely related concept of guarding or preserving something over time Jeremiah 3:5.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5201 is significant, primarily in its portrayal of anger and mercy.

  • Divine Justice: The word establishes that reserving wrath is a divine prerogative. While humans are forbidden from bearing a grudge, God is described as one who "reserveth" wrath as an instrument of judgment against His enemies Nahum 1:2.
  • God's Forbearance: Scripture repeatedly uses H5201 to emphasize God's mercy. His character is defined not by endlessly retaining anger but by His choice not to "keep" it forever, a promise of grace and forgiveness (Psalms 103:9, Jeremiah 3:12).
  • Human Responsibility: In its literal sense, the word points to a principle of stewardship. The lament in Song of Solomon about being made a "keeper" of others' vineyards while one's own is not "kept" illustrates the personal duty to guard what is valuable Song of Solomon 1:6.

Summary

In summary, H5201 is a focused term that contrasts the literal act of guarding a possession with the figurative act of holding onto anger. It serves to distinguish between a forbidden human tendency to bear a grudge and God's sovereign right to execute justice. Ultimately, the word is most often used to highlight God's mercy, showing that His nature is not to retain anger indefinitely but to offer a path to restoration.

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 9 occurrences, inflected in 7 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.

  • יִנְטֹר
  • נֹּטְרִים
  • אֶטּוֹר
  • תִטֹּר
  • נֹטֵרָה
  • נוֹטֵר
  • נָטָרְתִּי

Related Words

Related

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.

H5358 נָקַם a primitive root; to grudge, i.e. avenge or punish; avenge(-r, self), punish, revenge (self), [idiom] surely, take venge H2534 חֵמָה or (Daniel 11:44) חֵמָא; from יָחַם; heat; figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever); anger, bottles, hot displeasure H8104 שָׁמַר a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.; beward,

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 8 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Song of Solomon (3 verses); never once in the other 34.

1
Leviticus
1
Psalms
3
Song of Solomon
2
Jeremiah
1
Nahum

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.