The Hebrew word Nimrâh, represented by H5247, means clear water. It appears only 1 time in 1 unique verse in the Bible. It is used specifically as a proper name for a place located East of the Jordan.
The sole appearance of Nimrah H5247 is in the book of Numbers. It is listed among a group of cities in the land east of the Jordan that the tribes of Reuben and Gad desired for their cattle. The verse names several key locations in the region: "Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon" Numbers 32:3. This context establishes Nimrah as part of a fertile territory sought by the Israelite tribes before they crossed the Jordan River.
Nimrah is mentioned alongside several other significant locations, which together define a specific geographical area:
- H5852 ʻĂṭârôwth: The name of two places in Palestine.
- H1769 Dîybôwn: A name for three places in Palestine, meaning pining.
- H3270 Yaʻăzêyr: A place East of the Jordan meaning helpful.
- H2809 Cheshbôwn: A place East of the Jordan.
- H500 ʼElʻâlêʼ: A place east of the Jordan, meaning God (is) going up.
- H7643 Sᵉbâm: A place in Moab meaning spice.
- H5015 Nᵉbôw: The name of a Babylonian deity, a mountain in Moab, and a place in Palestine.
- H1194 Bᵉʻôn: A place East of the Jordan.
The geographical significance of H5247 is tied to the settlement of the Transjordanian tribes.
- Territorial Marker: Nimrah helps identify the land given to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, known for being a "place for cattle" Numbers 32:1.
- Strategic Location: Its inclusion in the list with cities like Heshbon and Dibon places it within a cluster of important settlements east of the Jordan.
- Land of Promise: The city was part of the territory that was captured and deemed desirable by the Israelites during their journey toward the promised land.
In summary, H5247 Nimrâh is a specific place name whose importance is derived entirely from its context. Meaning "clear water," it appears once in scripture as one of several cities in the fertile land east of the Jordan. Its mention in Numbers 32:3 firmly roots it in the history of the tribal allotments of Reuben and Gad, marking it as part of the valuable land they chose for their inheritance.
TRV