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H5110

נוּד

nûwd /nood/ Ask about this word
a primitive root
to nod, i.e. waver; figuratively, to wander, flee, disappear; also (from shaking the head in sympathy), to console, deplore, or (from tossing the head in scorn) taunt
bemoan, flee, get, mourn, make to move, take pity, remove, shake, skip for joy, be sorry, vagabond, way, wandering.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nûwd — 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 nûwd, represented by H5110, is a primitive root with a wide range of meanings related to movement and emotion. It appears 24 times across 24 unique verses. Its core meaning is to nod or waver, but this extends figuratively to describe wandering, fleeing, and disappearing. Depending on the context, the physical act of shaking the head can signify sympathy (to console, bemoan, or mourn) or scorn (to taunt).

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H5110 is used to convey several distinct actions. It frequently expresses grief and sympathy, as when Job's friends came to mourn with him Job 2:11 and his family later bemoaned him Job 42:11. The prophets also use it to call for mourning over judgment, asking who will bemoan Jerusalem Jeremiah 15:5 or be sorry for her affliction Isaiah 51:19. Conversely, the term describes a state of restless wandering and exile. Cain is cursed to be a vagabond in the earth Genesis 4:14, and the psalmist speaks of the soul being told to flee like a bird Psalms 11:1. In judgment, Israel is warned they will be shaken like a reed 1 Kings 14:15, and passersby will wag their heads in scorn over a desolate land Jeremiah 18:16.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the nuances of H5110:

  • H5128 nûwaʻ (fugitive, to waver, shake, wander): This word is closely linked to instability and is used in parallel with H5110 in the curse on Cain, who becomes a fugitive H5128 and a vagabond H5110 Genesis 4:14. It also describes the earth reeling to and fro Isaiah 24:20.
  • H1058 bâkâh (to weep, bemoan): This term for weeping is used with H5110 to show different levels of grief. Jeremiah instructs the people not to weep for the dead, nor bemoan him, but instead to weep for the one going into exile Jeremiah 22:10.
  • H5162 nâcham (to pity, console): This word for comfort often appears alongside H5110. Job's friends came to mourn with him and to comfort him Job 2:11, and the prophet asks where comforters can be found for Nineveh after calling for others to bemoan her Nahum 3:7.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5110 is significant and multifaceted.

  • A Sign of Divine Judgment: A state of wandering or being a vagabond is a direct consequence of sin and divine curse, established with Cain Genesis 4:12. This punishment of being "shaken" or "removed" is also applied to the nation of Israel for disobedience (1 Kings 14:15, Isaiah 24:20). Stability, by contrast, is a reward for obedience (Jeremiah 4:1, 2 Kings 21:8).
  • An Expression of Compassion: The act of bemoaning is presented as a righteous response to suffering. The presence of those who bemoan or take pity signifies community and compassion Job 42:11, while their absence indicates complete desolation (Psalms 69:20, Isaiah 51:19).
  • A Gesture of Scorn: The physical motion associated with H5110 can also be an act of contempt. Those who pass by a judged Jerusalem wag their head in derision Jeremiah 18:16. In a striking use, the word is translated as "skippedst for joy" to describe a taunting reaction to Israel's misfortune Jeremiah 48:27.

Summary

In summary, H5110 is a versatile word that captures a spectrum of actions and emotions surrounding instability and tragedy. It describes both the state of being removed or made a vagabond as a result of judgment, and the appropriate human response of compassion to bemoan the afflicted. At the same time, it can represent the opposite reaction of scornful taunting, illustrating how a single physical gesture can convey vastly different meanings based on intent.

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 24 occurrences, inflected in 15 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.

  • יָנוּד
  • נֻדוּ
  • נוּד
  • תָנוּד
  • נָד
  • יָנִיד
  • תְּנִדֵ
  • הָנִיד
  • הִתְנוֹדְדָה
  • תִּתְנוֹדָד
  • יִתְנֹדֲדוּ
  • מִתְנוֹדֵד
  • יָּנֻדוּ
  • תָּנֻדוּ
  • נָדוּ

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.

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 24 verses across 9 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah (11 verses); never once in the other 30.

2
Genesis
1
1 Kings
1
2 Kings
2
Job
3
Psalms
1
Proverbs
2
Isaiah
11
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.