נָכַר
na.khar (H5234A)
to recognize
AI Word Study
# Analyzing נָכַר (nakhar): Recognition and Acknowledgment The Hebrew verb נָכַר (nakhar) carries the fundamental meaning of "to recognize," appearing 42 times throughout the biblical text. This frequency indicates it addresses a common human experience—the act of identifying or acknowledging someone or something. The word functions as a practical term for cognitive and social awareness, describing the moment when one perceives and identifies a person or object, often in contexts where recognition is not immediate or automatic. While the lexicon data provides only the short definition "to recognize," the substantial number of occurrences (42) suggests the word carries varied applications across different biblical narratives and contexts. These multiple usages likely reflect different dimensions of recognition—from visual identification of individuals to acknowledgment of facts or relationships. The word appears frequently enough to indicate it was an important concept for biblical writers, rather than a rare or specialized term. The significance of nakhar lies in its role describing a fundamental aspect of human interaction and knowledge: how people come to know and identify one another. This term would have been essential for biblical narratives involving encounters, revelations, and the establishment or breakdown of relationships where recognition (or lack thereof) proves pivotal to the story's development.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
He didn’t recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother, Esau’s hands. So he blessed him.
Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it.” For Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen them.
They took the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it, now, and see if it is your son’s tunic or not.”
He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s tunic. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.”
When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man who owns these.” She also said, “Please discern whose these are—the signet, and the cords, and the staff.”
Judah acknowledged them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son.” He knew her again no more.
Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, “Where did you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn’t recognize him.
You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”
You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.
but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.
He said of his father, and of his mother, ‘I have not seen him.’ He didn’t acknowledge his brothers, nor did he know his own children; for they have observed your word, and keep your covenant.
When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; so they went over there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What do you do in this place? What do you have here?”
Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take knowledge of me, since I am a foreigner?”
Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? Where have you worked? Blessed be he who noticed you.” She told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”
She lay at his feet until the morning, then she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”
Saul knew David’s voice, and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.”
All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; as whatever the king did pleased all the people.
As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
He hurried, and took the headband away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.
so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people; for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard far away.
I discerned, and behold, God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
and their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people.
When they lifted up their eyes from a distance, and didn’t recognize him, they raised their voices, and wept; and they each tore his robe, and sprinkled dust on their heads toward the sky.
It stood still, but I couldn’t discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes. Silence, then I heard a voice, saying,
He will return no more to his house, neither will his place know him any more.
Haven’t you asked wayfaring men? Don’t you know their evidences,
“These are of those who rebel against the light. They don’t know its ways, nor stay in its paths.
For the morning is to all of them like thick darkness, for they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
He doesn’t respect the persons of princes, nor respect the rich more than the poor; for they all are the work of his hands.
Therefore he takes knowledge of their works. He overturns them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone. Its place remembers it no more.
Look on my right, and see; for there is no one who is concerned for me. Refuge has fled from me. No one cares for my soul.
Even a child makes himself known by his doings, whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.
These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.
To show partiality is not good; yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
Their offspring will be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge them, that they are the offspring which Yahweh has blessed.”
For you are our Father, though Abraham doesn’t know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, Yahweh, are our Father. Our Redeemer from everlasting is your name.
“Yahweh, the God of Israel says: ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans, for good.
Their appearance is blacker than a coal. They are not known in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones. It is withered. It has become like a stick.
He will deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. He will increase with glory whoever acknowledges him. He will cause them to rule over many, and will divide the land for a price.