נָגַשׁ
na.gash (H5066G)
to approach: approach
AI Word Study
# נָגַשׁ (Nagash): Movement Toward The Hebrew verb *nagash* fundamentally denotes physical movement in one direction: approaching or drawing near to something or someone. With 87 occurrences across biblical texts, it represents a common expression for this basic spatial relationship. The word's core meaning—"to approach"—is consistent across its uses, making it a straightforward descriptor of movement across distance. The frequency of *nagash* in biblical literature suggests it was the standard verb for expressing approach in Hebrew. Rather than remaining distant, the actor moves closer to a target, whether that target is a person, a place, or an abstract concept. This makes it functionally essential for narrative communication, especially in contexts where proximity matters—such as military encounters, personal meetings, or ritual interactions. The verb's semantic simplicity allows it to function reliably across diverse narrative contexts without requiring additional modifiers to convey its basic meaning. Given its 87 biblical attestations, *nagash* served as the primary lexical choice for describing approach in Hebrew rather than specialized vocabulary. Its consistent definition and widespread application indicate that biblical writers relied on this verb as their go-to term when movement toward something needed to be expressed, making it representative of how Hebrew speakers routinely conceptualized and communicated proximity and approach.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
Abraham came near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?
They said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one fellow came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself a judge. Now we will deal worse with you than with them!” They pressed hard on the man Lot, and came near to break the door.
Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”
Jacob went near to Isaac his father. He felt him, and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”
His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.”
He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said, “Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which Yahweh has blessed.
When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.
He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
Then the servants came near with their children, and they bowed themselves.
Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
They came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,
Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.
Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” They came near. He said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.
He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.”
Let the priests also, who come near to Yahweh, sanctify themselves, lest Yahweh break out on them.”
The people stayed at a distance, and Moses came near to the thick darkness where God was.
Moses alone shall come near to Yahweh, but they shall not come near. The people shall not go up with him.”
He said to the elders, “Wait here for us, until we come again to you. Behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever is involved in a dispute can go to them.”
They shall be on Aaron and on his sons, when they go in to the Tent of Meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place, that they don’t bear iniquity, and die. This shall be a statute forever to him and to his offspring after him.
When they go into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they not die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
When Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come near him.
Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them all the commandments that Yahweh had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.
No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall come near to offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.
He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a defect; that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.’ ”
but thus do to them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint everyone to his service and to his burden;
I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.”
They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones;
It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,
The priests the sons of Levi shall come near, for them Yahweh your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in Yahweh’s name; and according to their word shall every controversy and every assault be decided.
If there is a controversy between men, and they come to judgment and the judges judge them, then they shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.
then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, and loose his sandal from off his foot, and spit in his face. She shall answer and say, “So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.”
Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of Yahweh your God.”
All the people, even the men of war who were with him, went up and came near, and came before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai.
Then the children of Judah came near to Joshua in Gilgal. Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the thing that Yahweh spoke to Moses the man of God concerning me and concerning you in Kadesh Barnea.
Then the heads of fathers’ houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel.
Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and came near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
The children of Israel went up and wept before Yahweh until evening; and they asked of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?” Yahweh said, “Go up against him.”
At meal time Boaz said to her, “Come here, and eat some bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar.” She sat beside the reapers, and they passed her parched grain. She ate, was satisfied, and left some of it.
As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines came near to battle against Israel; but Yahweh thundered with a great thunder on that day on the Philistines, and confused them; and they were struck down before Israel.
Then Saul approached Samuel in the gateway, and said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”
Saul said, “Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people; and know and see in which this sin has been today.
The Philistine came near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
He took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag which he had. His sling was in his hand; and he came near to the Philistine.
David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to the people, he greeted them.
David called one of the young men, and said, “Go near, and cut him down!” He struck him so that he died.
So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.
it shall be that, if the king’s wrath arise, and he asks you, ‘Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Didn’t you know that they would shoot from the wall?
Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’ ”
Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people didn’t say a word.
Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me!”; and all the people came near to him. He repaired Yahweh’s altar that had been thrown down.
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