נַעַר

1. boy, lad, youth.

2. retainer (not in P) (Late Hebrew as Biblical Hebrew; Phoenician נער Lzb³²⁴); — ׳נ absolute 1 Mos 37,2 +; construct 1 Sam 2,13 +; suffix נַעֲרוֺ Dom 19,3 +, נַעֲרָהּ 2 Kong 4,24 plural נְעָרִים 1 Sam 25,5 +, construct נַעֲרֵי 2 Mos 24,5 +; suffix נְעָרַי Neh 4,10; Neh 5,10, etc.; —

1. boy, lad, youth (c. 133 t.)
\ \ a. of infant 2 Mos 2,6 (E; 3 months old), to be born Dom 13,5; Dom 13,7; Dom 13,8; Dom 13,12, just born 1 Sam 4,21, not weaned 1 Sam 1,22 also Es 8,4, compare Es 7,16 +.
\ \ b. of lad just weaned 1 Sam 1,24 (strike out 2nd נער, compare further Dr Bu HPS), v1 Sam 1,25 v1 Sam 1,27, etc.
\ \ c. = youth: of young Ishmael 1 Mos 21,12f. (E), Isaac 1 Mos 22,5; 1 Mos 22,12 (E), Joseph 1 Mos 37,2 (E; 17 years old), Benjamin 1 Mos 43,8; 1 Mos 44,22 f. (J), sons of Samuel 1 Sam 2,17, of Jesse 1 Sam 16,11 קָטֹן ׳נ little lad 1 Sam 20,35; 1 Kong 3,7; 2 Kong 5,14; Es 11,6, קָטָן ׳נ 1 Kong 11,17, plural 2 Kong 2,23.
\ \ d. ׳נ with special stress on youthfulness Dom 8,20; 1 Sam 17,33; 1 Sam 17,42; Hos 11,1; Es 3,4 compare Praed 10,16; Es 3,5; Es 10,19; Jer 1,6; Jer 1,7; 1 Kron 22,5; 1 Kron 29,1; 2 Kron 13,7; 2 Kron 34,3 so in phrase וְעַד זָקֵן ׳מִנּ 1 Mos 19,4 (J), Jos 6,21 (J), Est 3,13 compare 2 Mos 10,9 (E), 5 Mos 28,50; Es 20,4; Es 65,20; Jer 51,22; Klg 2,21; Sl 37,25; Sl 148,12; Ord 22,6.
\ \ e. of marriageable age 1 Mos 34,19 (J), warrior Absalom 2 Sam 18,5; 2 Sam 18,12 +, Zadok 1 Kron 12,28, etc.

2. servant, retainer (c. 105 t):
\ \ a. = personal attendant, household servant, 4 Mos 22,22 (J), Dom 7,10; Dom 7,11; Dom 19,3; 1 Sam 9,3f.; 2 Kong 4,12; 2 Kong 4,25 + often
\ \ b. = retainer, follower 1 Mos 14,24; 1 Sam 25,5f.; 2 Sam 2,14f.; 1 Kong 20,14f.; 2 Kong 19,6 = Es 37,6; Job 1,15; Job 1,16; Job 1,17; Neh 4,10; Neh 4,17 + often — Zak 11,16 is corrupt, compare We Now. —