Abarim Publications' online Biblical Hebrew Dictionary
נוח נחת נחה
The verbs נוח (nuah) and נחת (nahet) and נחה (naha) seem adjacent or even slightly overlapping in meaning, and their forms overlap as well:
נוח
The verb נוח (nuah) denotes a coming to rest usually after a period of unrest or mobility. It is used to indicate the end of a journey (Genesis 8:4), or the camping of an army (Isaiah 7:2) and even the resting of a spirit upon someone (Numbers 11:25, 2 Kings 2:15), or wisdom (Proverbs 14:33), or anger (Ecclesiastes 7:9). And it may denote the resting after labor (Exodus 20:11), the rest of peace after a period of war (Esther 9:16), or general peace of mind (Proverbs 29:17). It may also mean to leave behind (Genesis 42:33), to depart from (Ecclesiastes 10:4), and to abandon (Jeremiah 14:9).
Derivatives of this verb are:
- The feminine noun נחת (nahat), meaning quietness or a quiet attitude (Isaiah 30:15, Job 36:16). Note that this noun is identical to a derivation of the verb נחת (nahet), see below.
- The masculine noun ניחח (nihoah) or ניחוח (nihoah), meaning a quieting or soothing, usually of scents from sacrifices, and usually soothing to God (Genesis 8:21, Exodus 29:18).
- The feminine noun הנחה (hanaha), meaning a giving of rest (Esther 2:18 only).
- The masculine noun מנוח (manoah), meaning either place or condition of rest (Genesis 8:9, Psalm 116:7).
- The noun מנוחה (menuha) or מנחה (menuha), meaning resting place (Micah 2:10, Psalm 95:11), or quietness (Psalm 23:2, Jeremiah 45:3).
נחת
The verb נחת (nahet) means to descend or go down. It may denote a military advance (Jeremiah 21:13), or a descent into Sheol (Job 21:13). A rebuke descends into someone who has understanding (Proverbs 17:10) the way an arrow goes into some victim's flesh (Psalm 38:2). Two words derive from this verb, and each occurs only once:
- The masculine noun נחת (nahat), meaning descent (Isaiah 30:30 only). Note that this noun is identical to the feminine one derived from the verb נוח (nuah).
- The adjective נחת (nahet), meaning descending (2 Kings 6:9 only).
נחה
The verb נחה (naha) means to lead or guide. Eliezer uses this verb to explain how YHWH brought him to Rebekah (Genesis 24:27, 24:48). God led Israel (Exodus 13:17, 15:13, Deuteronomy 32:12) and Moses did too (Exodus 32:34), or rather Moses and Aaron were used by God as instruments (Psalm 77:20, Nehemiah 9:19) and so was the Shekinah (Nehemiah 9:12). The Lord leads who calls on him (Isaiah 58:11, Psalm 27:11, 139:24), who enters his house (Psalm 5:8), even constellations in the heavens (Job 38:32). Like a shepherd he leads beside quiet waters (Psalm 23:2).
Parental instructions lead someone on his walk (Proverbs 6:22), Balak led Balaam from Aram (Numbers 23:7), a man's gift brings him before great men (Proverbs 18:16), Solomon led his horses to special cities (1 Kings 10:26), Job guided the widow (Job 31:18).
This verb has no derivations.