Lexical Definition

‎נַחַל‎ nachal (nakh'-al) torrent: river ^H:N-M
or (feminine) נַחְלָה nachlâh (nakh'-law); (Psalm 124:4), or נַחֲלָה nachălâh (nakh-al-aw'); (Ezekiel 47:19; Ezekiel 48:28), from ‎נָחַל‎ in its original sense

brook, flood, river, stream, valley.

• a stream, especially a winter torrent
• (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs)
• also a shaft (of a mine)

1) torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley
1a) torrent
1b) torrent-valley, wadi (as stream bed)
1c) shaft (of mine)
2) palm-tree
2a) meaning dubious

See Greek: ποταμός · φάραγξ · χείμαῤῥος

Extended Information

meaning of: נַחַל

• : valley/gorge

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎נַ֫חַל‎ noun masculine^{2Kgs 3:16} torrent, torrent-valley, wady (Eccl 40:13; Eccl 40:16 Late Hebrew id., stream (rare); ᵑ7 ‎נַחְלָא‎ , = Biblical Hebrew; Assyrian na—lu = Biblical Hebrew; Lag^{BN 140 Anm.} thinks Νεῖλος may be from Νεέλ = ‎נַחַל‎ pronounced *‎נִהִל‎; on ‎׳‎‎נ‎ in Sabean proper name, of a location, see Hal^{Rev. Sémit. Iv (1896), 80, 1, 14}); — absolute ‎׳‎‎נ‎ Gen 32:24* +, ‎נַ֫חְלָה‎ Ps 124:4 construct ‎נַחַל‎ Gen 26:17 +; with ‎ה‎ locative, Gen 34:5 so read also Ezek 47:19; Ezek 48:28 (where ᵑ0 ‎נַחֲלָ֫ה‎; see Thes); dual ‎נַחֲלַיִם‎ Ezek 47:9, but read ‎הַנַּחַל‎ ᵐ5. ᵑ7 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 Co Berthol; plural ‎נְחָלִים‎ Num 21:4 +; ‎נַחֲלֵי‎ Deut 8:7 +; suffix ‎נְחֶלֶיהָ‎ Isa 34:9 —

1. torrent, of rushing water in narrow channel Judg 5:21 (3 t. in verse); Judg 4:7; Judg 4:13; Ps 83:10* (all of ‎קִישֹׁן‎, q. v.); mountain torrent Deut 9:21 (compare Exod 32:20); so Amos 5:24 (simile of righteousness); ‎הַשּׁוֺטֵף‎ ‎׳‎‎הַנּ‎ 2Chr 32:4 (|| ‎מַעְיָנוֺת‎); ‎לְזֶפֶת‎ ‎׳‎‎נֶהְפְּכוּ נ‎ Isa 34:9 simile of tears Lam 2:18 hyperb.‎שָֿׁ֑מֶן‎‎׳‎‎נ‎ Mic 6:7 torrents of oil, compare of honey and curd Job 20:17 (|| ‎פְּלַגּוֺת‎, ‎נְהָרִים‎); figurative‎בְלִיַּעַל‎ ‎׳‎‎נ‎ 2Sam 22:5 torrents of worthlessness (|| ‎מִשְׁבְּרֵי‎ ‎מָ֫וֶת‎), = Ps 18:5* ‎שׁוֺטֵף‎ ‎׳‎‎נ‎ simile of glory of nations Isa 66:12, figurative of invaders Jer 47:2 (|| ‎מַיִס‎), or foes Ps 124:4 (‎נַ֫חְלָה‎, see above); 1Kgs 17:4; 1Kgs 17:6 (for drinking), drying up in summer v1Kgs 17:7 (‎יָבֵשׁ‎; all of Elijah's stream ‎כְּרִית‎, q. v.); for drinking also Ps 110:7, and (figurative) ‎עֲדָנֶיךָ‎ ‎׳‎‎נ‎ Ps 36:9*; Job 6:15 (twice in verse) (‎אֲפִיק‎ ‎נְחָלִים‎; in simile); of water bursting from rock Ps 78:20 (‎שָׁטַף‎, || ‎מַיִם‎), compare Ps 74:15 (+ ‎מַעְיָן‎); figurative of ‎מְקוֺר חָכְמָה‎ Prov 18:4 (‎נֹבֵּעַ‎ ‎׳‎‎נ‎; || ‎מַיִם עֲמֻקִים‎); more generally = stream, brook, river (chiefly late) Isa 11:15 (divisions of river, ‎נָהָר‎) in desert Isa 35:6 (|| ‎מַיִם‎), Jer 31:9 (‎נַחֲלֵי מַיִם‎), Ezek 47:5 (twice in verse); Ezek 47:9 b (all strike out Co), vEzek 47:6 vEzek 47:7 vEzek 47:9a (read‎הַנַּחַל‎, see above), vEzek 47:12 containing fish, etc. Lev 11:9; Lev 11:10 (|| ‎מַיִם‎, ‎יַמִּים‎), Eccl 1:7 (twice in verse); figurative ‎׳‎‎רוּחַ י‎, Isa 30:28 (‎שׁוֺטֵף‎ ‎׳‎‎נ‎, Isa 30:33 (‎גָּפְרִית‎ ‎׳‎‎נ‎).

2. Torrent-valley, wady, as stream-bed 1Sam 17:40; Neh 2:15; Isa 57:6 with torrent flowing through it, ‎אֵיתָן‎ ‎׳‎‎נ‎ Deut 21:4 (twice in verse); Deut 21:6, ‎אֶרֶץ נַחֲלֵי מַיִם‎ Deut 8:7 (|| ‎עֲיָנֹת‎ ‎וּתְהֹמֹת יֹּצְאִים בַּבִּקְעָה‎), compare Deut 10:7, 1Kgs 18:5 (|| ‎מַעְיְנֵי‎ ‎הַמַיִם‎), Ps 104:10 abode of Elijah 1Kgs 17:3; 1Kgs 17:5 (compare v1Kgs 17:4 v1Kgs 17:6 v1Kgs 17:7 above); ‎׳‎‎עֹרְבֵי נ‎ Prov 30:17 (compare 1Kgs 17:4; 1Kgs 17:6); ‎הַבַּתּוֺת‎ ‎׳‎‎נ‎ Isa 7:19 as home of bees; fertile, ‎אֶשְׁכֹּל‎ ‎׳‎‎נ‎ Num 13:23; Num 13:24 (E); ‎׳‎‎אִבֵּי הַנּ‎ Song 6:11 ‎׳‎‎עַרְבֵינֿ‎ poplars of the wady Lev 23:40 (H), Job 40:22 ‎עֲרָבִים‎ ‎׳‎‎נ‎ Isa 15:7 needing water Gen 26:17 (‎גְּרָר‎ ‎׳‎‎נ‎), vGen 26:19 (J), compare 2Kgs 3:16; 2Kgs 3:17 place for refuse, ruins, etc. 2Sam 17:13 in poetry also as wild, remote ravine Job 30:6, compare ‎בְּצוּר‎ ‎הַנְּחָלִים‎ Job 22:24 place of child-sacrifice Isa 57:5 burial-place Job 21:33 (‎׳‎‎רִגְבֵי נ‎), — Num 24:6 see II. ‎נַ֫חַל‎.

3. Miner's shaft, ‎׳‎‎פָּרַץ נ‎ Job 28:4.

II. [‎נַ֫חַל‎] noun [masculine] perhaps palm-tree (Arabic , noun of individual meaning ; see Perles^{JQ, July, 1899, 688}); — only plural absolute, ‎כִּנְחָלִים נִטָּ֑יוּ‎ Num 24:6 like palm-trees, which are stretched out, spread out (as to foliage). So Perles^l.c, who compares ‎כערבי נחל‎ , ᵐ5 ὡς στελέχη φοινικων.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References