Smith's Bible Dictionary

customary to add to his own proper name that of his father or ancestors. Sometimes the mother’s
was used instead. Simple names in Hebrew, as in all languages, were largely borrowed from nature;
e.g. Deborah, “bee;” Tamar, “a palm tree;” Jonah, “dove.” Many names of women were derived
from those of men by change of termination; e.g. Hammelech. “the king;” Harnmoleketh, “the
queen.” The majority of compound names have special religious or social significance being
compounded either (1) with terms denoting relationship, as Abi or Ab father, as Abihud, “father
of praise,” Abimelech “father of the king;” Ben son, as Benoni, “son of my sorrow,” Benjamin,
“son of the right hand;” or (2) nouns denoting natural life, as am, “people,” melech “king;” or (3)
with names of God and Jah or Ja, shortened from “Jehovah.” As outside the circle of Revelation,
particularly among the Oriental nations, it is customary to mark one’s entrance into a new relation
by a new name, in which case the acceptance of the new name involves the acknowledgment of
the sovereignty of the name giver, so the importance and new sphere assigned to the organs of
Revelation in God’s kingdom are frequently indicated by a change of name. Examples of this are
Abraham, (Genesis 17:5) Sarah, (Genesis 17:15) Israel, as the designation of the spiritual character
in place of Jacob, which designated the natural character. (Genesis 32:28)
Naomi
or Nao’mi (my delight), the wife of Elimelech and mother-in-law of Ruth. (Ruth 1:2) etc.; Ruth
2:1 etc.; Ruth 3:1; 4:3 etc. (B.C. 1363.) The name is derived from a root signifying sweetness or
pleasantness. Naomi left Judea with her husband and two sons, in a time of famine and went to the
land of Moab. Here her husband and sons died; and on her return to Bethlehem she wished to be
known as Mara, bitterness, instead of Naomi, sweetness.
Naphish
(refreshment), the last but one of the sons of Ishmael. (Genesis 25:15; 1 Chronicles 1:31)
Naphtali
(wrestling), the fifth son of Jacob; the second child name to him by Bilhah, Rachel’s slave. His
birth and the bestowal of his name are recorded in (Genesis 30:8) When the census was taken at
Mount Sinai the tribe of Naphtali numbered no less than 53,400 fighting men, (Numbers 1:43;
2:50) but when the borders of the promised land were reached, its numbers were reduced to, 45,400.
(Numbers 26:48-50) During the march through the wilderness Naphtali occupied a position on the
north of the sacred tent with Dan and Asher. (Numbers 2:25-31) In the apportionment of the land,
the lot of Naphtali was enclosed on three sides by those of other tribes. On the west lay Asher, on
the south Zebulun, and on the east the transjordanic Manasseh. (In the division of the kingdom
Naphtali belonged to the kingdom of Israel, and later was a part of Galilee, bordering on the
northwestern pert of the Sea of Galilee, and including Capernaum and Bethsaida.—Ed.)
Naphtali, Mount
the mountainous district which formed the main part of the inheritance of Naphtali, (Joshua
20:7) answering to “Mount Ephraim” in the centre and “Mount Judah” in the south of Palestine.
Naphtuhim
(border-people), a Mizraite (Egyptian) nation or tribe mentioned only in the account of the
descendants of Noah. (Genesis 10:13; 1 Chronicles 1:11) If we may judge from their position in
the list Of the Mizraites, the Naphtuhim were possibly settled, at first, either in Egypt or immediately
to the west of it.
Narcissus