the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
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Bible Dictionaries
Come Near, Approach
Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words
or Nâgash (נָגַשׁ, Strong's #5066), “to approach, draw near, bring.” Found primarily in biblical Hebrew, this word is also found in ancient Ugaritic. It occurs 125 times in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. Nâgash is used for the first time in the biblical text in Gen. 18:23, where Abraham is said to “draw near” to God to plead that Sodom be spared.The word is often used to describe ordinary “contact” of one person with another (Gen. 27:22; 43:19). Sometimes nâgash describes “contact” for the purpose of sexual intercourse (Exod. 19:15). More frequently, it is used to speak of the priests “coming into the presence of” God (Ezek. 44:13) or of the priests’ “approach” to the altar (Exod. 30:20). Opposing armies are said “to draw near” to battle each other (Judg. 20:23; KJV, “go up”). Inanimate objects, such as the close-fitting scales of the crocodile, are said to be so “near” to each other that no air can come between them (Job 41:16). Sometimes the word is used to speak of “bringing” an offering to the altar (Mal. 1:7).
The English versions render nâgash variously, according to context: “went near” (RSV); “moved closer” (TEV); “came close” (JB, NEB, NASB).
These files are public domain.
Vines, W. E., M. A. Entry for 'Come Near, Approach'. Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/vot/c/come-near-approach.html. 1940.
