נְאֻם

From the study of Jeremiah 3:10

Range of meaning

'Utterance of Yahweh'. A noun that is almost always followed by a divine name. It marks a prophetic oracle as divine speech, often at the end of a clause or in the middle of one.

Against the English

BSB, NIV and ESV have 'declares the LORD'. KJV has 'saith the LORD'. YLT has 'an affirmation of Jehovah'. All are adequate. Replacing the name YHWH with 'the LORD' is a long-standing convention.

Used elsewhere in the period

It is used about 175 times in Jeremiah. It also appears in Balaam's oracles (Num 24:3–4, 15–16) and in David's last words (2 Sam 23:1) as 'utterance of'.

From the study of Haggai 2:4

Range of meaning

A noun meaning "utterance" or "declaration". It is used almost only in the fixed formula "declaration of YHWH", which marks prophetic speech as divine speech. It occasionally introduces a human oracle (Num 24:3; 2 Sam 23:1).

Against the English

"Declares the LORD" (BSB, NIV, NASB), "saith the LORD" (KJV), "says the LORD" (WEB), "an affirmation of Jehovah" (YLT). All make it a verb. The Hebrew is a noun: "the LORD's declaration".

Used elsewhere in the period

Very common in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Haggai uses it 12 times. This verse contains it three times, which is unusually dense.

From the study of Amos 8:11

Range of meaning

Utterance, declaration, oracle. Almost always in the formula 'utterance of YHWH'. Rarely it is used of human seers (Balaam, Num 24:3–4, 15–16; David, 2 Sam 23:1).

Against the English

'Declares' (BSB) and 'saith' (KJV) make it an ordinary verb of speaking. In Hebrew it is a noun formula with a solemn, almost legal weight: 'an oracle of the Lord YHWH'.

Used elsewhere in the period

It appears throughout Amos (e.g. 2:11, 16; 3:13, 15; 4:3–11; 8:3, 9) and in the other prophets as a marker of authenticated divine speech.