Hebrew word · H5070

נָדָב

nadav

Nadab

Personal name, probably 'willing, generous, noble', from n-d-b, 'to offer freely, volunteer' (the root of nedavah, 'freewill offering'). He is paired with Abihu (Avihu, 'He is my father'). Both were Aaron's elder sons.

Appears 20 times in 20 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.23;

son of: Aaron (H0175) and Elisheba (H0472);

brother of: Abihu (H0030), Eleazar (H0499) and Ithamar (H0385)

§ Nadab = "generous"

1) eldest son of Aaron by Elisheba; struck dead before the sanctuary in the wilderness for kindling the censers with strange fire

2) son of king Jeroboam I of the northern kingdom of Israel and king of Israel for 2 years before being slain by Baasha

3) a Jerahmeelite, son of Shammai, of the tribe of Judah

4) a son of Gibeon of the tribe of Benjamin

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 1 Chronicles 24:1

Range of meaning

Personal name, probably 'willing, generous, noble', from n-d-b, 'to offer freely, volunteer' (the root of nedavah, 'freewill offering'). He is paired with Abihu (Avihu, 'He is my father'). Both were Aaron's elder sons.

Against the English

Rendered identically everywhere.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exod 6:23 (genealogy); Exod 24:1, 9 (they go up the mountain with the elders and 'saw the God of Israel'); Lev 10:1–2 (they offer 'unauthorized/strange fire' and are consumed by fire from the LORD); Num 3:4 and 26:61 (repeated with the note that they had no sons).

From the study of Exodus 6:23

Range of meaning

Nadab: 'willing, generous', from the root of nᵉdāvāh, the voluntary 'freewill offering'. Abihu: 'He is (my) father', a confession that God is the family's father.

Against the English

No real difference in translation. The meaning of the names is lost on English readers.

Used elsewhere in the period

The pair goes up the mountain with Moses and the elders and 'saw the God of Israel' (Exod 24:1, 9–11). They die before the LORD for offering 'strange fire' (Lev 10:1–2). Num 3:4 and 1 Chr 24:2 note that they had no sons.

Where it appears

Exodus · 4

  1. Exodus 6:23 נָדָב֙ Nadab

    And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

    Here: Firstborn. The name means 'generous, willing', from the same root as the 'freewill offering' (nᵉdāvāh). It also echoes his grandfather Ammi-nadab. He later dies for offering 'strange fire' (Lev 10:1–2).

  2. Exodus 24:1 נָדָ֣ב Nadab

    Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders—and you are to worship at a distance.

    Here: Aaron's firstborn son (Exod 6:23). The name means something like 'willing / generous'. He is honoured here, and later he dies for offering unauthorised fire (Lev 10:1–2).

  3. Exodus 24:9 נָדָב֙ Nadab

    Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,

  4. Exodus 28:1 נָדָ֧ב Nadab

    “Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.

    Here: The firstborn son. The name probably means 'willing' or 'generous'. He went up the mountain in Exodus 24:1, 9, and later died for offering 'strange fire' (Leviticus 10:1–2).

Leviticus · 1

  1. Leviticus 10:1 נָדָ֨ב Nadab

    Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command.

    Here: Aaron's firstborn (Exod 6:23). The name probably means 'generous' or 'willing'. He was one of the few allowed up Sinai to see the God of Israel (Exod 24:1, 9–11).

Numbers · 4

  1. Numbers 3:2 נָדָ֑ב Nadab

    These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, then Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

  2. Numbers 3:4 נָדָ֣ב Nadab

    Nadab and Abihu, however, died in the presence of the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai. And since they had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.

  3. Numbers 26:60 נָדָ֖ב Nadab

    Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar were born to Aaron,

  4. Numbers 26:61 נָדָ֖ב Nadab

    but Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD.

1 Kings · 4

  1. 1 Kings 14:20 נָדָ֥ב Nadab

    And the length of Jeroboam’s reign was twenty-two years, and he rested with his fathers, and his son Nadab reigned in his place.

  2. 1 Kings 15:25 וְנָדָ֣ב and Nadab

    In the second year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned two years.

  3. 1 Kings 15:27 וְנָדָב֙ and Nadab

    Then Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel were besieging the city.

  4. 1 Kings 15:31 נָדָ֖ב Nadab

    As for the rest of the acts of Nadab, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

1 Chronicles · 7

  1. 1 Chronicles 2:28 נָדָ֖ב Nadab

    The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur.

    Here: A common name meaning 'generous, willing' or 'noble'. Aaron's son and a king of Israel had the same name, but this Nadab is a different man, a member of a Judahite clan. His line continues in vv. 30–31.

  2. 1 Chronicles 2:30 נָדָ֖ב Nadab

    The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children.

  3. 1 Chronicles 6:3 נָדָב֙ Nadab

    The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

  4. 1 Chronicles 8:30 וְנָדָֽב׃ and Nadab

    and Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab,

  5. 1 Chronicles 9:36 וְנָדָֽב׃ and Nadab

    Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

  6. 1 Chronicles 24:1 נָדָב֙ Nadab

    These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

    Here: Aaron's firstborn. The name seems to mean 'willing, generous' (the same root as the 'freewill' offering). Any Israelite hearer knew how his story ended (Leviticus 10), and verse 2 reminds them at once.

  7. 1 Chronicles 24:2 נָדָ֤ב Nadab

    But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.