נֹ֫עַם

From the study of Psalm 27:4

Range of meaning

Pleasantness, delightfulness, loveliness, graciousness or favor. It comes from the root nʿm, 'to be pleasant, sweet, agreeable'. It describes what is pleasant to experience (words, ways, company, favor) more than what is beautiful to look at.

Against the English

KJV, ESV, NIV, BSB and WEB have 'beauty'. YLT has 'pleasantness', NLT 'perfections', and the Septuagint and Vulgate 'delight'. 'Beauty' is not wrong, since the root does include loveliness. But in modern English 'beauty' points mainly to the eyes and to appearance, while noʿam points to the felt sweetness and kindness of someone's favor.

How it drifted

The English tradition goes back to the 16th-century Psalters (Coverdale's 'fair beauty of the Lord'). That made 'beauty' the familiar wording, and the verb 'behold/gaze' pulled the noun further toward the visual.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ps 90:17, 'let the noʿam of the Lord our God be upon us', where it means favor resting on people, not something seen. Prov 3:17: wisdom's 'ways are ways of noʿam' (pleasantness). Prov 15:26 and 16:24: 'pleasant words', sweet like honey. Zech 11:7, 10: the shepherd's staff called 'Noʿam', usually rendered 'Favor' or 'Grace', which stands for a covenant bond. The name Naomi comes from the same root, and Ruth 1:20 plays on it ('call me not Naomi, Pleasant; call me Mara, Bitter'). In the Ugaritic texts the same root (nʿm, 'gracious, lovely') is used as an epithet of gods and heroes.

From the study of Proverbs 3:17

Range of meaning

Delightfulness, loveliness, beauty, graciousness, favor. The root n-ʿ-m covers what is sweet, agreeable and lovely to the senses or the heart. The related adjective nāʿîm means 'pleasant, lovely, delightful' (Ps 16:6, 'the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places'; Ps 133:1, 'how good and how pleasant'). The verb nāʿēm means 'to be pleasant, sweet' (Prov 2:10, knowledge 'will be pleasant to your soul'; Prov 24:25).

Against the English

KJV, ESV and WEB say 'pleasantness', and BSB, NIV and NASB say 'pleasant'. Today 'pleasant' usually means mildly agreeable or 'nice', a fairly weak word. NLT's 'delightful' is closer to its strength.

How it drifted

English 'pleasant' has weakened over time into polite understatement. In Hebrew, nōʿam is a strong word for real delight and beauty.

Used elsewhere in the period

Psalm 27:4 uses it for gazing on 'the beauty (nōʿam) of the LORD'. Psalm 90:17 has 'let the favor (nōʿam) of the Lord our God be upon us'. Proverbs 15:26 and 16:24 use 'words of nōʿam', gracious words that are 'a honeycomb, sweet to the soul'. In Zechariah 11:7, 10 the shepherd names one staff 'Favor' (nōʿam). The name Naomi comes from this root, which is why in Ruth 1:20 she asks to be called Mara, 'bitter', instead. Ugaritic, a language closely related to Hebrew, uses the same root n'm for 'good, lovely' as an epithet of heroes.

From the study of Proverbs 16:24

Range of meaning

Pleasantness, delightfulness, beauty, favor. Psalm 27:4 speaks of 'the beauty/delightfulness of YHWH'. Psalm 90:17 prays 'let the no'am of the Lord our God be upon us', meaning his favor. Proverbs 3:17 says of wisdom, 'her ways are ways of no'am'. Proverbs 15:26 says 'sayings of no'am' (the same phrase as here) are pure in God's sight, in contrast to the plans of the wicked.

Against the English

'Pleasant' (KJV, BSB, NASB) is close but can sound mild or merely polite. 'Gracious' (NIV, ESV) and 'kind' (NLT) bring out the warmth. The Hebrew is wider than both: speech that is delightful because it is good, wholesome and wise. The 'kindness' gloss in the supplied data is one part of that range, not all of it.

Used elsewhere in the period

The root n‑'‑m (pleasant, lovely) is shared with other Semitic languages, including Ugaritic, where it describes what is good and lovely. The name Naomi comes from it ('my pleasantness', Ruth 1:20).