Dictionaries :: Young; Men, Young Women

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Young; Men, Young Women:

yung, (bachur, na‘ar; neanias, neaniskos): "Young man" is generally in the Old Testament the translation of bachur, from bachar, "to prove," "to choose," and of na‘ar (literally, "boy," but used sometimes also of a girl). The former term denotes a young man, no longer a mere youth, but liable to military service (De 32:25; Jud 14:10; 1Sa 8:16; 2Ki 8:12, etc.). In Nu 11:28, the King James Version "Joshua.... the servant of Moses, one of his young men" (bechurim), the Revised Version (British and American) renders "one of his chosen men," margin "from his youth." Na‘ar is frequently used (singular and plural) of soldiers (1Sa 14:1,6; 21:4; 25:5,8,9; 2Sa 1:5,6,15, etc.). Abraham's "young men" (ne‘arim) were "trained servants," "trained men," warriors (Ge 14:24; compare 14:14 the Revised Version (British and American)). The word is often in the Old Testament translated "servant": thus in the Revised Version (British and American) for the King James Version "young man," "young men" (Ge 18:7; 2Ki 4:22; 1Ki 20:14, the Revised Version margin). In the New Testament, the ordinary words for "young man" are neanias (Ac 7:58; 20:9; 23:17,18,22) and neaniskos (Mt 19:20,22; Mr 14:51, etc.). "Young men" in Ac 5:6 is neoteroi, comparative of neos, "young," recent; the feminine of the latter word is "young women" in Tit 2:4, and neoterai is "younger women" (the Revised Version (British and American) "widows") in 1Ti 5:14. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament young men are earnestly exhorted to wisdom and sober-mindedness (Pr 1:8,9; Ec 11:9; 12:1,13,14; Tit 2:6, "discreet"; compare The Wisdom of Solomon 9:11), etc.

Written by W. L. Walker