NETAIM

(Ne·taʹim) [plantings].

A Judean site inhabited by some potters who were in the king’s service. (1 Chron. 4:21-23) Today the location of Netaim is unknown.

NETHANEL

(Ne·thanʹel) [God gives].

1. Chieftain of the tribe of Issachar; son of Zuar. (Num. 1:8, 16) In this office, he supervised the wilderness census for Issachar, presented their gift when the tabernacle altar was inaugurated, and led their army of 54,400.—Num. 2:5, 6; 7:11, 18-23; 10:15.

2. Fourth-named son of Jesse and older brother of King David.—1 Chron. 2:13-15.

3. A Levite whose son Shemaiah was a secretary during David’s reign.—1 Chron. 24:6.

4. A priest who played a trumpet before the ark of the covenant in the procession that accompanied it to Jerusalem.—1 Chron. 15:24.

5. A Levitical gatekeeper assigned in David’s time to the S of the sanctuary where the storehouses were located; fifth son of Obed-edom.—1 Chron. 26:4, 8, 15.

6. A prince sent by King Jehoshaphat to teach Jehovah’s law in the cities of Judah.—2 Chron. 17:7-9.

7. A chief Levite who contributed animal victims for Josiah’s great Passover celebration.—2 Chron. 35:9, 18, 19.

8. Head of the priestly paternal house of Jedaiah in the days of Jeshua’s successor Joiakim.—Neh. 12:12, 21.

9. A priest among those sons of Pashhur who had taken foreign wives but who sent them away at Ezra’s urging. (Ezra 10:22, 44) Possibly the same as No. 10 below.

10. A musician in one of the processions that celebrated the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s day. (Neh. 12:31, 35, 36) Possibly identical with No. 9 above.

NETHANIAH

(Neth·a·niʹah) [Jah has given].

1. Third named of Asaph’s four sons chosen by David for musical service at the sanctuary. Of the twenty-four divisions, Nethaniah headed the fifth.—1 Chron. 25:1, 2, 12.

2. A Levite of the corps composed of priests, Levites and princes who were sent out by King Jehoshaphat in the third year of his reign to teach Jehovah’s law in the cities of Judah.—2 Chron. 17:7-9.

3. Son of Shelemiah and father of Jehudi, who read Jeremiah’s roll to King Jehoiakim in 625 B.C.E.—Jer. 36:14, 21, 23.

4. The son of Elishama and father of Ishmael the murderer of Governor Gedaliah.—2 Ki. 25:23, 25; Jer. 40:8, 14, 15; 41:1-18.

NETHINIM

(Nethʹi·nim) [given ones].

Non-Israelite temple slaves or ministers. (1 Chron. 9:2; Ezra 8:17) Representatives of thirty-five Nethinim families were among those returning from Babylonian exile with Zerubbabel in 537 B.C.E. (Ezra 2:1, 2, 43-54, 58; Neh. 7:46-56, 60; the sons of Akkub, Hagab and Asnah, however, are not mentioned by Nehemiah, perhaps because their names did not appear on the official list used by him in compiling his account. They may have been combined under other family names.) Also, in 468 B.C.E., some of the Nethinim accompanied Ezra from Babylon to Jerusalem. (Ezra 7:1-7) Thereafter certain Nethinim shared in repairing Jerusalem’s wall. (Neh. 3:26) They also joined with the Israelites in a covenant to keep themselves free from marriage alliances with foreigners.—Neh. 10:28-30.

Likely many of the Nethinim were descendants of the Gibeonites whom Joshua had constituted “gatherers of wood and drawers of water for the assembly and for Jehovah’s altar.” (Josh. 9:23, 27) Apparently other Nethinim sprang from captives taken by King David and his princes. (Ezra 8:20; compare Psalm 68:18.) The Nethinim belonging to the family of Meunim may have been descendants of captives taken by Judean King Uzziah. (2 Chron. 26:7; Ezra 2:50; Neh. 7:52) Still another group, the “sons of Nephusim” (Nephushesim), may have been descendants of Ishmael through Naphish.—Gen. 25:13-15; Ezra 2:50; Neh. 7:52.

In postexilic times the Nethinim resided in Ophel, apparently near the temple area, as well as in other cities. (Ezra 2:70; Neh. 3:26, 31; 7:73; 11:3, 21) Being temple servants, they probably had their homes in priestly or Levite cities. On account of their temple work, Persian King Artaxerxes exempted them from paying tax, tribute and toll.—Ezra 7:24.

NETOPHAH

(Ne·toʹphah) [dropping]; Netophathites (Ne·tophʹa·thites).

A small village of Judah probably located at Khirbet Bedd Faluh, about two and a half miles (4 kilometers) S-SE of Bethlehem. The Bible concerns itself primarily with the inhabitants, who, at first, were apparently related to those who settled in Bethlehem.—1 Chron. 2:54.

Among the Netophathites were David’s mighty men Maharai and Heleb (Heled; Heldai), both of whom became heads of army divisions. (2 Sam. 23:8, 28, 29; 1 Chron. 11:26, 30; 27:13, 15) Some Netophathites were left in Judah after the general deportation to Babylon, and they supported Governor Gedaliah. (2 Ki. 25:23; Jer. 40:8) A number of Netophathite descendants of those carried off to Babylon returned with Zerubbabel in 537 B.C.E. (Ezra 2:1, 2, 22; Neh. 7:26) Some Levites lived among the settlements of the Netophathites and they came to Jerusalem for the inauguration of the rebuilt wall.—1 Chron. 9:14, 16; Neh. 12:27, 28.

NETTLE

Any of a variety of plants with saw-edged leaves that are usually thickly covered with stinging hairs containing an irritating liquid. When touched, the tips of the hairs break off and the sharp broken ends penetrate the skin, causing the liquid to enter the wound. At least four varieties of nettles are known to exist in Palestine, the most common being the Roman nettle, which frequently attains a height of six feet (1.8 meters) and is especially found amidst ruins.

The Hebrew terms hha·rulʹ (Prov. 24:31; Zeph. 2:9) and qim·mohshʹ (Isa. 34:13; Hos. 9:6) are applied to plants that take over neglected fields and ruins. At Job 30:7, the reference to hha·rulʹ suggests tall plants. Another Hebrew word sir·padhʹ (“brier,” AV; “nettle,” Ro; “stinging nettle,” NW) is contrasted with myrtle. (Isa. 55:13) Although “nettle” would fit the context of the scriptures cited above, there is considerable uncertainty as to the exact significance of the original-language terms. Especially is this so in view of the fact that at Proverbs 24:31 a form of the word qim·mohshʹ (“thistles,” AT; “thorns,” AV; “weeds,” NW) appears in parallel with hha·rulʹ. Therefore some scholars think qim·mohshʹ denotes weeds generally; others believe that hha·rulʹ may be a generic term applying to brush.

The translating of hha·rulʹ as “nettles” in Job 30:7 has been questioned by some on the basis that people would not voluntarily seek shelter under nettles. In a waterless region, though, people might well avail themselves of the shade of tall nettles or, because of hunger, be found gathering these plants for food. So the rendering is appropriate, although, as stated, it is not certain whether this plant is actually meant.

NEW COVENANT

See COVENANT.

NEW JERUSALEM

This expression occurs two times, and only in the highly symbolic book of Revelation. (Rev. 3:12; 21:2) Near the end of that series of visions, and after seeing “Babylon the Great” destroyed, the apostle John says: “I saw also the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Rev. 21:2) Obviously this city is not one erected by men and consisting of literal streets and buildings constructed in the Near East on the site of the ancient city of Jerusalem, which was destroyed in 70 C.E.