Original Word: נוּב
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nuwb
Pronunciation: noob
Phonetic Spelling: (noob)
KJV: bring forth (fruit), make cheerful, increase
NASB: flourish, flows, increase, yield fruit
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to germinate
2. (figuratively) to flourish
3. (causatively) to make flourish
4. (of words) to utter

bring forth fruit, make cheerful, increase

A primitive root; to germinate, i.e. (figuratively) to (causatively, make) flourish; also (of words), to utter -- bring forth (fruit), make cheerful, increase.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to bear fruit
NASB Translation
flourish (1), flows (1), increase (1), yield fruit (1).

[נוּב] verb bear fruit (poetry) (Aramaic נוֺבָא fruit (rare)); —

Qal Imperfect יָנוּב Psalm 62:11; Proverbs 10:31; יְנוּבוּן Psalm 92:15; — only figurative, absolute of righteous under figure of tree Psalm 92:15; חַיִל כִּי יָנוּב Psalm 62:11 if wealth beareth fruit; Proverbs 10:31 מִּי צַדִּיק יָנוּב חָכְמָה beareth the fruit of wisdom.

Po`l. Imperfect יְנוֺבֵב Zechariah 9:17, דָּגָן בְּתֻלוֺת ׳בַּחוּרִים וְתִירוֺשׁ יְנ figurative for makes flourish.

Semantic Range and Imagery

The verb נוּב pictures the emergence of fresh shoots, blossoms, or fruit on a healthy plant. Scripture employs the word for literal agricultural abundance and, more frequently, as a vivid metaphor for moral vitality, spiritual productivity, and material increase. Because budding follows hidden root development, נוּב also suggests that what God nurtures in secret will eventually appear in visible blessing.

Occurrences in Canonical Context

1. Psalm 62:10 addresses material wealth: “If riches increase, do not set your heart on them”. Here נוּב warns that outward prosperity, though it may sprout quickly, is transient and unworthy of ultimate trust.
2. Psalm 92:14 celebrates lifelong fruitfulness: “In old age they will still bear fruit; healthy and green they will remain.” The righteous, planted in the house of the LORD, manifest an evergreen vitality that neither age nor adversity can wither.
3. Proverbs 10:31 draws an ethical contrast: “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.” Wisdom here is portrayed as produce that buds from a righteous life, in contrast to the silencing of the corrupt.
4. Zechariah 9:17 envisions national restoration: “Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.” Post-exilic Israel is pictured as a land where covenant blessings sprout in abundance, reversing earlier judgments of barrenness.

Wisdom Literature Emphasis

Proverbs 10:31 shows נוּב functioning within a didactic parallelism: the flourishing of good speech versus the excision of evil speech. Wisdom is framed as harvest; words are seed; character is soil. Psalms extends the thought from the individual to communal worship, portraying the righteous community as perpetual saplings within the sanctuary courts.

Prophetic and Eschatological Significance

Zechariah places נוּב in a messianic context. The flourishing of grain and wine anticipates the future reign of peace when the King comes “righteous and victorious” (Zechariah 9:9). Thus נוּב not only symbolizes present blessing but foreshadows the ultimate renewal of creation under the Messiah.

Contrast with False Prosperity

Psalm 62:10 juxtaposes budding riches with steadfast trust in God. The text recognizes that wealth can sprout, yet it cautions believers to keep affections anchored in the Lord. This tension underscores a biblical theology of prosperity that values inner righteousness over outward increase.

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient Israel’s dependence on seasonal rainfall made budding grain or vines a sign of divine favor (Deuteronomy 11:13-15). To see fields “sprout” after the early rains confirmed covenant faithfulness; to witness drought implied disobedience. Worshipers in Jerusalem would immediately grasp the theological weight behind the verb נוּב.

Ministry Applications

• Discipleship: Nurture hidden roots in Scripture and prayer so that observable fruit will bud in due season.
• Pastoral Care: Encourage older saints with Psalm 92:14; ministry effectiveness need not fade with age.
• Stewardship: Use Psalm 62:10 to remind congregations that increasing assets require guarded hearts, lest trust migrate from God to gold.
• Preaching: Zechariah 9:17 offers a hopeful vision for communities recovering from devastation—God can make them flourish again.

Theological Implications

The four occurrences form a coherent pattern: true flourishing stems from covenant fidelity, manifests in righteous speech and enduring character, and anticipates eschatological fullness in Christ. נוּב therefore functions as a theological motif that links present sanctification with future glory.

Christological Reflection

Jesus identifies Himself as “the true vine” (John 15:1), fulfilling the flourishing imagery of Zechariah and Psalms. Believers who abide in Him will “bear much fruit,” echoing the promise that righteous lives will continually נוּב. In Him, the prophetic hope of unending vitality finds its ultimate realization.

Summary

Strong’s 5107 portrays budding life that God alone initiates and sustains. Whether concerning speech, wealth, longevity, or national restoration, נוּב signals divine activity that brings hidden faithfulness into public fruitfulness, assuring God’s people that every seed sown in Him will eventually sprout for His glory.

יְנוֹבֵ֥ב יְנוּב֣וּן יָנ֑וּב יָנ֣וּב ינוב ינובב ינובון yā·nūḇ yānūḇ yaNuv yə·nō·w·ḇêḇ yə·nū·ḇūn yenoVev yənōwḇêḇ yənūḇūn yenuVunInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts