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 (Deut 32:25; Judg 14:10; 1 Sam 8:16; 2 Kgs 8:12, etc.). In Num 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 (1 Sam 14:1; 1 Sam 14:6; 1 Sam 21:4; 1 Sam 25:5; 1 Sam 25:8; 1 Sam 25:9; 2 Sam 1:5; 2 Sam 1:6; 2 Sam 1:15, etc.). Abraham's "young men" (ne`arim) were "trained servants," "trained men," warriors (Gen 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" (Gen 18:7; 2 Kgs 4:22; 1 Kgs 20:14, the Revised Version margin). In the New Testament, the ordinary words for "young man" are neanias (Acts 7:58; Acts 20:9; Acts 23:17; Acts 23:18; Acts 23:22) and neaniskos (Matt 19:20; Matt 19:22; Mark 14:51, etc.). "Young men" in Acts 5:6 is neoteroi, comparative of neos, "young," recent; the feminine of the latter word is "young women" in Titus 2:4, and neoterai is "younger women" (the Revised Version (British and American) "widows") in 1 Tim 5:14. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament young men are earnestly exhorted to wisdom and sober-mindedness (Prov 1:8; Prov 1:9; Eccl 11:9; Eccl 12:1; Eccl 12:13; Eccl 12:14; Titus 2:6, "discreet"; compare The Wisdom of Solomon 9:11), etc.

W. L. Walker