Naioth

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Na'ioth. (Habitations). Maioth, or more fully, "Naioth in Ramah." A place of Mount Ephraim, the birthplace of Samuel and Saul, and in which Samuel and David took refuge together, after the latter had made his escape, from the jealous fury of Saul.  1 Samuel 19:18-19;  1 Samuel 19:22-23;  1 Samuel 20:1.

It is evident from  1 Samuel 20:18, that Naioth was not actually in Ramah, Samuel's habitual residence. In its corrected form, the name signifies "habitations", and probably, means The Huts Or Dwellings Of A School Or College Of Prophets Over Which Samuel Presided as Elisha did over those at Gilgal and Jericho.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

("dwellings".) So the Hebrew margin or Qeri ; but the Kethib or text has Nevaioth. "At" or "near" (not "in" as KJV) Ramah. The dwellings of a college of prophets, under Samuel ( 1 Samuel 19:18-23;  1 Samuel 20:1). Thither David fled from Saul, and probably assumed their garb to escape discovery. Now probably Beit Haninah at the head of the wady Haninah; immediately to the E. of neby Samwil, the ancient Ramah of Samuel.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

NAIOTH. A place ‘in Ramah,’ where was a ‘company of the prophets.’ Here David fled to Samuel after Saul had attacked him with a javelin; hither Saul pursued him, and was seized with an ecstatic fit of some kind (  1 Samuel 19:18-24 ). Nothing is known of the situation of the place. It is not even absolutely certain that Naioth is a proper name; but opinions differ respecting its possible meaning.

R. A. S. Macalister.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Naioth ( Nâ'Yoth ), Habitations. A place near Raman where Samuel dwelt.  1 Samuel 19:18-23;  1 Samuel 20:1. Some interpret the word to mean a school of prophets over which Samuel presided.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The abode of Samuel, and his pupils in a "school of the prophets,"  1 Samuel 19:18-24   20:1 . It appears to have been a suburb of Ramah; and David, having sought refuge there with Samuel, was pursued by Saul.

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

The place where David fled from Saul. ( 1 Samuel 19:22) It is in the plural number, and means beauties, from the same root.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Place near Ramah, where Samuel resided, and whither David resorted.  1 Samuel 19:18-23;  1 Samuel 20:1 . Not identified.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 1 Samuel 19:18,19,22,23 Psalm 11

Holman Bible Dictionary

 1 Samuel 19:18-24

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb., margin, nayoth', נָיוֹת , Dwellings; text, Nevayoth', נְוָיֹת  ; Sept. Ναυάθ , v.r. Ναυϊώθ and Αὐάθ : Vulg. Najoth), or, more fully, "Naioth in Ramah," a place in which Samuel and David took refuge together, after the latter had made his escape from the jealous fury of Saul ( 1 Samuel 19:18-19;  1 Samuel 19:22-23;  1 Samuel 20:1). "Naioth" occurs both in Heb. and A.V. in  1 Samuel 19:18 only. The Sept. supplies Ἐν ῾Ραμά in that verse. The Vulg. adheres to the Hebrew. It is evident from  1 Samuel 19:18 that Naioth was not actually in Ramah, Samuel's habitual residence, though from the affix it must have been near it (Ewald, 3:66). In its corrected form (Keri) the name becomes a mere appellation, and from an early date has been interpreted to mean the huts or dwellings of a school or college of prophets over which Samuel presided, as Elisha did over those at Gilgal and Jericho. This appears first in the Targum-Jonathan, where for Naioth we find throughout בֵּית אוּלְפָנָא , "the house of instruction," the term which appears in later times to have been regularly applied to the schools of the rabbis (Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. col. 106); and there col. 106:20 is rendered, "And they saw the company of scribes singing praises, and Samuel teaching, standing over them," thus introducing the idea of Samuel as a teacher. Jerome, in his notice of this name in the Onomasticon (s.v. Namoth), refers to his observations thereon in the "libri Hebraicarum quaestionum." As, however, we at present possess these books, they contain no reference to Naioth. Josephus calls it "a certain place named Galbaath" ( Γαλβαάθ ), and distinguishes it from Ramah (Ant. 6:11, 5). R. Isaiah and other Jewish commentators state that Ramah was the name of a hill, and Naioth of the place upon it. (See Ramah).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

nā´yoth , nı̄´ōth ( ניות , nāyōth  ; Codex Vaticanus Αὐάθ , Auáth  ; Codex Alexandrinus Ναυιώθ , Nauiṓth ): This is the name given to a place in Ramah to which David went with Samuel when he fled and escaped from Saul (  1 Samuel 19:18 , etc.). The term has often been taken as meaning "houses" or "habitations"; but this cannot be justified. There is no certainty as to exactly what the word signified. Clearly, however, it attached to a particular locality in Ramah; and whatever its etymological significance, it denoted a place where the prophets dwelt together. On approaching it in pursuit of David, Saul was overcome by the Spirit of God, and conducted himself like one "possessed," giving rise to the proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Nai´oth, a place in or near Ramah, where Samuel abode with his disciples (;; ).