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 (Deuteronomy 32:25; Judges 14:10; 1 Samuel 8:16; 2 Kings 8:12, etc.). In Numbers 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 Samuel 14:1,6; 21:4; 25:5,8-9; 2 Samuel 1:5-6,15, etc.). Abraham's "young men" (ne`arim) were "trained servants," "trained men," warriors (Genesis 14:24; compare Genesis 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" (Genesis 18:7; 2 Kings 4:22; 1 Kings 20:14, the Revised Version margin). In the New Testament, the ordinary words for "young man" are neanias (Acts 7:58; 20:9; 23:17-18,22) and neaniskos (Matthew 19:20,22; 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 Timothy 5:14. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament young men are earnestly exhorted to wisdom and sober-mindedness (Proverbs 1:8-9; Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:1,13-14; Titus 2:6, "discreet"; compare The Wisdom of Solomon 9:11), etc.

W. L. Walker

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Are you a good person? Try the good person test.