בַּעֲנָא
𐤁𐤏𐤍𐤀
Baana
H1195 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name appearing in the Hebrew Bible, most likely meaning 'son of affliction' or 'son of oppression', possibly 'son of response' depending on precise root connection. Used exclusively as a proper name for several individuals of Israelite heritage during the monarchic and post-monarchic periods. The semantic range is restricted to anthroponymic use, conveying the possible meaning of the root but functioning in context simply as a name.
Semantic Range
personal name, son of affliction, son of response, son of oppression (as implied by potential root), used exclusively as an Israelite anthroponym
Root / Etymology
Likely from the root ענה (ʿnh) meaning 'to afflict, to oppress, to answer'. The prefix בַּ ('ba', a contraction of בֶן 'ben', 'son of') and the root ענה combine to form 'Baana', possibly meaning 'son of affliction' or 'son of response'. Precise etymology is debated, as the original nuance intended by the name is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name occurs for at least four individuals in the Hebrew Bible: 1) a son of Ahilud, appointed as an official by Solomon (1 Kings 4:12); 2) one of David’s mighty men (2 Samuel 23:29); 3) along with his brother Rechab, a leader whose actions are recounted in 2 Samuel 4; and 4) one of the returnees listed in Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 2:2, Nehemiah 7:7). The form parallels other theophoric Israelite names starting with 'Ba-' (likely for 'son of'), but is not directly theophoric itself. English translations commonly transliterate as 'Baana' or 'Baanah.' Since the root ענה has multiple possibilities ('to answer', 'to afflict'), the intended sense behind the name remains unclear, but the context does not carry the connotation of the English fruit 'banana'—this is simply a transliteration coincidence. The use of this name is confined to personal naming, without extension to places or titles.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as בַּעֲנָה; Banana, the name of four Israelite; Baana, Baanah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ענה (ʿ-n-h) — to afflict, to oppress, to answer, to respond
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1042 | בֵּית עֲנוֹת | answering of |
| H1196 | בַּעֲנָה | In Affliction |
| H2057 | וַנְיָה | Yah Answers |
| H3283 | יָעֵן | ostriches |
| H3284 | יַעֲנָה | the female ostrich |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1195-01 |
בַּֽעֲנָא֙ | baana | HNp |
Baana | Son of Affliction | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1195-01 |
1 Kings 4:12 | בַּֽעֲנָא֙ | baana | HNp |
Baana | Son of Affliction |
H1195-01 |
1 Kings 4:16 | בַּֽעֲנָא֙ | baana | HNp |
Baana | Son of Affliction |
H1195-01 |
Nehemiah 3:4 | בַּעֲנָֽא | baana | HNp |
Baana | Son of Affliction |