גָּנַן
𐤂𐤍𐤍
gânan
H1598 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To protect, guard, or shield from harm, with an emphasis on encircling or enclosing for the purpose of defense or safety. In various contexts, גָּנַן refers to the action of providing protection, whether literal or metaphorical, often evoking the imagery of surrounding someone or something with a protective barrier. This may apply to physical safeguarding (such as shielding from threat or danger), or in poetic and prophetic texts, to divine protection offered to individuals, groups, or locations.
Semantic Range
to protect, to defend, to guard, to shield (especially by encircling or enclosing); to act as a protective barrier; to surround for safety
Root / Etymology
Root: ג-נ-ן (גָּנַן). The root broadly means 'to cover, enclose, shield'. The verb גָּנַן likely derives from the concept of encircling or enclosing, with the specific lexical sense developing toward the idea of guarding or defending by means of surrounding or hedging about. The root is also related to גָּן (gan, 'garden' or 'enclosure'), pointing to the underlying idea of something enclosed for protection.
Historical & Contextual Notes
גָּנַן occurs in poetic and prophetic passages (e.g., Psalms, Isaiah, Zechariah) to describe protective actions, often with YHWH as the subject who protects the people, the city, or the land. In such contexts, the imagery frequently implies active, vigilant safeguarding, sometimes echoing the role of a city wall or fortified enclosure. While English translations typically employ 'protect', 'defend', or 'shield', these may not convey the full nuance of encirclement inherent in the original. The verb's occurrences are relatively rare, and it does not refer to everyday military defense, but rather specialized or supernatural protection, especially in later biblical poetry. The connection to גָּן ('garden, enclosure') underscores a metaphorical association with something precious being surrounded for safety. During the post-exilic and Second Temple period, the protective sense often took on heightened theological resonance in relation to YHWH's safeguarding presence over Jerusalem and the returning community. English translations may sometimes narrow the sense by omitting the visual imagery of enclosure.
Translation Consistency
“Protect” is the most natural, general English verb that covers the full semantic range (shield, defend, guard, surround) described for גָּנַן. It reads naturally in both literal and metaphorical/divine contexts and accommodates the common renderings (defend, shield) without forcing a more specialized sense.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to hedge about, i.e. (generally) protect; defend.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
גנן (g-n-n) — covering, enclosing, shielding, protecting
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1476 | גּוּנִי | Protected one |
| H1588 | גַּן | in the enclosed garden |
| H1593 | גַּנָּה | his enclosed garden |
| H1594 | גִּנָּה | enclosed garden of |
| H1599 | גִּנְּתוֹן | Encloser |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1598-02 |
וְ/גַנּוֹתִ֛י | veganoti | HC/Vqq1cs |
and-I-will-defend | and I shielded | and I will defend | 4 |
H1598-03 |
יָגֵ֛ן | yagen | HVqi3ms |
will defend | he will shield | he will shield | 3 |
H1598-01 |
גָּנ֥וֹן | ganon | HVqa |
protecting | shielding | shielding | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1598-02 |
2 Kings 19:34 | וְ/גַנּוֹתִ֛י | veganoti | HC/Vqq1cs |
I will defend | and I shielded | and I will defend |
H1598-02 |
2 Kings 20:6 | וְ/גַנּוֹתִי֙ | veganoti | HC/Vqq1cs |
and-I-will-defend | and I shielded | and I will defend |
H1598-03 |
Isaiah 31:5 | יָגֵ֛ן | yagen | HVqi3ms |
will-protect | he will shield | he will shield |
H1598-01 |
Isaiah 31:5 | גָּנ֥וֹן | ganon | HVqa |
protecting | shielding | shielding |
H1598-02 |
Isaiah 37:35 | וְ/גַנּוֹתִ֛י | veganoti | HC/Vqq1cs |
and-I-will-defend | and I shielded | and I will defend |
H1598-02 |
Isaiah 38:6 | וְ/גַנּוֹתִ֖י | veganoti | HC/Vqq1cs |
and-I-will-defend | and I shielded | and I will defend |
H1598-03 |
Zechariah 9:15 | יָגֵ֣ן | yagen | HVqi3ms |
will defend | he will shield | he will shield |
H1598-03 |
Zechariah 12:8 | יָגֵ֤ן | yagen | HVqi3ms |
will-defend | he will shield | he will shield |