יָנַח
𐤉𐤍𐤇
yânach
H3240 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To set down, place, put, or lay an object in a particular location, either physically or figuratively; by extension, to leave, allow to remain, permit to stay, or withdraw from. In various contexts it can indicate depositing or assigning responsibility, allowing cessation from activity, or leaving something or someone undisturbed.
Semantic Range
to set down, to place, to lay, to deposit, to leave (behind), to allow to remain, to withdraw from, to allow, to let alone, to cause to cease, to withhold
Root / Etymology
From the root יָנַח, a primary verb in Biblical Hebrew meaning 'to put, to set.' The root conveys the act of placing or causing something to rest at a destination. Some morphological overlap exists with נוּחַ (nuach, 'to rest, repose') in later forms, and earlier grammarians sometimes conflated Hiphil forms of יָנַח with those of נוּחַ. In its basic usage, however, יָנַח denotes the act of intentionally putting or leaving something somewhere.
Historical & Contextual Notes
יָנַח occurs most frequently in narratives and legal contexts describing the placement or deposition of physical objects (e.g., Gen 2:15: 'YHWH Elohim took the human and set him in the garden of Eden'). It may also refer to 'leaving' in the sense of allowing to remain, as with leaving land fallow (e.g., Exod 23:11). Distinct from שָׂם (sam, 'to put, set'), which is more broadly used, יָנַח usually implies placing with the intent to leave or withdraw from the object. In some instances, the verb has a figurative or extended sense: e.g., 'withhold' (Lev 16:23: the High Priest 'removes the garments and leaves them there'), 'withdraw from,' or 'permit to rest.' The shift into the meanings 'allow, suffer, let alone,' especially in legal or narrative settings, demonstrates a semantic extension from physical placement to permission or cessation. Later Jewish translations sometimes render the word as 'leave' or 'allow,' while some early English translations opted for 'let,' 'suffer,' or 'withdraw,' which may obscure its concrete spatial connotation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to deposit; by implication, to allow to stay; bestow, cast down, lay (down, up), leave (off), let alone (remain), pacify, place, put, set (down), suffer, withdraw, withhold. (The Hiphil forms with the dagesh are here referred to, in accordance with the older grammarians; but if any distinction of the kind is to be made, these should rather be referred to נוּחַ, and the others here.)
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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ינח (y-n-ḥ) — to put, set, place, deposit, leave
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5117 | נוּחַ | Set down! |
Word Forms
39 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3240-05 |
הִנִּ֣יחַ | hinicha | HVhp3ms |
had left | he set down | 8 |
H3240-17 |
וַ/יַּנַּ֥ח | vayanach | HC/Vhw3ms |
and he laid | and he set down | 7 |
H3240-04 |
הַנִּ֣יחוּ | hanichu | HVhv2mp |
Let him alone | set down | 5 |
H3240-27 |
וְ/הִנַּחְתִּ֖י | vehinacheti | HC/Vhq1cs |
and I will deposit | and I caused to set down | 3 |
H3240-20 |
וַ/יַּנִּ֤יחוּ | vayanichu | HC/Vhw3mp |
and they left | and they set down | 3 |
H3240-18 |
וַ/יַּנִּחֵ֣/הוּ | vayanichehu | HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3ms |
and-he-placed-it | and he set him down | 3 |
H3240-13 |
תַּנַּ֣ח | tanach | HVhj2ms |
leave | may you cause to place | 3 |
H3240-19 |
וַ/יַּנִּיחֵ/ם֙ | vayanichem | HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp |
and he stationed them | and he set them down | 2 |
H3240-03 |
הַנִּ֣יחָ/ה | hanichah | HVhv2ms/Sh |
let | Set down | 2 |
H3240-26 |
וְ/הִנַּחְתֶּ֣ם | vehinachetem | HC/Vhq2mp |
and lay | and you set down | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
75 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3240-18 |
Genesis 2:15 | וַ/יַּנִּחֵ֣/הוּ | vayanichehu | HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3ms |
and placed him | and he set him down |
H3240-21 |
Genesis 19:16 | וַ/יַּנִּחֻ֖/הוּ | vayanichuhu | HC/Vhw3mp/Sp3ms |
and set him | and they placed him |
H3240-16 |
Genesis 39:16 | וַ/תַּנַּ֥ח | vatanach | HC/Vhw3fs |
And she laid up | and she placed |
H3240-04 |
Genesis 42:33 | הַנִּ֣יחוּ | hanichu | HVhv2mp |
leave | set down |
H3240-04 |
Exodus 16:23 | הַנִּ֧יחוּ | hanichu | HVhv2mp |
put aside | set down |
H3240-20 |
Exodus 16:24 | וַ/יַּנִּ֤יחוּ | vayanichu | HC/Vhw3mp |
and they left | and they set down |
H3240-23 |
Exodus 16:33 | וְ/הַנַּ֤ח | vehanach | HC/Vhv2ms |
and lay | and set down |
H3240-18 |
Exodus 16:34 | וַ/יַּנִּיחֵ֧/הוּ | vayanichehu | HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3ms |
and-he-placed-it | and he set him down |
H3240-03 |
Exodus 32:10 | הַנִּ֣יחָ/ה | hanichah | HVhv2ms/Sh |
let me alone | Set down |
H3240-38 |
Leviticus 7:15 | יַנִּ֥יחַ | yanicha | HVhi3ms |
shall he leave | he will set down |