אָנָה
𐤀𐤍𐤄
ʼânâh
H578 adverb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To express deep distress, grief, or pain by emitting audible sounds; to groan audibly or lament in response to suffering or adversity. The term denotes a reaction to anguish, oppression, or loss, whether experienced physically, emotionally, or communally. Its usage may indicate a spontaneous outcry or a more ritualized mourning, and often implies intensity of emotion.
Semantic Range
to groan in distress, to lament aloud, to mourn with audible sounds, to cry out in anguish
Root / Etymology
Root: אָנָה (ʾ-n-h). The base meaning of the root conveys the sense of emitting a sound in response to inner turmoil or pain. The root is not widespread and has limited attestations in Biblical Hebrew, which makes its wider Semitic cognates and precise origin somewhat uncertain, but its form and usage support the gloss 'to groan' or 'to lament.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
אָנָה primarily appears in poetic and lament contexts in the Hebrew Bible, often describing the response of individuals or communities to extreme distress, oppression, or judgment (e.g., Isaiah 24:7, 51:23). Its use may overlap with other terms related to mourning (such as נָהָה for wailing or מִסְפֵּד for formal mourning), but אָנָה characteristically expresses the audible, instinctive response to internal suffering. In ancient Israelite society, audible expressions of grief were expected in both personal and communal crises. The term is not used for simple weeping or silent sorrow but specifically for audible groaning or lament. English translations often render it as 'groan' or 'lament,' but the nuance of involuntary, guttural expression may be missed. In post-biblical Hebrew, the term fell out of use or was replaced with more common terms for mourning. Later translations, particularly in the Septuagint, sometimes align it with Greek verbs denoting sighing or mourning, but do not fully capture the intensity implied in the Hebrew text.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to groan; lament, mourn.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אנה (ʾ-n-h) — to groan, to lament, to cry out in anguish
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H579 | אָנָה | he brought upon |
| H590 | אֳנִי | in a sea-going vessel of |
| H592 | אֲנִיָּה | and affliction-cry |
| H8385 | תַּאֲנָה | her pretext |
| H8386 | תַּאֲנִיָּה | formal lamentation |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H578-01 |
וְ/אָנ֥וּ | veanu | HC/D |
and her gates will lament | and they groaned aloud | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H578-01 |
Isaiah 3:26 | וְ/אָנ֥וּ | veanu | HC/D |
and her gates will lament | and they groaned aloud |
H578-01 |
Isaiah 19:8 | וְ/אָנוּ֙ | veanu | HC/D |
and the fishermen will mourn | and they groaned aloud |