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אֳנִי

𐤀𐤍𐤉

ʼŏnîy

H590 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A large, sea-going vessel, particularly a merchant or cargo ship. In biblical contexts, אֳנִי refers to sizable ships used for trade, transport, or exploration, and in some cases it may denote a collective, such as a fleet of ships. The semantic range includes both singular and collective senses, focusing on substantial watercraft, as opposed to smaller boats used for local travel or fishing.

Semantic Range

large ship, merchant ship, cargo vessel, fleet of ships, sea-going vessel, trading ship

Root / Etymology

The word derives from the root אָנָה (ʾ-n-h), possibly with the sense of 'to undertake a journey' or 'to bring.' However, the precise etymological development is uncertain. The link to 'conveyance' is suggested, as ships are vehicles of transport. The word אֳנִי most likely developed to denote a ship due to its primary function as a means of long-distance conveyance over water.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, אֳנִי typically appears in texts describing maritime commerce or distant trade expeditions, such as those mentioning the fleets of Solomon or the ships of Tarshish (e.g., 1 Kings 10:22; Isaiah 2:16). The term particularly connotes larger seafaring vessels as opposed to the smaller סירה (sirah, 'boat') used on inland waterways. Over time, and especially in later biblical writings or translations, אֳנִי could be rendered in Greek as ναῦς (naus) or in other languages by terms for 'ship' or 'fleet.' The meaning remained relatively stable from monarchic through post-exilic periods, always referring to substantial ships, but English translations like 'navy' or 'galley' may obscure the emphasis on commerce and cargo. Unlike later terms used for war galleys, אֳנִי does not specifically connote military vessels in Hebrew usage.

Translation Consistency

primary "ship" 6 occurrences

"Ship" is the most natural, widely understood word for a large sea-going or merchant vessel. It easily covers singular and plural/collective senses (ship, ships, a fleet of ships) and fits the typical biblical usage of אֳנִי as a substantial cargo or trading vessel. Alternatives like "vessel" are more formal, and "fleet" is overly collective, so "ship" is the best consistent choice.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"sea-going vessel" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably from אָנָה (in the sense of conveyance); -a ship or (collectively) a fleet; galley, navy (of ships).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אנה (ʾ-n-h) — to bring, to reach, to undertake a journey

Root אנה to bring, to reach, to undertake a journey
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H578 אָנָה and they groaned aloud
H579 אָנָה he brought upon
H592 אֲנִיָּה and affliction-cry
H8385 תַּאֲנָה her pretext
H8386 תַּאֲנִיָּה formal lamentation

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H590-02 אֳנִ֣י oni HNcbsc the fleet sea-going ship ship 5
H590-01 בָּֽ/אֳנִי֙ baoni HR/Ncbsa in the ship in a sea-going vessel of in a sea-going vessel 1
H590-03 וָ/אֳנִ֡י vaoni HC/Ncbsa and-a-fleet-of-ships and a sea-going vessel and a fleet of ships 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H590-03 1 Kings 9:26 וָ/אֳנִ֡י vaoni HC/Ncbsa and-a-fleet-of-ships and a sea-going vessel and a fleet of ships
H590-01 1 Kings 9:27 בָּֽ/אֳנִי֙ baoni HR/Ncbsa in the ship in a sea-going vessel of in a sea-going vessel
H590-02 1 Kings 10:11 אֳנִ֣י oni HNcbsc the ships sea-going ship the ships
H590-02 1 Kings 10:22 אֳנִ֨י oni HNcbsc fleet sea-going ship ship
H590-02 1 Kings 10:22 אֳנִ֣י oni-2 HNcbsc the fleet sea-going ship ship
H590-02 1 Kings 10:22 אֳנִ֣י oni-3 HNcbsc the fleet sea-going ship ship
H590-02 Isaiah 33:21 אֳנִי oni HNcbsc ship sea-going ship ship
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