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אֲנָקָה

𐤀𐤍𐤒𐤄

ʼănâqâh

H603 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אנק to groan, to sigh, to utter in distress

Definition

A vocal expression of pain, distress, anguish, or suffering; audible groaning, sighing, or wailing, typically in response to physical or emotional affliction. The term denotes an involuntary or intentional utterance expressing inner turmoil. It can reference both individual and collective experiences of hardship and grief.

Semantic Range

groaning, sighing, moaning, inarticulate cry of distress, expression of pain or anguish, lamentation

Root / Etymology

From the root אָנַק (ʼānaq), meaning 'to groan' or 'to sigh'. The noun אֲנָקָה (ʼănâqâh) is derived as an abstract noun indicating the act or sound of groaning or sighing. The root conveys the idea of the constriction or pressure that results in such an utterance.

Historical & Contextual Notes

אֲנָקָה appears in various literary and poetic contexts in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing severe suffering and lamentation, often under oppression or divine judgment (e.g., Exodus 2:24, Ezekiel 30:24, Isaiah 35:10). The word frequently occurs alongside other expressions of distress, such as זְעָקָה (zeʿāqāh, 'cry for help'), but אֲנָקָה specifically connotes a more internalized, subdued, or continuous sound compared to a loud or public wailing. In post-exilic and later Hebrew, the term retains this nuance but is sometimes subsumed under more generic expressions of lament in translation. Standard English translations such as 'groaning,' 'sighing,' or 'crying out' do not always adequately convey the element of deep, often inarticulate anguish marked by the term. The use of אֲנָקָה also shifts somewhat from personal suffering (as in patriarchal and monarchic periods) to communal lament (especially in exilic and post-exilic prophetic texts). In later tradition and liturgy, the term can become stylized to indicate collective suffering. Contrast this with the term יְלָלָה (yelālāh), which often denotes loud, public wailing in response to calamity, and זְעָקָה, which implies a more explicit plea for help.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָנַק; shrieking; crying out, groaning, sighing.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אנק (ʾ-n-q) — to groan, to sigh, to utter in distress

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H602 אָנַק to groan
H604 אֲנָקָה and the wailing-gecko
H689 אַקּוֹ slender wild ibex

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H603-01 אֶנְקַ֪ת eneqat HNcfsc groaning groaning of 2
H603-02 מֵ/אַנְקַ֪ת meaneqat HR/Ncfsc because of the groaning from groaning of 1
H603-03 וַֽ/אֲנָקָ֑ה vaanaqah HC/Ncfsa and groaning and groaning-cry 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H603-03 Malachi 2:13 וַֽ/אֲנָקָ֑ה vaanaqah HC/Ncfsa and groaning and groaning-cry
H603-02 Psalms 12:6 מֵ/אַנְקַ֪ת meaneqat HR/Ncfsc because of the groaning from groaning of
H603-01 Psalms 79:11 אֶנְקַ֪ת eneqat HNcfsc groaning groaning of
H603-01 Psalms 102:21 אֶנְקַ֣ת eneqat HNcfsc the groaning of groaning of
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