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עָנָה

𐤏𐤍𐤄

ʻânâh

H6031 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To afflict, oppress, humble, or subject to hardship; the root implies the imposition of hardship or suffering upon someone, whether physically, psychologically, or socially. The verb can describe both external affliction imposed by another and voluntary self-humbling, with nuance ranging from general oppression or subjection to specific acts of discipline or suffering.

Semantic Range

to afflict; to oppress; to humble; to humiliate; to violate (esp. sexually); to cause to suffer; to subdue; to force; to discipline; to weaken; to cause hardship; to submit (self); to deny (self in fasting or ritual contexts)

Root / Etymology

Root: ענה. The root ענה conveys the notion of 'pressing down, oppressing, humbling.' The core sense is to cause hardship, to humble, or to afflict. Although sometimes confused with other roots spelled ענה ('to answer, respond' H6030; 'to sing' H6031, erroneously in some textual traditions), this root is distinct in its sense of suffering or subjection. The morpho-phonemic structure is typical of strong Hebrew verbs.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early Israelite narrative (Genesis–Numbers), עָנָה frequently refers to the affliction of outsiders or dependents (e.g., Hagar in Genesis 16:6, 16:9; Israelites in Egypt, Exodus 1:11–12). In legal and cultic contexts (Leviticus 16:29–31; 23:27, 32), it is used for the idea of self-affliction (often understood as fasting or voluntary self-denial) especially associated with the Day of Atonement. In poetic literature (Psalms, Lamentations), it expresses anguish or oppression from enemies or misfortune. The semantic range also includes non-physical oppression, such as humiliation or social subjugation (Deuteronomy 8:2–3, testing in the wilderness). The verb may describe wrongful sexual violence in certain legal/historical passages (e.g., Genesis 34:2). English translations frequently render it as 'afflict,' 'humble,' or 'oppress,' but each English term covers only part of the semantic range. The verb is sometimes confused textually with other roots ענה ('to answer' H6030), leading to errors in some ancient translations (such as LXX, Vulgate, and KJV), but these are not justified by Hebrew usage. Over time, especially in later biblical and Second Temple language, the term became increasingly associated with ritual self-denial, especially in Yom Kippur contexts.

Translation Consistency

primary "afflict" 33 occurrences

Afflict best captures the dominant semantic range and the most frequent renderings in the P2 data (both active and passive senses: to cause suffering, oppress, or humble). It is natural English, covers both external affliction and voluntary humbling/fasting contexts, and matches the majority usage in the corpus.

Alternatives (17 occurrences):
"oppress" (3x) "violated" (3x) "humble" (3x) "humble yourself" (2x) "humbled" (2x) "violate" (1x) "humbling" (1x) "answer" (1x) "afflicters" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root (possibly rather identical with עָנָה through the idea of looking down or browbeating); to depress literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive (in various applications, as follows); abase self, afflict(-ion, self), answer (by mistake for עָנָה), chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish, sing (by mistake for עָנָה), speak (by mistake for עָנָה), submit self, weaken, [idiom] in any wise.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

ענה (Baana) — to afflict, humble, oppress

Root ענה to afflict, to humble, to oppress, to weaken
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1195 בַּעֲנָא Son of Affliction
H1196 בַּעֲנָה In Affliction
H2057 וַנְיָה Yah Answers
H3283 יָעֵן ostriches
H3284 יַעֲנָה the female ostrich

Word Forms

58 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6031-10 עִנָּ֔ה inah HVpp3ms afflict he severely afflicted he afflicted 6
H6031-17 עִנּוּ inu HVpp3cp they ravished they afflicted they afflicted 4
H6031-49 וְ/עִנִּיתֶ֖ם veinitem HC/Vpq2mp and you shall afflict and you afflicted harshly and you shall afflict 4
H6031-19 לֵ/עָנֹ֖ת leanot HR/VNc Leannoth to be afflicted Leannoth 3
H6031-21 לְ/עַנּוֹת֔/וֹ leanoto HR/Vpc/Sp3ms to afflict him to afflict him to afflict him 3
H6031-51 וְ/עִנּ֣וּ veinu HC/Vpp3cp and-they-shall-afflict and they afflicted and they afflicted 3
H6031-05 עַנֹּֽתְ/ךָ֜ anotekha HVpc/Sp2ms to-humble-you to afflict you to humble you 2
H6031-06 עַנֹּת֔/וֹ anoto HVpc/Sp3ms afflict them to afflict him of his afflicting 2
H6031-18 לַ/עֲנ֥וֹת laanot HR/Vqc to afflict to afflict 2
H6031-24 מְעַנַּ֔יִ/ךְ meanayikhe HVprmpc/Sp2fs your oppressors your afflicters your afflicters 2

Occurrences in Scripture

83 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6031-51 Genesis 15:13 וְ/עִנּ֣וּ veinu HC/Vpp3cp and they will afflict and they afflicted and they will afflict
H6031-41 Genesis 16:6 וַ/תְּעַנֶּ֣/הָ vateaneha HC/Vpw3fs/Sp3fs dealt harshly with her she afflicted her she afflicted her
H6031-48 Genesis 16:9 וְ/הִתְעַנִּ֖י vehiteani HC/Vtv2fs and submit and humble yourself and humble yourself
H6031-29 Genesis 31:50 תְּעַנֶּ֣ה teaneh HVpi2ms you mistreat you oppress you oppress
H6031-42 Genesis 34:2 וַ/יְעַנֶּֽ/הָ vayeaneha HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3fs violated and he afflicted her and he violated her
H6031-06 Exodus 1:11 עַנֹּת֖/וֹ anoto HVpc/Sp3ms afflict them to afflict him to afflict them
H6031-57 Exodus 1:12 יְעַנּ֣וּ yeanu HVpi3mp they afflicted they will afflict they afflicted
H6031-19 Exodus 10:3 לֵ/עָנֹ֖ת leanot HR/VNc to humble to be afflicted to humble yourself
H6031-32 Exodus 22:21 תְעַנּֽוּ/ן teanun HVpi2mp/Sn you shall oppress you will oppress you will oppress
H6031-02 Exodus 22:22 עַנֵּ֥ה aneh HVpa you afflict intensely afflict you afflict intensely
H6031-29 Exodus 22:22 תְעַנֶּ֖ה teaneh HVpi2ms you afflict you oppress you oppress
H6031-31 Leviticus 16:29 תְּעַנּ֣וּ teanu HVpi2mp you shall afflict you will afflict you will afflict
H6031-49 Leviticus 16:31 וְ/עִנִּיתֶ֖ם veinitem HC/Vpq2mp and you shall afflict and you afflicted harshly and you shall afflict
H6031-49 Leviticus 23:27 וְ/עִנִּיתֶ֖ם veinitem HC/Vpq2mp and you shall afflict and you afflicted harshly and you shall afflict
H6031-33 Leviticus 23:29 תְעֻנֶּ֔ה teuneh HVPi3fs afflicts herself she will be afflicted afflict herself
H6031-49 Leviticus 23:32 וְ/עִנִּיתֶ֖ם veinitem HC/Vpq2mp and you shall afflict and you afflicted harshly and you shall afflict
H6031-51 Numbers 24:24 וְ/עִנּ֥וּ veinu HC/Vpq3cp and-they-shall-afflict and they afflicted and they afflicted
H6031-51 Numbers 24:24 וְ/עִנּוּ veinu-2 HC/Vpq3cp and-they-shall-afflict and they afflicted and they afflicted
H6031-49 Numbers 29:7 וְ/עִנִּיתֶ֖ם veinitem HC/Vpq2mp and-you-shall-afflict and you afflicted harshly and you shall afflict
H6031-19 Numbers 30:14 לְ/עַנֹּ֣ת leanot HR/Vpc to afflict to be afflicted to afflict
H6031-05 Deuteronomy 8:2 עַנֹּֽתְ/ךָ֜ anotekha HVpc/Sp2ms to-humble-you to afflict you to humble you
H6031-43 Deuteronomy 8:3 וַֽ/יְעַנְּ/ךָ֮ vayeanekha HC/Vpw3ms/Sp2ms and he humbled you and he afflicted you and he humbled you
H6031-05 Deuteronomy 8:16 עַנֹּֽתְ/ךָ֗ anotekha HVpc/Sp2ms he might humble you to afflict you to humble you
H6031-14 Deuteronomy 21:14 עִנִּיתָֽ/הּ initah HVpp2ms/Sp3fs you have humbled her you afflicted her you have humbled her
H6031-10 Deuteronomy 22:24 עִנָּ֖ה inah HVpp3ms he violated he severely afflicted he violated
H6031-10 Deuteronomy 22:29 עִנָּ֔/הּ inah HVpp3ms/Sp3fs he has violated her he severely afflicted he has violated her
H6031-46 Deuteronomy 26:6 וַ/יְעַנּ֑וּ/נוּ vayeanunu HC/Vpw3mp/Sp1cp and they afflicted us and they harshly afflicted us and they harshly afflicted us
H6031-21 Judges 16:5 לְ/עַנֹּת֑/וֹ leanoto HR/Vpc/Sp3ms to afflict him to afflict him to afflict him
H6031-20 Judges 16:6 לְ/עַנּוֹתֶֽ/ךָ leanotekha HR/Vpc/Sp2ms to afflict you to afflict you to afflict you
H6031-21 Judges 16:19 לְ/עַנּוֹת֔/וֹ leanoto HR/Vpc/Sp3ms to afflict him to afflict him to afflict him
H6031-47 Judges 19:24 וְ/עַנּ֣וּ veanu HC/Vpv2mp and humble and they afflicted and afflict
H6031-17 Judges 20:5 עִנּ֖וּ inu HVpp3cp they ravished they afflicted they afflicted
H6031-21 2 Samuel 7:10 לְ/עַנּוֹת֔/וֹ leanoto HR/Vpc/Sp3ms to afflict him to afflict him to afflict him
H6031-30 2 Samuel 13:12 תְּעַנֵּ֔/נִי teaneni HVpj2ms/Sp1cs violate me may you afflict me violate me
H6031-42 2 Samuel 13:14 וַ/יְעַנֶּ֔/הָ vayeaneha HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3fs and he forced her and he afflicted her and he afflicted her
H6031-10 2 Samuel 13:22 עִנָּ֔ה inah HVpp3ms he-had-humiliated he severely afflicted he afflicted
H6031-06 2 Samuel 13:32 עַנֹּת֔/וֹ anoto HVpc/Sp3ms that he violated to afflict him of his afflicting
H6031-40 2 Samuel 22:36 וַ/עֲנֹתְ/ךָ֖ vaanotekha HC/Vqc/Sp2ms and-your-gentleness and your afflicting and your humbling
H6031-09 1 Kings 2:26 הִתְעַנִּ֔יתָ hiteanita HVtp2ms you were afflicted you afflicted yourself you afflicted yourself
H6031-08 1 Kings 2:26 הִתְעַנָּ֖ה hiteanah HVtp3ms he was afflicted he humbled himself he afflicted himself
H6031-28 1 Kings 8:35 תַעֲנֵֽ/ם taanem HVhi2ms/Sp3mp you answer them you will afflict them you will afflict them
H6031-39 1 Kings 11:39 וַֽ/אעַנֶּ֛ה vaaneh HC/Vpi1cs And I will afflict I will afflict I will afflict
H6031-44 2 Kings 17:20 וַ/יְעַנֵּ֔/ם vayeanem HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3mp and afflicted them and he intensely afflicted them and he intensely afflicted them
H6031-53 Isaiah 31:4 יַֽעֲנֶ֑ה yaaneh HVqi3ms he abases himself he will answer he will answer
H6031-35 Isaiah 53:4 וּ/מְעֻנֶּֽה umeuneh HC/VPsmsa and afflicted and afflicted one and afflicted
H6031-26 Isaiah 53:7 נַעֲנֶה֮ naaneh HVNrmsa was afflicted the afflicted one was afflicted
H6031-12 Isaiah 58:3 עִנִּ֥ינוּ ininu HVpp1cp have we afflicted we afflicted have we afflicted
H6031-04 Isaiah 58:5 עַנּ֥וֹת anot HVpc to humble to afflict to humble
H6031-25 Isaiah 58:10 נַעֲנָ֖ה naanah HVNrfsa afflicted afflicted one afflicted one
H6031-24 Isaiah 60:14 מְעַנַּ֔יִ/ךְ meanayikhe HVprmpc/Sp2fs your oppressors your afflicters your afflicters
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