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עַנְוָה

𐤏𐤍𐤅𐤄

ʻanvâh

H6037 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ענה to be humble, to be lowly, to bend oneself

Definition

Inner quality or disposition of humility, modesty, or gentle submission, particularly in the presence of authority, God, or others; willingness to forego self-assertion, not insisting on one's own rights or status. Sometimes denotes a humble circumstance or state. The term most often refers to a positive ethical or spiritual virtue, especially in Psalms and Proverbs, but at times can imply being in a lowly or afflicted position.

Semantic Range

humility, meekness, gentleness, disposition of modesty or lowliness, inner attitude of submission, sometimes oppressed condition or lowly circumstance

Root / Etymology

From the root ענה (ʿ-n-h), which in certain stems (notably Niphal and Hithpael) means 'to be humble' or 'to humble oneself.' The noun עַנְוָה is a feminine noun formation, built on the template common for abstract qualities. The root also yields עָנָו (ʿānāv), which describes a person as humble, meek, or lowly. There is some overlap with another root ענה (ʿ-n-h) meaning 'to answer' or 'afflict,' but lexically here, the nuance is on humility rather than suffering or response.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, עַנְוָה is primarily an abstract quality valued as a virtue, often as a counterpart to pride or arrogance. In Psalms and Proverbs, it is closely associated with those whom God favors or blesses. The context often affirms the inward disposition rather than mere external status. The later Greek translation in the Septuagint typically renders the word as πραΰτης ('gentleness') or ταπεινοφροσύνη ('humility'), emphasizing a quiet strength rather than weak passivity. Standard English translations like 'meekness' or 'gentleness' may not fully capture the honor-based social context, where humility is a choice of non-assertiveness rather than a forced condition. Historically, humility was not considered a weakness but a moral or spiritual strength. Related terms include עָנָו (ʿānāv, 'humble person') and שָׁפֵל (shafel, 'lowly'), but עַנְוָה emphasizes the internal attitude more than social status. In post-biblical Hebrew, the word continues to mean humility, acquiring a more explicitly positive religious connotation.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of עָנָו; mildness (royal); also (concretely) oppressed; gentleness, meekness.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ענה (ʿ-n-h) — to be humble, to be lowly, to bend oneself

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1042 בֵּית עֲנוֹת answering of
H1195 בַּעֲנָא Son of Affliction
H1196 בַּעֲנָה In Affliction
H2057 וַנְיָה Yah Answers
H3283 יָעֵן ostriches

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6037-01 וְ/עַנְוָה veanevah HC/Ncfsa and meekness humility 1
H6037-02 וְֽ/עַנְוַתְ/ךָ֥ veanevatekha HC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms and-your-humility and your humility 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6037-02 Psalms 18:36 וְֽ/עַנְוַתְ/ךָ֥ veanevatekha HC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms and-your-humility and your humility
H6037-01 Psalms 45:5 וְ/עַנְוָה veanevah HC/Ncfsa and meekness humility
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