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עָנָן

𐤏𐤍𐤍

Anan

H6052 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ענן to cover, to be overcast, to act covertly

Definition

ʻÂnân (עָנָן) is a masculine noun meaning 'cloud,' referring to a visible mass of condensed atmospheric water vapor in the sky, often with emphasis on its appearance as a diffuse, amorphous, or covering form. As a proper noun, ʻÂnân is also used as a personal name for an Israelite. The noun denotes not only natural meteorological clouds but, in various contexts, serves as a symbol for divine presence, guidance, or concealment, especially in description of theophanies (e.g., the cloud on Mount Sinai, the pillar of cloud in the wilderness). The word's semantic range extends from ordinary meteorological cloud, to poetic/metaphorical expressions of mystery, transience, or divine approach, to use as a personal name.

Semantic Range

cloud (meteorological), mass of vapor in the air, symbol of divine presence, agent of guidance or protection, instrument of concealment or mystery, poetic or metaphorical epithet, personal name (Israelite man)

Root / Etymology

From the verbal root ענן (ʻ-n-n), meaning 'to cover, be overcast, act covertly.' The nominal form 'עָנָן' derives from this root, referring to a cloud as that which covers or overspreads the sky. As a personal name, it may signify metaphorically 'one who is covered' or relate to the appearance at birth or desired qualities.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עָנָן is the standard term for 'cloud,' occurring frequently in poetic, narrative, and prophetic literature. Its most prominent theological usage is in Exodus and Numbers, where the עָנָן signifies the physical manifestation of YHWH's presence—especially in the form of the 'pillar of cloud' that leads the Israelites. This association gives the word a symbolic and liturgical resonance not captured in ordinary English translations. The word is also employed metaphorically to convey mystery (Job 22:14), transience (Isaiah 44:22), or concealment (Psalm 97:2). The use of עָנָן as a personal name (e.g., 1 Chronicles 7:12) reflects the adaptation of common nouns as proper names in biblical Hebrew, and does not indicate any later religious meaning. Unlike some poetic synonyms for 'cloud' in Hebrew (e.g., עב ab, שחק shachaq), עָנָן tends to refer to larger, more prominent cloud masses and is the term typically chosen in contexts involving divine presence or narrative description of the sky. English translations typically render עָנָן as 'cloud,' which captures the surface meaning but often misses the symbolic or theophanic resonance of the term in many contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as עָנָן; cloud; Anan, an Israelite; Anan.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ענן (ʿ-n-n) — cover, envelop, obscure

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6049 עָנַן my practicing divination
H6050 עֲנַן clouds of
H6051 עָנָן covering-cloud
H6053 עֲנָנָה cloud-mass
H6054 עֲנָנִי and My-Cloud

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6052-01 עָנָֽן anan HNp Anan enveloping cloud 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6052-01 Nehemiah 10:27 עָנָֽן anan HNp Anan enveloping cloud
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