Original Word: עָנָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: `anah
Pronunciation: ah-NAH
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-naw')
KJV: abase self, afflict(-ion, self), answer (by mistake for H6030), chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish, sing (by mistake for H6030), speak (by mistake for H6030), submit self, weaken, X in any wise
Word Origin: [a primitive root (possibly rather ident. with H6030 (עָנָה - To answer) through the idea of looking down or browbeating)]

1. to depress literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive (in various applications, as follows)

abase self, defile

A primitive root (possibly rather ident. With anah 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 anah), chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish, sing (by mistake for anah), speak (by mistake for anah), submit self, weaken, X in any wise.

see HEBREW anah

see HEBREW anah

see HEBREW anah

see HEBREW anah

II. [עָנָה] verb be occupied, busied with (ב), only Ecclesiastes (perhaps Aramaic loan-word; Syriac be occupied with, occupation, affair; compare Arabic , concern one, also be occupied by; Ecclus 42:8 margin); —

Qal Infinitive עֲנוֺתִ Ecclesiastes 1:13; Ecclesiastes 3:10.

III. [עָנָה] verb be bowed down, afflicted ( Late Hebrew id.; MI Pi`el ויענו Psalm 1:5, אענו Psalm 1:6; Assyrian enû thwart, frustrate, do violence to; Arabic , be lowly subsmissive, see Rahlfs<sup>עָנִי und עָנָי in d. Psalmen (1892), 67 ff.</sup>; ᵑ7 עַנִּי Pa`el oppress; Syriac Ethpe`el humble oneself, and derivatives); — Qal Perfect1singular עָנִיתִי Psalm 116:10; Imperfect3masculine singular יַעֲנֶה Isaiah 25:5; Isaiah 31:4, etc.; —

1 be put down or become low, of song of triumph Isaiah 25:5 (others as

Hiph`il he putteth down, "" תַּכְנִיעַ).

2 be depressed, downcast Isaiah 31:4 (of lion; "" יֵחָ֑ת).

3 be afficted Psalm 116:10; Psalm 119:67; Zechariah 10:2.

Niph`al Perfect1singular נַעֲניתִי Psalm 119:107; Infinitive construct לֵעָנֹת (perhaps read as Qal Ges^{§ 51} l) Exodus 10:3; Participle נַעֲנֶה Isaiah 53:7; feminine singular נַעֲנָה Isaiah 58:10; —

1 humble oneself מִמְּנֵי Exodus 10:3.

2 be afficted Psalm 119:107; Isaiah 53:7; Isaiah 58:10.

Piel. Perfect3masculine singular עִנָּה Deuteronomy 22:24 5t.; 2 masculine singular עִנִּיתָ Psalm 88:8; 1singular עִנֵּיתִי Psalm 35:13, suffix וְעִנִּתִךְ consecutive Nahum 1:12, etc.; Imperfect יְעַנֶּה Job 37:23, etc.; Imperative עַנּוּ Judges 19:24; Infinitive absolute עַנֵּה Exodus 22:22; construct עַנּוֺת Isaiah 58:5 +, etc.; Participle plural suffix מְעַנַּיִךְ Isaiah 60:14; Zephaniah 3:19; —

1 humble, mishandle, afflict: individual Genesis 16:6; Genesis 31:50 (J) Exodus 22:21; Exodus 22:22 (twice in verse) (E) Job 30:11; by imprisonment and bonds Judges 16:5,6,19; Psalm 105:18; a nation by war or in bondage Genesis 15:13 (J) Exodus 1:11,12; Numbers 24:24 (twice in verse) (E) Deuteronomy 26:6; 1 Samuel 12:8 (inserting וַיְעַנּוּם מִצְרַיִם, so ᵐ5 Dr Bu Kit HPS [compare Th We]), 2 Samuel 7:10; 2 Kings 17:20; Psalm 94:5; Isaiah 60:14; Zephaniah 3:19; dynasty of David Psalm 89:23.

2 humble, a woman by cohabitation, Genesis 34:2 (J) Deuteronomy 21:14; Deuteronomy 22:24,29; Judges 19:24; Judges 20:5; 2 Samuel 13:12,14,22,32; Ezekiel 22:10,11; Lamentations 5:11.

3 afflict as a discipline (God agent) Deuteronomy 8:2,3,16; 1 Kings 11:39; Psalm 88:8; Psalm 90:15; Psalm 119:75; Isaiah 64:11; Nahum 1:12 (twice in verse); Lamentations 3:33.

4 humble, weaken, object כֹּחַ Psalm 102:24; משׁפט Job 37:23 (compare Talmud עִנָּה דִּין); נֶפֶשׁ oneself, by fasting Leviticus 16:29,31; Leviticus 23:27,32; Numbers 29:7 (P) Psalm 35:13; Isaiah 58:3,5; by an oath Numbers 30:14 (P).

Pu`al Perfect1singular עֻנֵּיתִי Psalm 119:71; Imperfect3feminine singular תְּעֻנֶּה Leviticus 23:29; Infinitive construct suffix עֻנּוֺתוֺ Psalm 132:1; Participle מְעֻנֶּה Isaiah 53:4; —

1 be afflicted, in discipline by God Psalm 119:71; Psalm 132:1; Isaiah 53:4.

2 be humbled by fasting Leviticus 23:29 (P).

Hiph`il Imperfect2masculine singular suffix תַּעֲנֵם 1 Kings 8:35 2Chronicles 6:26 afflict, in discipline.

Hithpa`el Perfect3masculine singular הִתְעַנָּה 1 Kings 2:26; 2masculine singular תִתְעַנִּיתָ 1 Kings 2:26; Imperfect3masculine plural יִתְעַנּוּ Psalm 107:17; Imperative הִתְעַנִּי Genesis 16:9; Infinitive construct הִתְעַנּוֺת Ezekiel 8:21; Daniel 10:12; —

1 humble oneself (with תַּחַת יָדֶיהָ) Genesis 16:9 (J).

2 be afflicted, by men 1 Kings 2:26 (twice in verse); by God in discipline Psalm 107:17.

3 humble oneself in fasting Ezra 8:21; Daniel 10:12.

II. ענה (√ of following; see Biblical Hebrew III. ענה, עָנָו, עָנִי).

Scope of Usage

The root occurs about eighty-three times, spanning every major division of the Old Testament. Its two principal thrusts are (1) external affliction or oppression imposed by a superior power, and (2) voluntary or divinely induced self-humbling. Both ideas flow from the larger covenant theme that the LORD alone is Israel’s sovereign; He brings down the proud and lifts the lowly.

Affliction in Covenant History

From the outset the word marks Israel’s collective story. In the Abrahamic covenant the LORD foretells, “Your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years” (Genesis 15:13). Exodus narrates that oppression under Pharaoh (Exodus 1:11-12) and God’s judgment upon the oppressor (Exodus 10:3). Later, Moses reminds the new generation, “The Egyptians mistreated and afflicted us” (Deuteronomy 26:6), framing deliverance as the central display of God’s covenant faithfulness.

Personal Humiliation and Suffering

The root surfaces in painful domestic episodes (Genesis 16:6; 34:2; 2 Samuel 13:12) and in individual lament. Naomi confesses, “The Almighty has afflicted me” (Ruth 1:21), and the psalmist cries, “So He humbled their hearts with hard labor” (Psalm 107:12). Such uses show that the term can describe both human cruelty and God’s chastening hand. Unlike casual suffering, this affliction presses the humbled one to renewed dependence on the LORD.

Divine Testing and Discipleship

Deuteronomy 8 offers the most theological treatment: “He humbled you and let you hunger…that He might make you understand that man does not live on bread alone” (Deuteronomy 8:3). Wilderness affliction functions as divine pedagogy, refining the heart and revealing what is within (8:2). The motif recurs when nations rise against Israel; God uses hostile forces to humble His people, then delivers them when they repent (Judges 10:12-16; Psalm 106:42-44).

Affliction in Corporate Worship

On the Day of Atonement Israel is commanded five times to “afflict” or “deny” the soul (Leviticus 16:29, 31; 23:27, 29, 32; Numbers 29:7). The expression found its primary expression in fasting, but it also carried the broader sense of bowing the whole person beneath the weight of sin and holiness. Isaiah later rebukes hypocritical fasting that fails to produce righteousness, asking, “Is this the fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul?” (Isaiah 58:5). True self-humbling must be coupled with justice and mercy (58:6-10).

Social Justice: Condemning Oppression

Because the LORD defends the lowly, Scripture repeatedly forbids afflicting the vulnerable: “You must not mistreat any widow or fatherless child” (Exodus 22:22); “If your brother becomes poor…you must not oppress him” (Leviticus 25:39-43). Kings and nations that ignore this mandate experience divine retribution (1 Kings 11:39; Isaiah 51:23). The same root thus grounds biblical social ethics: to afflict the weak is to invite the Judge’s wrath.

Prophetic and Messianic Significance

Isaiah 53 gathers the word’s full weight around the Servant: “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). The voluntary, innocent affliction of the Messiah transforms the term from judgment into redemption; the One who could never be humbled by force chose to be humbled for sinners’ sake (Philippians 2:6-8 echoes the theme, though in Greek).

Victorious Humility

Several texts show God reversing affliction: “You save an afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down” (2 Samuel 22:28; Psalm 18:27). The afflicted who wait on the LORD inherit covenant blessings (Psalm 9:12; 34:2). Thus the root supplies a paradox: the path downward becomes the path upward under God’s hand (cf. James 4:10).

Ministry Implications

1. Spiritual Formation: Persistent hardship can be God’s tool to expose idols and nurture obedience (Hebrews 12:6-11).
2. Worship: Fasting and confession remain fitting expressions of corporate and personal repentance (Acts 13:2-3).
3. Pastoral Care: Victims of oppression (physical or sexual) in passages like Genesis 34 or 2 Samuel 13 remind the church to comfort the afflicted and confront abusers.
4. Missions and Persecution: The enslaved and persecuted experience of Israel prefigures the suffering church; present trials refine faith and advance the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:17).
5. Christ-centered Hope: The Servant’s affliction assures believers that God works redemptively through suffering and will one day “wipe away every tear” (Revelation 21:4).

In sum, the root conveys both the bitter reality of oppression and the gracious discipline of God that produces humility, righteousness, and ultimately exaltation in Christ.

אֲעַנֵּ֖ךְ אֶ֭עֱנֶה אענה אענך הִתְעַנִּ֔יתָ הִתְעַנָּ֖ה התענה התענית וְֽיַעֲנֵם֮ וְהִתְעַנִּ֖י וְעִ֨נִּתִ֔ךְ וְעִנִּיתֶ֖ם וְעִנּ֣וּ וְעִנּ֥וּ וְעִנּוּ־ וְעַנּ֣וּ וַֽאעַנֶּ֛ה וַֽיְעַנְּךָ֮ וַיְעַנֵּ֑נִי וַיְעַנֵּ֔ם וַיְעַנֶּ֔הָ וַיְעַנֶּֽהָ׃ וַיְעַנּ֑וּנוּ וַעֲנֹתְךָ֖ וַתְּעַנֶּ֣הָ וּלְהִתְעַנּ֛וֹת וּמְעֻנֶּֽה׃ וּתְעַנֵּ֖נוּ ואענה והתעני ויענה ויענה׃ ויענונו ויענך ויענם ויענני ולהתענות ומענה׃ וענו וענו־ ועניתם וענתך ותענה ותעננו יְעַנֶּֽה׃ יְעַנֶּֽנּוּ׃ יְעַנּ֣וּ יְעַנּֽוּ׃ יִתְעַנּֽוּ׃ יַֽעֲנֶ֑ה יַעֲנ֖וּ יענה יענה׃ יענו יענו׃ יעננו׃ יתענו׃ לְהִתְעַנּ֖וֹת לְעַנֹּ֣ת לְעַנֹּת֑וֹ לְעַנּ֑וֹת לְעַנּוֹת֔וֹ לְעַנּוֹתֶֽךָ׃ לֵעָנֹ֖ת לַעֲנ֥וֹת להתענות לענות לענותו לענותך׃ לענת לענתו מְעַנַּ֔יִךְ מְעַנַּ֖יִךְ מַעֲנֶ֖ה מענה מעניך נַעֲנֵ֥יתִי נַעֲנֶה֮ נַעֲנָ֖ה נענה נעניתי עִנִּ֥ינוּ עִנִּ֥יתָ עִנִּיתָ֑נוּ עִנִּיתָֽהּ׃ עִנִּיתָֽנִי׃ עִנֵּ֣יתִי עִנָּ֔ה עִנָּ֔הּ עִנָּ֖ה עִנָּה֙ עִנָּה־ עִנּ֔וּ עִנּ֖וּ עִנּ֣וּ עִנּוּ־ עַנֵּ֥ה עַנֹּֽתְךָ֗ עַנֹּֽתְךָ֜ עַנֹּת֔וֹ עַנֹּת֖וֹ עַנּ֥וֹת עָנִ֥יתִי עֻנֵּ֑יתִי עֻנּוֹתֽוֹ׃ ענה ענה־ ענו ענו־ ענות ענותו׃ ענינו ענית עניתה׃ עניתי עניתנו עניתני׃ ענתו ענתך תְּעַנֵּ֔נִי תְּעַנֶּ֣ה תְּעַנּ֣וּ תְעַנֶּ֖ה תְעַנּֽוּן׃ תְעֻנֶּ֔ה תַעֲנֵֽם׃ תענה תענו תענון׃ תענם׃ תענני ‘ā·nî·ṯî ‘an·nêh ‘an·nō·ṯə·ḵā ‘an·nō·ṯōw ‘an·nō·wṯ ‘ānîṯî ‘annêh ‘annōṯəḵā ‘annōṯōw ‘annōwṯ ‘in·nāh ‘in·nāh- ‘in·nê·ṯî ‘in·nî·nū ‘in·nî·ṯā ‘in·nî·ṯā·nî ‘in·nî·ṯā·nū ‘in·nî·ṯāh ‘in·nū ‘in·nū- ‘innāh ‘innāh- ‘innêṯî ‘innînū ‘innîṯā ‘innîṯāh ‘innîṯānî ‘innîṯānū ‘innū ‘innū- ‘un·nê·ṯî ‘un·nō·w·ṯōw ‘unnêṯî ‘unnōwṯōw ’ă‘annêḵ ’ă·‘an·nêḵ ’e‘ĕneh ’e·‘ĕ·neh aanNech aNiti anNeh anNot annoteCha annoTo Eeneh hiṯ‘annāh hiṯ‘annîṯā hiṯ·‘an·nāh hiṯ·‘an·nî·ṯā hitanNah hitanNita inNah inNeiti inNinu inNita inniTah inniTani inniTanu inNu la‘ănōwṯ la·‘ă·nō·wṯ laaNot lə‘annōṯ lə‘annōṯōw lə‘annōwṯ lə‘annōwṯeḵā lə‘annōwṯōw lê‘ānōṯ lê·‘ā·nōṯ lə·‘an·nō·ṯōw lə·‘an·nō·w·ṯe·ḵā lə·‘an·nō·w·ṯōw lə·‘an·nō·wṯ lə·‘an·nōṯ lə·hiṯ·‘an·nō·wṯ leanNot leannoTecha leannoTo leaNot ləhiṯ‘annōwṯ lehitanNot ma‘ăneh ma·‘ă·neh maaNeh mə‘annayiḵ mə·‘an·na·yiḵ meanNayich na‘ănāh na‘ăneh na‘ănêṯî na·‘ă·nāh na·‘ă·nê·ṯî na·‘ă·neh naaNah naaNeh naaNeiti ṯa‘ănêm ṯa·‘ă·nêm taaNem tə‘anneh ṯə‘anneh tə‘annênî tə‘annū ṯə‘annūn ṯə‘unneh tə·‘an·nê·nî tə·‘an·neh ṯə·‘an·neh tə·‘an·nū ṯə·‘an·nūn ṯə·‘un·neh teanNeh teanNeni teanNu teanNun teunNeh ū·lə·hiṯ·‘an·nō·wṯ ū·mə·‘un·neh ū·ṯə·‘an·nê·nū ūləhiṯ‘annōwṯ ulehitanNot ūmə‘unneh umeunNeh unNeiti unnoTo ūṯə‘annênū uteanNenu vaanNeh vaanoteCha vatteanNeha vayanneCha vayanNeha vayanNem vayanNeni vayanNunu veanNu vehitanNi veinniTem veInniTich veinNu veyaaNem wa‘anneh wa‘ănōṯəḵā wa·‘ă·nō·ṯə·ḵā wa·‘an·neh wat·tə·‘an·ne·hā wattə‘annehā way‘annehā way‘annəḵā way‘annêm way‘annênî way‘annūnū way·‘an·ne·hā way·‘an·nə·ḵā way·‘an·nê·nî way·‘an·nêm way·‘an·nū·nū wə‘annū wə‘innîṯem wə‘inniṯiḵ wə‘innū wə‘innū- wə·‘an·nū wə·‘in·nî·ṯem wə·‘in·ni·ṯiḵ wə·‘in·nū wə·‘in·nū- wə·hiṯ·‘an·nî wə·ya·‘ă·nêm wəhiṯ‘annî wəya‘ănêm ya‘ăneh ya‘ănū ya·‘ă·neh ya·‘ă·nū yaaNeh yaaNu yə‘anneh yə‘annennū yə‘annū yə·‘an·neh yə·‘an·nen·nū yə·‘an·nū yeanNeh yeanNennu yeanNu yiṯ‘annū yiṯ·‘an·nū yitanNuInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts