Original Word: שַׁאֲנָן
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: sha'anan
Pronunciation: shah-ah-NAHN
Phonetic Spelling: (shah-an-awn')
KJV: that is at ease, quiet, tumult
NASB: ease, who are at ease, arrogance, undisturbed, those who are at ease
Word Origin: [from H7599 (שָׁאַן - ease)]

1. secure
2. in a bad sense, haughty

secure, at ease, quiet

From sha'an; secure; in a bad sense, haughty -- that is at ease, quiet, tumult. Compare shal'anan.

see HEBREW sha'an

see HEBREW shal'anan

Word Origin
from shaan
Definition
at ease, secure
NASB Translation
arrogance (2), ease (3), those who are at ease (1), undisturbed (2), who are at ease (3).

שַׁאֲנָן adjective at ease, secure (Ba^{NB § 143a} Ges^{§ 84 b k}); — absolute׳שׁ Isaiah 33:20; plural שַׁאֲנִּים Amos 6:1 +, שַׁאֲנַנּוֺת Isaiah 32:9,11,18; —

1 at ease, secure: ׳נָוֶה שׁ Isaiah 33:20 ,secure habitation (of Jerusalem), compare ׳מְנוּחוֺת שׁ Isaiah 32:18 ("" מִבְטָחִים).

2 as substantive, one at ease, free from misfortune, Job 12:5.

3 at ease, with collateral idea of careless, wanton, arrogant, Amos 6:1; Isaiah 32:9,11; Zechariah 1:15; Psalm 123:4.

4 as substantive abstract = arrogance: suffix שַׁאֲנַנְךָ, 2 Kings 19:28 ("" הִתְרַגֶּזְךָ) = Isaiah 37:29, but < שְׁאוֺנְךָ thine uproar, Bu^{ZAW xii (1892), 36} Gr Che Marti Kit (perhaps), Bur. compare שׁלאנן.

Semantic Scope and Core Idea

The term communicates a state of apparent quietness, ease, or security. Depending on context it may describe (1) self-satisfied complacency that provokes divine displeasure, or (2) the genuine, God-given tranquility He promises to the faithful remnant. Thus the word serves as a moral barometer: when human ease is divorced from covenant fidelity it becomes arrogance; when rooted in trust it becomes blessed rest.

Occurrences and Thematic Clusters

1. Royal arrogance judged – 2 Kings 19:28; Isaiah 37:29 (Sennacherib).
2. Social insensitivity – Job 12:5; Psalm 123:4.
3. Complacent women of Jerusalem – Isaiah 32:9, 32:11.
4. Promise of secure habitation – Isaiah 32:18; Isaiah 33:20.
5. National smugness – Amos 6:1; Zechariah 1:15.

These ten texts fall naturally into warning (seven) and promise (three).

Prophetic Warnings against Complacency

Amos 6:1 voices the classic denunciation: “Woe to those at ease in Zion….” The northern elite reclined on ivory couches while the nation staggered toward exile. Their ease exposed a dull conscience, illustrating how comfort can anesthetize spiritual perception.

Similarly, Isaiah confronts the “complacent women” of Jerusalem (Isaiah 32:9, 11). Their carefree attitude in the face of approaching judgment epitomizes false security fostered by prosperity. Zechariah 1:15 broadens the scope: pagan powers are “at ease,” yet God is “fiercely angry” with them, proving that worldly calm does not equal divine approval.

Sennacherib’s boastful serenity provokes God’s response: “Because you rage against Me and your complacency has reached My ears, I will put My hook in your nose” (2 Kings 19:28). The Assyrian monarch’s outward confidence masks rebellion; God humbles him to show that history is governed by covenant justice, not by military swagger.

Social and Ethical Dimensions

Job 12:5 observes that “The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping”. Comfort can breed callousness toward sufferers. Psalm 123:4 echoes, “We have endured much scorn from the arrogant.” The word therefore signals not merely a private mood but a social posture that ridicules the vulnerable.

Contrasting False Ease with True Rest

Isaiah 32:18 holds the key to the positive use: “Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure places of rest”. When righteousness and justice reign (Isaiah 32:16–17), the same word that condemned complacency now describes the blessing of messianic peace. Likewise Isaiah 33:20 portrays Zion as “a peaceful abode, a tent that does not wander.” True security flows from the presence and government of the Lord, never from human advantage.

Historical Background

Most occurrences cluster around the eighth–seventh centuries B.C. Assyria dominated the geopolitical scene, and both Israel and Judah experienced cycles of affluence punctuated by looming threat. Prophets attacked the illusion that alliances, wealth, or geography could guarantee safety. The captivity of Samaria (722 B.C.) and the later exile of Judah vindicated their warnings.

Ministry Implications

• Preachers must expose modern parallels to the ease of Zion: material plenty, national pride, religious formalism.
• Pastoral care should challenge the complacent while comforting the afflicted, recalling that God’s goal is not perpetual discomfort but refined dependence.
• Discipleship must cultivate habits—prayer, generosity, watchfulness—that resist the narcotic of self-security.

Eschatological Outlook

The word’s dual usage anticipates the already/not-yet tension of the Kingdom. Believers presently battle complacency, yet look forward to the consummated Sabbath rest promised in passages like Isaiah 32:18. Revelation 21–22 depicts that final, unassailable “peaceful abode.”

Key Takeaways

1. Human ease apart from obedience invites judgment.
2. Genuine security is a covenant gift secured by God Himself.
3. Prophetic critique of complacency remains relevant wherever prosperity dulls spiritual urgency.
4. The hope of unshakeable rest encourages perseverance and holiness until Christ returns.

הַשַּֽׁאֲנַנִּ֑ים הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּ֑ים הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּ֣ים השאננים וְשַׁאֲנַנְךָ֖ ושאננך שַֽׁאֲנַנּ֔וֹת שַׁאֲנַנּֽוֹת׃ שַׁאֲנָ֑ן שַׁאֲנָ֗ן שאנן שאננות שאננות׃ haš·ša·’ă·nan·nîm hashshaananNim hašša’ănannîm ša’ănān ša’ănannōwṯ ša·’ă·nān ša·’ă·nan·nō·wṯ shaaNan shaananNot veshaananCha wə·ša·’ă·nan·ḵā wəša’ănanḵāInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts