What does אָנַח (ʾānaḥ) mean in the Bible?
אָנַח (ʾānaḥ): Sigh expressing deep sorrow or grief; inward groaning that reveals emotional anguish rather than loud lamentation
Hebrew · H584
אָנַח
To sigh
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אָנַח H584
Pronunciation ʾānaḥ
What does אָנַח (ʾānaḥ) mean in the Bible?
אָנַח (ʾānaḥ): Sigh expressing deep sorrow or grief; inward groaning that reveals emotional anguish rather than loud lamentation
Full entry for אָנַח (H584) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H584?
The BSB source-word alignment has 13 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include groan (6), groaning (2), groaned (1), groans (1), now groan (1).
Where does אָנַח (ʾānaḥ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 2:23. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (4), Lamentations (4), Exodus (1), Isaiah (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It groan 6× Proverbs 29:2, Lamentations 1:4, Lamentations 1:11, Ezekiel 21:6
groaning 2× Lamentations 1:21, Ezekiel 21:7
groaned 1× Exodus 2:23
groans 1× Lamentations 1:8
now groan 1× Isaiah 24:7
sighing 1× Ezekiel 9:4
you will groan 1× Jeremiah 22:23
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 2:23 וַיֵּאָנְח֧וּ to groaned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Proverbs 29:2 יֵאָ֥נַֽח to groan Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Isaiah 24:7 נֶאֶנְח֖וּ to now groan Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural Jeremiah 22:23 נֵּחַנְתְּ֙ to you will groan Verb - Nifal - Perfect - second person feminine singular Lamentations 1:4 נֶאֱנָחִ֑ים to groan Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural Lamentations 1:8 נֶאֶנְחָ֖ה to groans Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular Lamentations 1:11 נֶאֱנָחִים֙ to groan Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural Lamentations 1:21 נֶאֱנָחָ֣ה to groaning Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular Ezekiel 9:4 הַנֶּֽאֱנָחִים֙ to sighing Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural Ezekiel 21:6 הֵֽאָנַ֑ח to groan Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 2:23
Aligned rows 13
Books represented 7
Exodus 1 Proverbs 1 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 1 Lamentations 4 Ezekiel 4 Joel 1
Source forms
הֵֽאָנַ֑ח 1x hê·’ā·naḥ Ezekiel 21:6
הַנֶּֽאֱנָחִים֙ 1x han·ne·’ĕ·nā·ḥîm Ezekiel 9:4
וַיֵּאָנְח֧וּ 1x way·yê·’ā·nə·ḥū Exodus 2:23
יֵאָ֥נַֽח 1x yê·’ā·naḥ Proverbs 29:2
נֶאֱנָ֑ח 1x ne·’ĕ·nāḥ Ezekiel 21:7
נֶאֱנָחָ֣ה 1x ne·’ĕ·nā·ḥāh Lamentations 1:21
נֶאֶנְחָ֖ה 1x ne·’en·ḥāh Lamentations 1:8
נֶּאֶנְחָ֣ה 1x ne·’en·ḥāh Joel 1:18
Parsing patterns
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural 2x Lamentations 1:4, Lamentations 1:11
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular 2x Lamentations 1:8, Joel 1:18
Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural 1x Ezekiel 9:4
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Exodus 2:23
Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular 1x Ezekiel 21:6
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 1x Ezekiel 21:6
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Proverbs 29:2
Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular 1x Lamentations 1:21
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Sigh expressing deep sorrow or grief; inward groaning that reveals emotional anguish rather than loud lamentation
Strong's H584
Lexical occurrences 12 verses Word forms 1 form 10 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Exodus 2:23-25 Source Gloss
to sigh
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Sigh expressing deep sorrow or grief; inward groaning that reveals emotional anguish rather than loud lamentation
to sigh BDB: sigh Usage: groan, mourn, sigh.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 10
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 10×
Participle passive Lam 1:4 · Lam 1:11 · Lam 1:21 3×
Perfect Joel 1:18 · Lam 1:8 · Isa 24:7 3×
Imperfect Ezek 21:11 · Prov 29:2 2×
Sequential imperfect Ezek 21:11 1×
Participle active Ezek 21:12 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Israelites' deep emotional response to oppressive slavery and suffering
People's lamentation and distress under unjust or wicked leadership
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 12 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
אָנַח is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain