אֲנָא (a.na)
a.na
me
A:PerP-CSQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 9 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:PerP-CS
Word Overview
The word anā is an Aramaic pronoun meaning "I," serving as the first-person singular subject. It appears nine times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily within the Arama sections of Daniel and Ezra. While it carries the same basic identity as the more common Hebrew ani, its usage is distinctively emphatic. The sources indicate that writers chose anā not merely to identify themselves, but to lay strong stress on their own person or perspective.
This emphasis is visible in how characters use the term to assert authority or personal involvement. For instance, King Nebuchadnezzar uses it when declaring his own power and decree in Daniel 3:15, and Ezra employs it when stating his personal commitment to the law in Ezra 7:28. The choice of anā over a simpler pronoun signals that the speaker’s identity is central to the message being delivered.
Its presence marks the text as Aramaic, reflecting the language of the empire and its administrative courts. By using this specific form, the biblical authors capture the voice of foreign rulers and exiled officials speaking in their native tongue. The word grounds these narratives in a historical reality where language itself conveyed status and jurisdiction.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word anā appears nine times in the Hebrew Bible, always within the Aramaic sections of Daniel and Ezra. It is an emphatic first-person pronoun meaning "I." Unlike the standard Hebrew word for "I," this form carries weight. It signals that the speaker’s identity is central to the message. In a time when language often marked status, using anā was a way to assert authority or personal involvement.
We see this emphasis in the voices of kings and exiles. King Darius declares his decree with it. Ezra uses it to state his commitment to God’s law. Daniel employs it when explaining that wisdom comes from God, not himself. These moments remind us that our words carry weight. When we speak with conviction about who God is, we reflect the seriousness of His work in our lives.
This word grounds ancient narratives in historical reality. It shows how ordinary people and powerful rulers alike used language to define their place in God’s story. For you, it is a reminder that your voice matters when you speak truth. You do not need grand titles to be heard by God. He listens to the sincere "I" of those who seek Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 9 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- I7×
- and/ I2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֲנָ֨ה2×
- אֲנָ֔ה2×
- וַ/אֲנָה֙1×
- וַ/אֲנָ֗ה1×
- אֲנָ֥ה1×
- אֲנָ֤ה1×
- אֲנָ֞ה1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 2:30
But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.
Daniel uses this emphatic pronoun to shift focus from his own wisdom to God’s revelation, highlighting humility in the face of divine mystery.
-
Ezra 7:21
I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you, it shall be done with all diligence,
King Artaxerxes employs this strong form of "I" to underscore his personal authority and commitment to supporting Ezra’s mission.
-
Daniel 7:15
“As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
Daniel uses this pronoun to mark a deeply personal reaction to the visions, showing how divine revelation impacts the individual soul.