אָנָה (a.nah)
a.nah
to meet
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb anah carries a sense of timing as much as action, meaning to meet or encounter someone in a way that feels opportune. It appears only four times in the Old Testament, primarily in poetic books like Psalms and Proverbs, where it describes encounters that seem divinely orchestrated rather than accidental.
Its usage shifts depending on the grammatical stem. In the Piel form, it means to allow or cause a meeting to happen, suggesting agency. The Hithpael form is particularly striking: it describes someone seeking out an encounter specifically to provoke a quarrel. This negative usage highlights that not all meetings are peaceful; some are calculated confrontations.
This word reminds readers that Scripture views human interactions as significant events. Whether it is a beneficial meeting arranged by God or a conflict deliberately sought, the text treats these moments as weighty occasions. The rarity of the word underscores how carefully biblical authors chose their terms for describing how people cross paths.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word anah describes a meeting that feels divinely orchestrated rather than accidental. It appears only four times in the Old Testament, primarily in poetic books like Psalms and Proverbs. This rarity highlights how carefully biblical authors chose their terms for describing human interactions.
Its usage shifts depending on the grammatical stem. In the Piel form, it means to allow or cause a meeting to happen, suggesting agency. The Hithpael form is particularly striking: it describes someone seeking out an encounter specifically to provoke a quarrel. This negative usage highlights that not all meetings are peaceful; some are calculated confrontations.
This word reminds readers that Scripture views human interactions as significant events. Whether it is a beneficial meeting arranged by God or a conflict deliberately sought, the text treats these moments as weighty occasions. You can trust that your encounters are seen and known.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- it will happen1×
- it happens1×
- he allowed to happen1×
- [is] seeking an opportunity1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תְאֻנֶּ֣ה1×
- מִתְאַנֶּ֥ה1×
- יְאֻנֶּ֣ה1×
- אִנָּ֣ה1×
Key Verses
-
II Kings 5:7
When the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? But please consider and see how he seeks a quarrel against me.”
This verse uses the Hithpael form to show how a letter can be twisted into a pretext for seeking a quarrel, revealing the dark side of human interaction.
-
Exodus 21:13
but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen; then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.
Here the Piel form shows God's sovereign agency in allowing an accidental meeting to become a place of refuge, demonstrating His care even in unintended events.
-
Psalms 91:10
no evil shall happen to you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
The word reinforces the promise that no evil shall happen to the righteous, linking divine protection directly to the timing and nature of encounters.