אֲנַ֫חְנָא (a.nach.na)
a.nach.na
we
A:PerP-CPQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:PerP-CP
Word Overview
The word anachna is the Aramaic pronoun for "we," serving as the first-person plural subject in biblical texts. It appears only four times in the Hebrew Bible, concentrated in the books of Ezra and Daniel where official correspondence and imperial decrees are recorded. This scarcity reflects its specific linguistic context: it belongs to Imperial Aramaic, the administrative language of the Persian Empire, rather than the Hebrew spoken by the Israelites.
It functions as a direct equivalent to the Hebrew anachnu (H0587), differing only in spelling and dialectal preference. In these rare occurrences, such as when officials address King Darius or Nebuchadnezzar, it signals a formal, collective voice representing a group of speakers before royal authority. The shift from Hebrew to Aramaic here highlights the political reality that Jewish leaders and exiles often operated within the broader linguistic sphere of their rulers.
Translators consistently render this simple word as "we," preserving the straightforward nature of the original without adding theological nuance. Its presence marks a distinct stylistic choice in the text, distinguishing sections written for or by foreign officials from the Hebrew narrative portions. Understanding this distinction helps readers recognize why certain passages switch languages, reflecting the historical setting of the Persian period rather than a change in divine message.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word anachna simply means “we.” It is an Aramaic pronoun used in four verses of the Hebrew Bible, mostly in Ezra and Daniel. These passages record official letters and speeches made by Jewish leaders to Persian kings like Darius and Nebuchadnezzar. The use of Aramaic here reflects the historical reality that God’s people lived under foreign rule and had to communicate in the language of their rulers.
Despite the political tension, these “we” statements often carry a bold faith. In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego use this word when they tell the king they will not bow to his statue. They speak as a united group, trusting God regardless of the outcome. This reminds us that our faith is not always lived in isolation but often alongside others who share our convictions.
When you read these verses, notice how the simple word “we” connects personal belief with communal witness. It shows that even in exile, God’s people maintained their identity and their courage to speak truth to power. This shared voice can encourage us today as we face challenges in our own communities.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- we4×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֲנַ֣חְנָא2×
- אֲנַ֧חְנָה1×
- אֲנַ֙חְנָה֙1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 3:16
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
This verse captures the defiant unity of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they refuse to compromise their faith before Nebuchadnezzar.
-
Daniel 3:17
If it happens, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
Here the same group uses “we” to declare their trust in God’s power to deliver them, even if He chooses not to.
-
Ezra 5:11
Thus they returned us answer, saying, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are building the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
The Jewish leaders use this word to identify themselves collectively as servants of the God of heaven when speaking to the Persian governor.