אָנַשׁ (a.nash)
a.nash
be incurable
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 9 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb anash describes a state of being incurable or desperately weak. In the Old Testament, it appears nine times, primarily in the prophetic books of Jeremiah and Micah, as well as in Job. The word conveys more than simple illness; it indicates a condition that has reached a point of no return, where healing is impossible.
Its usage often carries a metaphorical weight, applying physical decay to spiritual or moral collapse. For instance, Jeremiah uses the term to describe Judah’s sin as an incurable wound (Jeremiah 8:22), while Micah portrays the leaders of Israel as so corrupted that their condition is beyond repair (Micah 3:11). The sources note that the participle form can emphasize this desperation, painting a picture of someone or something woefully sick to the core.
Translators typically render anash as "incurable," "desperate," or "very sick." This choice highlights the finality of the situation. Unlike words for temporary weakness, anash suggests a fixed state of ruin. In Job 3:11, it describes a life so burdened that existence itself feels like an incurable ailment. The word serves as a stark reminder in Scripture that some conditions, whether physical or spiritual, require intervention far beyond human capability.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word anash points to a state where healing seems impossible. In the Old Testament, prophets used it to describe wounds that refused to close and hearts so corrupted that no human effort could restore them. When Jeremiah asked why his pain was perpetual, he was using this term for a hurt that medical skill or human comfort could not fix.
Yet this stark reality serves a vital purpose in our faith. By acknowledging that some conditions are beyond our power to mend, we are driven to seek help that only God can provide. The Bible does not hide the depth of our brokenness; it names it clearly so we stop relying on superficial fixes and turn toward the true Healer.
This recognition brings a strange kind of peace. When we admit that we cannot heal ourselves, we make room for divine intervention. It invites us to rest in the truth that God sees the depth of our struggle and offers a restoration that surpasses human understanding.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 9 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [is] incurable4×
- incurable3×
- and/ he was sick1×
- and/ [is] incurable1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אָנ֖וּשׁ2×
- וַ/יֵּאָנַֽשׁ\׃1×
- וְ/אָנֻ֣שׁ1×
- אָנֽוּשׁ\׃\ \ס1×
- אָנ֣וּשׁ1×
- אָנ֛וּשׁ1×
- אֲנוּשָׁ֖ה1×
- אֲנוּשָׁ֑ה֙1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 15:18
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?
Jeremiah uses this term to describe his own spiritual anguish, questioning if God is like a failing stream when the pain feels permanent.
-
Jeremiah 30:12
For Yahweh says, “Your hurt is incurable. Your wound is grievous.
God declares Judah's hurt incurable here, emphasizing that the severity of their condition requires His direct attention rather than human repair.
-
Micah 1:9
For her wounds are incurable; for it has come even to Judah. It reaches to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
The prophet applies this word to Jerusalem’s spiritual decay, showing how corruption spreads from leadership down to the very gates of the people.