חֲנַנְאֵל (cha.nan.el)
cha.nan.el
(Tower of) Hananel
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The name Hananeel, meaning “God has favored” or “gracious is God,” identifies a specific landmark in ancient Jerusalem. It appears as part of the compound term Migdal Hananeel, designating the Tower of Hananel. This structure served as a notable reference point for the city’s geography and its defensive walls.
Scripture mentions this tower in three distinct contexts. In Nehemiah 3:1 and 12:39, it marks a section of the wall restored by priests, highlighting its role in the community’s physical rebuilding. Jeremiah 31:38 uses the phrase “from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate” to describe the vast boundaries of Jerusalem’s future expansion. Zechariah 14:10 also cites this landmark when prophesying about the city’s ultimate restoration.
As a proper noun, Hananeel carries theological weight by attributing the city’s endurance and reconstruction to divine grace. Its repeated appearance in texts concerning wall repairs and territorial limits underscores its significance as a symbol of God’s favor upon Jerusalem’s stability and future hope.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Hananeel means "God has favored." In ancient Jerusalem, this was not just a poetic idea but a physical place: the Tower of Hananel. It stood as a sturdy part of the city walls, a landmark that marked where God’s people rebuilt their defenses and restored their community after hard times.
When Nehemiah describes priests repairing the wall near this tower, it shows how ordinary work becomes an act of worship. The hands that laid stones were trusting that God would protect what they built. This landmark reminds us that our efforts to restore order in our lives are seen and supported by divine grace.
Later prophets used this same tower to paint a picture of the future. They said God’s blessing would stretch from Hananel to the farthest corners of the city. This suggests that God’s favor is not limited to one spot but covers the whole of our lives, offering hope for restoration and stability in every season.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Hananel4×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֲנַנְאֵל֙1×
- חֲנַנְאֵֽל\׃\ \ס1×
- חֲנַנְאֵ֖ל1×
- חֲנַנְאֵ֔ל1×
Key Verses
-
Nehemiah 3:1
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the sheep gate. They sanctified it, and set up its doors. They sanctified it even to the tower of Hammeah, to the tower of Hananel.
This verse places the tower at the center of the priests' work, showing that spiritual leadership was actively involved in the physical rebuilding of Jerusalem's defenses.
-
Jeremiah 31:38
“Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that the city will be built to Yahweh from the tower of Hananel to the gate of the corner.
Here the tower serves as a boundary marker for God's promise, indicating that the future restoration of the city will be vast and secure under divine favor.
-
Zechariah 14:10
All the land will be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; and she will be lifted up and will dwell in her place, from Benjamin’s gate to the place of the first gate, to the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses.
The prophet uses the tower to describe a permanent, stable dwelling place for the people, linking the landmark to the ultimate peace and safety of Jerusalem.