מַעֲנָה (ma.a.nah)
ma.a.nah
furrow
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun ma‘anah refers specifically to a furrow or a strip of ploughed ground. It denotes the prepared earth ready for sowing, capturing the tangible result of agricultural labor. In the biblical text, this term appears only twice, grounding its meaning in the concrete reality of farming rather than abstract concepts.
Its usage highlights the connection between effort and potential yield. When mentioned in contexts like Psalm 126:5 or 1 Samuel 14:35, it evokes the image of land that has been worked and is now waiting for the seed. The word emphasizes the physical preparation required before growth can begin.
This term serves as a vivid metaphor for spiritual readiness. Just as a field must be tilled to receive grain, the human heart is often depicted as needing preparation to receive divine instruction. The imagery links physical cultivation with the nurturing of faith, suggesting that meaningful harvests require prior, diligent work.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word ma‘anah describes a single furrow, the narrow strip of earth turned by the plough. It is a specific image from ancient farming, marking the precise line where hard ground becomes ready for seed. This term appears only twice in Scripture, grounding its meaning in the tangible reality of agricultural labor rather than abstract ideas.
When we read about furrows, we see the necessary preparation before growth can begin. Just as a field must be tilled to receive grain, our hearts often need similar work to receive divine instruction. The imagery links physical cultivation with spiritual readiness, suggesting that meaningful harvests require prior, diligent effort.
In Psalm 129:3, the psalmist describes enemies plowing long furrows along his back, a vivid picture of sustained hardship. Yet even in such pain, the image reminds us that preparation often precedes blessing. This word invites us to trust that the work being done, whether in the field or in our lives, has purpose.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a furrow1×
- <to>/ furrows/ their1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַעֲנָ֖ה1×
- לְ/מַעֲנִיתָֽ/ם\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 129:3
The plowers plowed on my back. They made their furrows long.
Here the furrow becomes a metaphor for prolonged oppression, showing how the image of plowing can represent deep and lasting suffering.