Biblica Analytica

אָנַק

a.naq (H0602)

to groan

4 verses 2 books OT 4 / NT 0
AI Word Study

# Analysis of אָנַק (anaq) – "To Groan" The Hebrew word אָנַק carries the meaning of groaning, a vocalization associated with physical or emotional distress. With only four occurrences in the biblical text, this is a relatively rare term, suggesting it was used selectively to convey a specific type of utterance rather than serving as a common everyday word for vocalization. The limited frequency of this word—appearing just four times across the entire Bible—indicates it was reserved for particular contexts where groaning held rhetorical or emotional significance. Rather than being a standard verb for all forms of vocal expression, אָנַק appears to have functioned as a specialized term, likely deployed when biblical writers wanted to emphasize suffering, burden, or deep distress. This selectivity in usage reflects how Hebrew vocabulary often employs different words for subtle distinctions in meaning that English speakers might overlook. Without access to the specific passages where אָנַק appears, we can infer from its definition and rarity that it represents an important marker of human suffering or struggle in biblical narrative and prayer. Its presence in only four passages means each occurrence likely carries weight and meaning for understanding the emotional or physical state of the person described.

AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.

Jeremiah 51:52

“Therefore behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will execute judgment on her engraved images; and through all her land the wounded will groan.

Ezekiel 9:4

Yahweh said to him, “Go through the middle of the city, through the middle of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”

Ezekiel 24:17

Sigh, but not aloud. Make no mourning for the dead. Bind your headdress on you, and put your sandals on your feet. Don’t cover your lips, and don’t eat mourner’s bread.”

Ezekiel 26:15

“The Lord Yahweh says to Tyre: ‘Won’t the islands shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when the slaughter is made within you?