### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʼânâh**, represented by `{{H578}}`, is a primitive root meaning to **groan, lament, or mourn**. Though it appears only **2 times** in **2 unique verses**, its usage conveys a profound sense of sorrow and desolation tied to prophetic judgment.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical occurrences, `{{H578}}` is used to depict the consequences of divine judgment. In Isaiah, the gates of a city are personified, said to **lament** and mourn as a result of being made desolate [[Isaiah 3:26]]. The word is also used to describe the mourning of Egypt's **fishers** whose livelihood is destroyed when the brooks dry up, causing them to languish [[Isaiah 19:8]]. In both instances, the term is paired directly with the word for "mourn" `{{H56}}`, amplifying the sense of intense grief.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help to illustrate the context of this deep sorrow:
* `{{H56}}` **ʼâbal** (to bewail; lament, mourn): This word appears alongside `{{H578}}` in both of its occurrences, creating a powerful pairing that emphasizes the totality of the grief being expressed ([[Isaiah 3:26]], [[Isaiah 19:8]]).
* `{{H535}}` **ʼâmal** (to droop; by implication to be sick, to mourn; languish, be weak, wax feeble): This term is used to describe the state of the fishermen who mourn, indicating their utter despair and feebleness as their source of sustenance fails [[Isaiah 19:8]].
* `{{H3427}}` **yâshab** (to sit down; by implication, to dwell, to remain): The desolated city is described as one who will **sit** upon the ground, a posture associated with deep mourning and humiliation [[Isaiah 3:26]].
* `{{H1771}}` **dayâg** (a fisherman; fisher): This identifies the specific group whose livelihood is destroyed, making the abstract concept of national judgment a tangible reality for a community [[Isaiah 19:8]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H578}}` is concentrated in its prophetic application.
* **Personification of Grief:** By applying the term to a city's "gates," the prophecy conveys a comprehensive societal collapse where even the structures of civilization are depicted as grieving their own ruin [[Isaiah 3:26]].
* **Sorrow as a Consequence:** The lamenting described by `{{H578}}` is not random but a direct result of judgment. It is the sorrow of a city made desolate and of an economy brought to ruin by a higher power.
* **Economic and Social Collapse:** The word highlights the despair that follows the failure of a nation's resources. The mourning of the **fishers** in Egypt signifies a breakdown of a foundational part of their society and sustenance [[Isaiah 19:8]].
### Summary
In summary, while rare, `{{H578}}` **ʼânâh** is a powerful term for lamentation. Its exclusive use in the prophetic book of Isaiah ties it directly to the sorrow that follows divine judgment. It vividly portrays desolation, whether through the personified grief of a city's gates or the tangible despair of a community whose livelihood has been wiped out.
TRV