English · KJV
H584

אָנַח

ʼânach /aw-nakh'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto sigh
KJV usagegroan, mourn, sigh.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼânach — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʼânach, represented by H584, is a primitive root that means to sigh; groan, mourn, sigh. It appears 12 times across 11 unique verses in the Bible, consistently conveying a deep, audible expression of grief, affliction, or distress. This term captures the physical and emotional reaction to suffering, whether from oppression, sin, or judgment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H584 is used to describe the suffering of God's people and the consequences of sin. The children of Israel sighed because of their bondage in Egypt, a sound that rose up to God Exodus 2:23. It is also the response of the people when the wicked are in power Proverbs 29:2. In prophetic contexts, Ezekiel is commanded to sigh with bitterness as a sign of impending doom Ezekiel 21:6. The book of Lamentations uses the word repeatedly to personify Jerusalem's sorrow, depicting her priests and people sighing under the weight of desolation and sin (Lamentations 1:4, Lamentations 1:8).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide a fuller picture of the sounds of sorrow and distress:

  • H602 ʼânaq (to shriek; cry, groan): This word often appears alongside H584 to intensify the expression of anguish. In Ezekiel, God marks those "that sigh and that cry" for the city's abominations Ezekiel 9:4.
  • H56 ʼâbal (to bewail; lament, mourn): This describes a state of mourning that leads to the audible sighing of H584. In Isaiah, the new wine mourneth, and as a result, "all the merryhearted do sigh" Isaiah 24:7.
  • H535 ʼâmal (to droop; to be sick, to mourn; languish, be weak, wax feeble): This term describes the withering or weakening that accompanies sorrow. It is used in parallel with H584 when the vine languisheth, causing the people to sigh Isaiah 24:7.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H584 is significant, highlighting God's attention to human suffering.

  • A Cry Heard by God: The sighing of the Israelites in Egypt was not ignored; their cry came up to God, initiating His plan for deliverance Exodus 2:23. This shows that groaning from oppression reaches heaven.
  • A Righteous Response to Sin: In Ezekiel's vision, those who sigh and cry over the abominations in Jerusalem are the ones who receive God's protective mark, distinguishing them from the unrighteous Ezekiel 9:4.
  • The Consequence of Judgment: The sighing in Lamentations is a direct result of sin and God's subsequent judgment, serving as a solemn reminder of the painful fruit of disobedience Lamentations 1:8. Even creation itself is depicted as groaning under a curse Joel 1:18.

Summary

In summary, H584 is a powerful and visceral word that gives voice to deep pain. It is not a silent sorrow but an audible groan caused by affliction, injustice, and the consequences of sin. From the groans of an enslaved nation to the commanded sighs of a prophet, ʼânach represents a profound expression of a heart in anguish, a sound that scripture shows God both notices and responds to.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 13 occurrences, inflected in 10 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • נֶאֱנָחִים
  • נֶאֶנְחָה
  • יֵּאָנְחוּ
  • הֵאָנַח
  • תֵּאָנַח
  • יֵאָנַח
  • נֶאֱנָחָה
  • נֶאֱנָח
  • נֵּחַנְתְּ
  • נֶאֶנְחוּ

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H602 אָנַק a primitive root; to shriek; cry, groan. H56 אָבַל a primitive root; to bewail; lament, mourn. H535 אָמַל a primitive root; to droop; by implication to be sick, to mourn; languish, be weak, wax feeble.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 11 verses across 6 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Lamentations (4 verses); never once in the other 33.

1
Exodus
1
Proverbs
1
Isaiah
4
Lamentations
3
Ezekiel
1
Joel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.