### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʼănîyâh**, represented by `{{H592}}`, denotes **groaning; lamentation, sorrow**. Though it appears only **2 times** in **2 unique verses**, its usage points to a deep and profound state of grief. It is derived from a root meaning to groan, highlighting an intense and audible expression of anguish.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The contexts for `{{H592}}` are consistently grim, portraying sorrow as a direct result of divine judgment. In Isaiah, God declares his intent to "distress Ariel" and promises that "there shall be heaviness and **sorrow**" [[Isaiah 29:2]]. Similarly, in Lamentations, the prophet describes the Lord acting "as an enemy," swallowing up Israel, destroying its strongholds, and increasing "mourning and **lamentation**" in the daughter of Judah [[Lamentations 2:5]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help frame the specific nature of this sorrow:
* `{{H8386}}` **taʼănîyâh** (lamentation; heaviness, mourning): This word is used in parallel with `{{H592}}` in both of its appearances, emphasizing a state of **heaviness** and active **mourning** that accompanies the sorrow ([[Isaiah 29:2]], [[Lamentations 2:5]]).
* `{{H6693}}` **tsûwq** (to compress, i.e. (figuratively) oppress, distress): This term describes the action that directly leads to the sorrow. God will **distress** Ariel, which results in the state of lamentation [[Isaiah 29:2]].
* `{{H1104}}` **bâlaʻ** (to make away with (specifically by swallowing); generally, to destroy): This powerful verb illustrates the cause of grief in Lamentations. The Lord has **swallowed up** Israel and her palaces, leading to the lamentation felt by the people [[Lamentations 2:5]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H592}}` is tied to the consequences of turning from God.
* **Sorrow from Divine Judgment:** Both instances of `{{H592}}` occur in passages where sorrow is not a random tragedy but a direct consequence of God's action. It is the result of the Lord distressing Ariel [[Isaiah 29:2]] or acting as an enemy to Israel [[Lamentations 2:5]].
* **National Calamity:** The sorrow described by `{{H592}}` is not merely individual but national. It affects "Ariel," a symbolic name for Jerusalem, and "the daughter of Judah," personifying the entire nation in its suffering ([[Isaiah 29:2]], [[Lamentations 2:5]]).
* **Destruction of Security:** The lamentation in [[Lamentations 2:5]] is explicitly linked to the destruction of the nation’s security structures—its "palaces" `{{H759}}` and "strong holds" `{{H4013}}`—at the hand of the Lord.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H592}}` is a potent but rare term that captures a specific type of sorrow: one that is profound, national, and arises from divine judgment. It is not just sadness, but an audible groaning and lamentation that follows the catastrophic destruction of a people's security and identity by God Himself, who has positioned Himself as their enemy.
TRV