Word Study for H6049 (עָנַן) | Strong's Concordance

ʻânan /aw-nan'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto cover; used only as a denominative from עָנָן, to cloud over; figuratively, to act covertly, i.e. practise magic

KJV usageenchanter, Meonemin, observe(-r of) times, soothsayer, sorcerer.

Idioms & phrasesidiom bring

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʻânan — 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 ʻânan, represented by H6049, is a primitive root meaning to cover or cloud over. It is used figuratively to describe acting covertly, specifically through practicing magic. It appears 11 times across 11 unique verses and is translated as "observer of times," "soothsayer," "enchanter," and "Meonenim." In one instance, it is used idiomatically to mean "bring," in the context of bringing a cloud.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical law, H6049 is consistently listed among practices strictly forbidden by God. The Israelites are warned not to have an observer of times among them Deuteronomy 18:10 and are explicitly commanded not to observe times Leviticus 19:26. The practice is cited as a reason for God's judgment and a characteristic of pagan nations Deuteronomy 18:14. It is also listed as one of the wicked deeds of King Manasseh, who observed times and provoked the Lord to anger (2 Kings 21:6, 2 Chronicles 33:6). Prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah warned against heeding these soothsayers and enchanters (Jeremiah 27:9, Isaiah 2:6). The word appears once literally, when God promises to bring a cloud over the earth Genesis 9:14, and once as a place name, the plain of Meonenim Judges 9:37.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context of occult practices forbidden in Scripture:

H6051 ʻânân (a cloud): This word is the root from which H6049 is derived, linking the figurative act of soothsaying (clouding/obscuring) with its literal origin. It is used to describe the pillar of cloud that led Israel Exodus 13:21 and the cloud representing God's glory Exodus 40:34.
H5172 nâchash (to prognosticate): This term, meaning to whisper a spell, is often listed alongside H6049 in prohibitions against occultism, such as "neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times" Leviticus 19:26.
H3784 kâshaph (to inchant or practise magic): Translated as sorcerer or witch, this word appears with H6049 in lists of detestable acts Deuteronomy 18:10. The practice of witchcraft is also condemned in the evil deeds of King Manasseh 2 Chronicles 33:6.
H7080 qâçam (to divine): This word for divination is frequently associated with H6049 in passages warning Israel not to listen to diviners or observers of times Deuteronomy 18:14.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6049 is significant, primarily serving as a negative example of faithlessness and rebellion.

Divine Prohibition: The act of being an "observer of times" is explicitly and repeatedly forbidden, marking a clear boundary between the worship of God and the practices of other nations (Deuteronomy 18:10, Leviticus 19:26).
Sign of Apostasy: The practice is a hallmark of wicked rulers and a people who have forsaken God. King Manasseh's engagement in this activity is described as doing "much wickedness in the sight of the LORD" 2 Kings 21:6. Isaiah identifies the presence of soothsayers as a reason for God forsaking the house of Jacob Isaiah 2:6.
Subject to Judgment: Scripture warns that practitioners of such arts will be cut off. Micah prophesies a time when God will "cut off witchcrafts...and thou shalt have no more soothsayers" Micah 5:12.

Summary

In summary, H6049 is a term predominantly associated with the forbidden act of soothsaying or observing times. Its etymological connection to H6051, "cloud," suggests a core idea of obscuring truth through covert, magical means. While it has a single literal use connected to clouds and a single use as a place name, its overwhelming presence in Scripture is as a stern warning against seeking guidance or power from any source other than the Lord.

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 11 occurrences, inflected in 7 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.

מְעוֹנְנִים
עוֹנֵן
תְעוֹנֵנוּ
עַנְנִ
עֹנְנֵי
עֹנְנָה
מְעוֹנֵן

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 9 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Deuteronomy and Isaiah (2 verses each); never once in the other 30.

Genesis

Leviticus

Deuteronomy

Judges

2 Kings

2 Chronicles

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Micah

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.