### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʼânash**, represented by `{{H605}}`, conveys a state of being desperately ill, frail, or woeful. It is defined as to be frail, feeble, or (figuratively) melancholy; desperate(-ly wicked), incurable, sick, woeful. Appearing **9 times** in **9 unique verses**, this term is consistently used to describe conditions that are beyond human remedy, whether it be a physical sickness, a spiritual wound, or profound moral corruption.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical contexts, `{{H605}}` describes a condition that is hopeless from a human standpoint. The prophet Jeremiah uses it to characterize the state of the human heart `{{H3820}}` as "desperately wicked" [[Jeremiah 17:9]]. The term is frequently translated as "incurable" when referring to the wounds `{{H4347}}`, bruises `{{H7667}}`, and sorrow `{{H4341}}` brought upon Judah due to its great iniquity `{{H5771}}` and increased sins `{{H2403}}` ([[Jeremiah 30:12]], [[Jeremiah 30:15]]). It also describes a fatal physical illness, as when the LORD `{{H3068}}` struck the child `{{H3206}}` born to David `{{H1732}}`, who became "very sick" `{{H605}}` [[2 Samuel 12:15]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help illustrate the severe nature of the conditions described by **ʼânash**:
* `{{H4347}}` **makkâh** (a wound; plague, slaughter, stripe, stroke): This word often specifies the physical injury or plague that is then declared to be **incurable** `{{H605}}`. It is used to describe the wound of God's people which cannot be healed by their own efforts ([[Micah 1:9]], [[Jeremiah 15:18]]).
* `{{H7667}}` **sheber** (a fracture, ruin, breach, destruction): Paired with **ʼânash**, this term describes a state of being broken beyond human repair. The LORD `{{H3068}}` declares that the "bruise" of his people is **incurable** `{{H605}}` [[Jeremiah 30:12]].
* `{{H3511}}` **kᵉʼêb** (suffering, grief, pain, sorrow): This word for pain or sorrow is used with **ʼânash** to depict an emotional state of utter hopelessness, such as a "desperate sorrow" [[Isaiah 17:11]] or a "perpetual pain" [[Jeremiah 15:18]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H605}}` is significant, highlighting the gravity of sin and human limitation.
* **The Incurable Nature of Sin:** The word is repeatedly tied to the consequences of sin. Judah's sorrow `{{H4341}}` is **incurable** `{{H605}}` "for the multitude of thine iniquity" `{{H5771}}` [[Jeremiah 30:15]]. This demonstrates that sin creates a condition that man cannot remedy on his own.
* **The Depravity of the Heart:** Jeremiah's declaration that the heart is "deceitfully wicked" `{{H605}}` is a foundational statement on the fallen human condition. The use of **ʼânash** indicates a moral sickness so deep that it is incurable from a human perspective [[Jeremiah 17:9]].
* **Divine Judgment:** The word describes afflictions that originate from God as judgment. In response to David's `{{H1732}}` sin with Uriah's `{{H223}}` wife `{{H802}}`, the LORD `{{H3068}}` struck their child, who became "very sick" `{{H605}}` [[2 Samuel 12:15]], a sickness that led to death.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H605}}` is a powerful term used to describe a state of utter desperation and hopelessness. Whether applied to a fatal sickness, a nation's ruin from sin, or the inherent condition of the human heart, **ʼânash** consistently points to a reality that is **incurable** by human means. It underscores the severity of physical suffering, sorrow, and moral failure, directing focus toward the need for a divine remedy for that which is hopelessly broken.
TRV