### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻănânâh**, represented by `{{H6053}}`, is the feminine form for **cloud** or **cloudiness**. It appears only **1 time** in the entire Bible, making its single usage particularly significant. In its sole context, it is used not as a symbol of rain or divine presence, but as an element in a curse, representing profound gloom and the blotting out of light.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single appearance of `{{H6053}}` is in the book of Job, where Job laments his birth. He cries out, "Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a **cloud** dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it" [[Job 3:5]]. Here, the cloud is invoked as a permanent, oppressive covering, part of a litany of curses designed to obliterate a day from existence by removing all light and hope.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several words used alongside `{{H6053}}` in [[Job 3:5]] amplify its meaning of oppressive gloom:
* `{{H2822}}` **chôshek** (the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness): This word for darkness is the first element in Job's curse, setting the stage for the cloud. It represents not just a lack of light but also misery and destruction [[Job 3:5]].
* `{{H6757}}` **tsalmâveth** (shade of death, i.e. the grave (figuratively, calamity); shadow of death): This term is paired directly with darkness to "stain" the day, establishing a tone of ultimate despair and calamity. In other contexts, being brought out of darkness and the shadow of death is a sign of deliverance [[Psalms 107:14]].
* `{{H1204}}` **bâʻath** (a primitive root; to fear; affright, be (make) afraid, terrify, trouble): This word describes the intended effect of the cloud and other dark elements. The purpose of the "blackness of the day" is to **terrify** it, linking the cloud directly to the experience of fear and trouble [[Job 3:5]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6053}}`, though based on a single verse, is potent in its depiction of divine absence and human despair.
* **Symbol of a Curse:** Within Job's lament, the cloud is not a neutral weather event but an active agent in a curse. It symbolizes a day that is stained, claimed by darkness `{{H2822}}`, and devoid of any divine favor [[Job 3:5]].
* **An Oppressive Dwelling:** The verb used with the cloud is **shâkan** `{{H7931}}`, meaning to **dwell** or reside permanently. This implies the cloud's presence is not fleeting but a persistent, smothering reality on the cursed day, a stark contrast to the hopeful context of God choosing to dwell among His people [[Psalms 15:1]].
* **Agent of Terror:** The cloud works in concert with **darkness** and the **shadow of death** `{{H6757}}` to **terrify** `{{H1204}}` the day. This positions the cloud as a tool of affliction and misery, contributing to a state of ultimate fear and sorrow as expressed by Job.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6053}}` is a powerful example of a word defined entirely by its unique context. Far from a simple meteorological term, **ʻănânâh** functions as a symbol of profound despair in the book of Job. It represents a curse that seeks to blot out light and life, and an agent of terror that dwells oppressively upon a day wished out of existence.
TRV