עָנַן
𐤏𐤍𐤍
ʻânan
H6049 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To engage in omens or soothsaying, particularly by interpreting clouds or atmospheric phenomena; to practice augury or divination; in some contexts, to act covertly or employ magical arts. The verb's primary biblical usage denotes the seeking of oracles or attempting to foretell the future by occult means, with the activity often explicitly disapproved in the Israelite religious context.
Semantic Range
to use cloud-based omens, to soothsay, to practice magic or occult arts, to act covertly in a supernatural sense, to observe times/portents, to enchant or cast spells
Root / Etymology
Root/Etymology: From the root ע-נ-נ (ענן), which at the root level means 'cloud.' The verb form עָנַן is denominative, derived directly from the noun 'cloud' (עָנָן). Its actual lexical sense, 'to practice soothsaying/divination,' stems from the association of weather phenomena, especially cloud movements, with omens in ancient Near Eastern divinatory practices.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, עָנַן is associated with illegitimate or forbidden forms of divination, especially those seeking supernatural knowledge through interpretations connected to atmospheric or celestial events. It appears in contexts prohibiting occult practices alongside other terms for sorcery and witchcraft, reflecting Israelite concerns about Canaanite and broader Near Eastern magical traditions. Compared to קָסַם (qasam: to divine) or נִחֵשׁ (nikhesh: to practice divination), עָנַן focuses more on techniques related to interpreting cloud patterns or celestial portents (nephelomancy). English translations sometimes render it as 'enchanter,' 'soothsayer,' or 'sorcerer,' but these often obscure the original connection to clouds and atmospheric omens. In later Hebrew, the term took on the broader, more general sense of magical or occult practice. The word's connection to 'cloud' is direct in etymology and ancient worldview but is lost in most traditional translations.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to cover; used only as a denominative from עָנָן, to cloud over; figuratively, to act covertly, i.e. practise magic; [idiom] bring, enchanter, Meonemin, observe(-r of) times, soothsayer, sorcerer.
Bantu Hebrew
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ענן (ʿ-n-n) — cloud, covering, cloud-based omen
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6050 | עֲנַן | clouds of |
| H6051 | עָנָן | covering-cloud |
| H6052 | עָנָן | enveloping cloud |
| H6053 | עֲנָנָה | cloud-mass |
| H6054 | עֲנָנִי | and My-Cloud |
Word Forms
9 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6049-03 |
מְעֹנְנִ֥ים | meonenim | HVmrmpa |
of Meonenim | cloud-omeners | 2 |
H6049-08 |
וְ/עוֹנֵ֣ן | veonen | HC/Voq3ms |
and practiced soothsaying | and he practiced cloud-omens | 2 |
H6049-04 |
עֹנְנָ֑ה | onenah | HVorfsa |
a sorceress | cloud-omening woman | 1 |
H6049-01 |
בְּ/עַֽנְנִ֥/י | beaneni | HR/Vpc/Sp1cs |
when I bring | my practicing divination | 1 |
H6049-02 |
מְעוֹנֵ֥ן | meonen | HVmrmsa |
a soothsayer | cloud-diviner | 1 |
H6049-05 |
עֹֽנְנֵי/כֶ֖ם | oneneykhem | HVmrmpc/Sp2mp |
your soothsayers | your cloud-diviners | 1 |
H6049-09 |
וְ/עֹֽנְנִ֖ים | veonenim | HC/Vmrmpa |
and soothsayers | cloud-diviners | 1 |
H6049-06 |
תְעוֹנֵֽנוּ | teonenu | HVmi2mp |
shall you practice soothsaying | you (m.pl.) will practice cloud-omens | 1 |
H6049-07 |
וּֽ/מְעוֹנְנִ֖ים | umeonenim | HC/Vmrmpa |
and-soothsayers | cloud-omen diviners | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6049-01 |
Genesis 9:14 | בְּ/עַֽנְנִ֥/י | beaneni | HR/Vpc/Sp1cs |
when I bring | my practicing divination |
H6049-06 |
Leviticus 19:26 | תְעוֹנֵֽנוּ | teonenu | HVmi2mp |
shall you practice soothsaying | you (m.pl.) will practice cloud-omens |
H6049-02 |
Deuteronomy 18:10 | מְעוֹנֵ֥ן | meonen | HVmrmsa |
a soothsayer | cloud-diviner |
H6049-03 |
Deuteronomy 18:14 | מְעֹנְנִ֥ים | meonenim | HVmrmpa |
soothsayers | cloud-omeners |
H6049-03 |
Judges 9:37 | מְעוֹנְנִֽים | meonenim | HVmrmpa |
of Meonenim | cloud-omeners |
H6049-08 |
2 Kings 21:6 | וְ/עוֹנֵ֣ן | veonen | HC/Voq3ms |
and practiced soothsaying | and he practiced cloud-omens |
H6049-09 |
Isaiah 2:6 | וְ/עֹֽנְנִ֖ים | veonenim | HC/Vmrmpa |
and soothsayers | cloud-diviners |
H6049-04 |
Isaiah 57:3 | עֹנְנָ֑ה | onenah | HVorfsa |
a sorceress | cloud-omening woman |
H6049-05 |
Jeremiah 27:9 | עֹֽנְנֵי/כֶ֖ם | oneneykhem | HVmrmpc/Sp2mp |
your soothsayers | your cloud-diviners |
H6049-07 |
Micah 5:11 | וּֽ/מְעוֹנְנִ֖ים | umeonenim | HC/Vmrmpa |
and-soothsayers | cloud-omen diviners |