What does עָנָו (ʿānāw) mean in the Bible?
עָנָו (ʿānāw) describes a person who is humble, meek, or lowly. Numbers 12:3 applies it to Moses within a conflict about his leadership.
Hebrew · H6035
עָנָו
Depressed (figuratively), in mind ( gentle ) or circumstances ( needy , especially saintly )
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עָנָו H6035
Pronunciation ʿānāw
What does עָנָו (ʿānāw) mean in the Bible?
עָנָו (ʿānāw) describes a person who is humble, meek, or lowly. Numbers 12:3 applies it to Moses within a conflict about his leadership.
Reader summary
Full entry for עָנָו (H6035) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6035?
The BSB source-word alignment has 20 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the humble (4), the poor (4), But the meek (1), for the lowly (1), humble (1).
Where does עָנָו (ʿānāw) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Numbers 12:3. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (11), Isaiah (4), Amos (2), Job (1).
What This Word Actually Means
עָנָו (ʿānāw) describes a person who is humble, meek, or lowly. Numbers 12:3 applies it to Moses within a conflict about his leadership. His meekness does not erase authority, speech, or courage; the narrative shows a servant who does not secure his place through self-exaltation while God addresses the challenge. The adjective therefore should not be equated with weakness, timidity, or a demand that harmed people remain silent.
The Psalms join lowliness with dependence on God. Psalm 25:9 says God guides the humble in justice and teaches them his way. Psalm 37:11 promises that the meek will inherit the land, while Psalms 147:6 and 149:4 speak of the Lord sustaining and adorning the humble. These texts describe people who receive God's help and instruction, not a technique for earning favor through self-denigration.
Prophetic settings preserve the social dimension. Isaiah 11:4 connects just judgment with the poor or meek of the earth, Isaiah 61:1 announces good news to the humble, and Amos 2:7 condemns trampling them. Zephaniah 2:3 calls the humble to seek the Lord, righteousness, and humility. H6035 can describe disposition, vulnerable station, or both; context must decide, and neither dimension should cancel the other.
Passage contextCanonical synthesis
How the Bible Uses It
Anaw brings together meekness before God, teachability, vulnerable social location, just treatment, and hope. Its uses resist both romanticizing hardship and redefining humility as passivity.
- Num.12.3
Moses is called very humble while Miriam and Aaron contest his role, so humility and entrusted leadership appear together.
- Isa.11.4
The coming ruler judges the poor with righteousness and decides with equity for the meek of the earth.
- Isa.61.1
The anointed herald announces good news to the humble or poor among a wider mission of healing, liberty, and comfort.
- Zeph.2.3
The humble of the land are summoned to seek the Lord, righteousness, and humility before the day of judgment.
- Ps.25.9
God's guidance in justice and instruction in his way are promised to the humble.
- Ps.37.11
The meek inherit the land within a psalm contrasting trustful patience with violent grasping.
- Ps.147.6
The Lord sustains the humble while bringing the wicked down, placing lowliness within divine justice.
- Prov.16.19
Sharing a lowly station with the humble is preferred to dividing spoil with the proud.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the humble 4× Psalms 25:9, Psalms 69:32, Psalms 147:6, Isaiah 29:19
the poor 4× Job 24:4, Psalms 22:26, Isaiah 32:7, Amos 8:4
But the meek 1× Psalms 37:11
for the lowly 1× Isaiah 11:4
humble 1× Numbers 12:3
let the oppressed 1× Psalms 34:2
of the humble 1× Psalms 10:17
of the oppressed 1× Psalms 9:18
the afflicted 1× Psalms 149:4
the lowly 1× Psalms 76:9
the needy 1× Amos 2:7
them 1× Psalms 25:9
to the poor 1× Isaiah 61:1
you humble 1× Zephaniah 2:3
Show sample aligned rows
Numbers 12:3 עָנָו to humble Adjective - masculine singular Job 24:4 עֲנִיֵּי־ to the poor Adjective - masculine plural construct Psalms 9:18 עֲנָוִים to of the oppressed Adjective - masculine plural Psalms 10:17 עֲנָוִ֣ים to of the humble Adjective - masculine plural Psalms 22:26 עֲנָוִ֨ים׀ to The poor Adjective - masculine plural Psalms 25:9 עֲ֭נָוִים to the humble Adjective - masculine plural Psalms 25:9 עֲנָוִ֣ים to them Adjective - masculine plural Psalms 34:2 עֲנָוִ֣ים to let the oppressed Adjective - masculine plural Psalms 37:11 וַעֲנָוִ֥ים to But the meek Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural Psalms 69:32 עֲנָוִ֣ים to The humble Adjective - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Numbers 12:3
Aligned rows 20
Books represented 6
Numbers 1 Job 1 Psalms 11 Isaiah 4 Amos 2 Zephaniah 1
Source forms
עֲנָוִ֣ים 5x ‘ă·nā·wîm Psalms 10:17, Psalms 25:9, Psalms 34:2, Psalms 69:32
עֲנָוִים 2x ʿă·nå̄·wīm Psalms 9:18, Isaiah 32:7
וַעֲנָוִ֥ים 1x wa·‘ă·nā·wîm Psalms 37:11
לְעַנְוֵי־ 1x lə·‘an·wê- Isaiah 11:4
עָנָו 1x ʿå̄·nå̄w Numbers 12:3
עַנְוֵי 1x ʿan·wē Amos 8:4
עַנְוֵ֣י 1x ‘an·wê Zephaniah 2:3
עַנְוֵי־ 1x ‘an·wê- Psalms 76:9
Parsing patterns
Adjective - masculine plural 13x Psalms 9:18, Psalms 10:17, Psalms 22:26, Psalms 25:9
Adjective - masculine plural construct 4x Job 24:4, Psalms 76:9, Amos 8:4, Zephaniah 2:3
Adjective - masculine singular 1x Numbers 12:3
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural 1x Psalms 37:11
Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine plural construct 1x Isaiah 11:4
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Humility is truthful dependence on God, not denial of gifts, office, dignity, or responsibility.
- Calls to meekness must never be used to suppress truthful testimony, safety seeking, resistance to abuse, or appeal for justice.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that Moses' humility made him passive or incapable of confrontation.
- Do not romanticize poverty, oppression, or affliction as spiritually beneficial in themselves.
- Do not promise present material possession as an automatic result of meek behavior.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Spiritual posture of voluntary humility or forced poverty that marks the pious before God
Source Gloss
depressed (figuratively), in mind ( gentle ) or circumstances ( needy , especially saintly )
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Spiritual posture of voluntary humility or forced poverty that marks the pious before God
depressed (figuratively), in mind (gentle) or circumstances (needy, especially saintly) BDB: poor Usage: humble, lowly, meek, poor. Compare 6041.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Afflicted or lowly person.
those who are lowly and dependent on God
The humble; the meek; those who are afflicted or lowly and thus dependent on God
The meek; the humble; those who have submitted their will to God; often those who are materially or socially low but spiritually high
The afflicted, humble, or poor; those bowed down by circumstance
Showing 5 selected witnesses from 26 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
Why This Word Matters
God’s grace rests upon those who approach Him with humility rather than pride. Isaiah 29:17-24
The lowly become recipients of renewed joy. Proverbs 3:21-35
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Anaw supports a form of humility that is truthful, teachable, and free from self-exaltation. Moses prevents meekness from being confused with cowardice. Amos prevents spiritual language from hiding the abuse of vulnerable people. Psalm 25 links humility with learning, and Psalm 37 links it with patient trust rather than violent acquisition. Teaching should make room for both disposition and social location, protect people from coerced silence, and direct pride toward repentance without turning low self-worth into a virtue.
This gives a congregation practical tests: humility can receive correction, use entrusted authority without self-glory, refuse retaliatory grasping, and still name injustice clearly. It does not require pretending that gifts are absent, accepting manipulation, or making oneself small so that another person can remain unaccountable.
Anchor passage
Num.12.3
Doctrinal connections
- Num.12.3: humble leadership under accusation
- Isa.11.4: righteous judgment for the meek
- Isa.61.1: good news announced to the humble
- Amos.2.7: condemnation of trampling the lowly
- Ps.25.9: humility and teachability
- Ps.37.11: patient trust and inheritance
- Prov.16.19: lowly fellowship contrasted with proud gain
- Matt.5.5: direct reuse of Psalm 37:11
H6035 can be rendered humble, meek, lowly, or poor according to context. It overlaps closely with H6041, while H6031 is a separate verbal identity associated with afflicting or humbling.
From Old to New Testament
Matthew 5:5 quotes Psalm 37:11 in blessing the meek, and Jesus' gentle kingship and self-description deepen the canonical theme. Those connections identify humility with the character and reign of Christ without authorizing passivity under abuse.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain