Lexical Summary yanah: To oppress, to wrong, to extort Original Word: יָנָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance destroy, thrust out by oppressing proud, vex, do violence A primitive root; to rage or be violent: by implication, to suppress, to maltreat -- destroy, (thrust out by) oppress(-ing, -ion, -or), proud, vex, do violence. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to oppress, maltreat, perhaps suppress NASB Translation do him wrong (1), mistreat (2), oppress (3), oppresses (1), oppressing (1), oppressor (2), oppressors (1), subdue (1), thrusting (1), tyrannical (1), wrong (3), wronged (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [יָנָה] verb suppress (?),oppress, maltreat (Late Hebrew Hiph`il vex with words; so Aramaic Aph`el אוֺנִי, but also ᵑ7 for Hebrew הוֺנָה maltreat; Arabic  is laxus, debilis fuit, IV. debilitavit, defatigavit, but connection dubious) — Qal Imperfect1plural suffix נִינָם Psalm 74:8; Participle יוֺנָה Jeremiah 25:38 3t. + Psalm 123:4 (see below); — suppress (?) followed by accusative Psalm 74:8 (text dubious); elsewhere oppress; Participle absolute as adjective הָעִיר הַיּוֺנָה Zephaniah 3:1; substantive f. collective הַיּוֺנָה oppressors Jeremiah 25:38 (but read חֶרֶב for חֲרוֺן, with ᵐ5 Ew Hi Gf Ke etc., as Jeremiah 46:16; Jeremiah 50:16); Psalm 123:4 Qr לִגְאֵי יוֺנִים proudest oppressors (stative construct in superlative, compare Ges§ 133, 3, R. 1; yet most follow Kt לּגּאייונים, and derived from גַּאֲיוֺן q. v. above) Hiph`il Perfect הוֺנָה Ezekiel 18:12,16; הוֺנוּ Ezekiel 22:7,29; Imperfect יוֺנֶה Ezekiel 18:7; 2masculine singular תּיֹנֶה Exodus 22:20; תּוֺנֶנּוּ Deuteronomy 23:17; יוֺנוּ Ezekiel 45:8; תּוֺנוּ Leviticus 19:33 2t.; תֹּנוּ Jeremiah 22:3; Infinitive suffix הוֺנֹתָם Ezekiel 46:18; Participle מוֺנַ֫יִךְ Isaiah 49:26; — oppress, maltreat, followed by accusative, especially of ill-treatment of poor and weak, particular of the גֵּר, the 'stranger,' sojourner, by the rich and powerful, Exodus 22:20 (JE), Leviticus 19:33; Leviticus 25:14,17 (H), Deuteronomy 23:17; Jeremiah 22:3; Ezekiel 18:7,12,16; Ezekiel 22:7,29; Ezekiel 45:8; Ezekiel 46:18; of a foreign oppressor only Isaiah 49:26. יָנוֺחַ see נוח; יָנוּם see נום. Topical Lexicon Definition in Usage and ScopeThough commonly rendered “oppress,” the verb carries nuance that ranges from active violence to the subtler exploitation of legal or economic advantage. Nearly every context illustrates a powerful party abusing vulnerability—whether the foreigner, the poor, or an entire nation. The idea is moral as much as social: יָנָה signals rebellion against the just character of God. Covenantal Legislation The earliest occurrences are embedded in Israel’s civil law: • Exodus 22:21 – “You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.” Within the Torah, oppression is therefore treated as covenant treachery. Israel’s memory of slavery becomes the moral basis for a counter-culture where economic gain never eclipses brotherly love or neighborly justice. Protection of the Marginalized Deuteronomy 23:16 forbids the oppression of a fugitive servant, extending sanctuary beyond ethnic boundaries. Ezekiel 22:7, 29 shows that when this protection disintegrates—“they have oppressed the foreign resident… the poor and needy”—the nation itself becomes liable to divine judgment. Prophetic Indictment The prophets employ יָנָה to unmask systemic sin: • Jeremiah 22:3 – “Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor.” Oppression is never a mere social ill; it is covenant violation provoking the Lion of Judah to leave His den (Jeremiah 25:38). Princes who confiscate land (Ezekiel 46:18) or merchants who rig prices (Leviticus 25) reveal hearts estranged from the LORD. A Motif of National Judgment In Jeremiah 46:16 and 50:16 the “sword of the oppressor” becomes both instrument and consequence of sin. Nations that wield oppression are themselves shattered by it, demonstrating the moral symmetry of God’s rule over history. Hope of Redemption Isaiah 49:26 inverts the verb in an oracle of deliverance: “I will feed your oppressors their own flesh.” The vision climaxes when Zion’s Oppressed One, the Messiah, bears the ultimate injustice and yet triumphs. The verb’s negative backdrop thus sharpens the gospel contrast—He “will bring justice to the nations” without oppressing (Isaiah 42:1-4). Ethical Implications for the Church 1. Refugee Care and Immigration: The foreigner clauses press modern believers toward active hospitality and legal fairness. Spiritual Formation Meditating on יָנָה cultivates a heart that mirrors God’s justice. Psalm 74:8 records the pain: “They said in their hearts, ‘We will crush them completely.’” Yet the psalm also fuels intercession, teaching believers to cry, “Rise up, O God, and defend Your cause” (Psalm 74:22). Confronting oppression—within and without—becomes a means of sanctification. Eschatological Assurance Zephaniah’s woe is balanced by the promise that the LORD “will remove from your midst the proud” (Zephaniah 3:11). Final restoration entails the eradication of all oppression. Until that day, the Church embodies the coming kingdom by refusing to יָנָה, bearing witness that the King who once suffered wrong will soon make all things right. Forms and Transliterations ה֥וֹנוּ הַיּוֹנָ֔ה הַיּוֹנָֽה׃ הוֹנ֔וּ הוֹנָ֔ה הונה הונו היונה היונה׃ יוֹנ֨וּ יוֹנֶ֔ה יונה יונו לְהֽוֹנֹתָם֙ להונתם מוֹנַ֙יִךְ֙ מוניך נִינָ֣ם נינם תֹּנוּ֙ תּוֹנ֖וּ תּוֹנֶֽנּוּ׃ תוֹנ֖וּ תוֹנֶ֖ה תוֹנוּ֙ תונה תונו תוננו׃ תנו haiyoNah hay·yō·w·nāh hayyōwnāh hō·w·nāh hō·w·nū hoNah Honu hōwnāh hōwnū lə·hō·w·nō·ṯām lehonoTam ləhōwnōṯām mō·w·na·yiḵ moNayich mōwnayiḵ nî·nām niNam nînām tō·nū ṯō·w·neh tō·w·nen·nū tō·w·nū ṯō·w·nū toNeh toNennu toNu tōnū ṯōwneh tōwnennū tōwnū ṯōwnū yō·w·neh yō·w·nū yoNeh yoNu yōwneh yōwnūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 22:21 HEB: וְגֵ֥ר לֹא־ תוֹנֶ֖ה וְלֹ֣א תִלְחָצֶ֑נּוּ NAS: You shall not wrong a stranger KJV: Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, INT: A stranger shall not wrong or oppress Leviticus 19:33 Leviticus 25:14 Leviticus 25:17 Deuteronomy 23:16 Psalm 74:8 Isaiah 49:26 Jeremiah 22:3 Jeremiah 25:38 Jeremiah 46:16 Jeremiah 50:16 Ezekiel 18:7 Ezekiel 18:12 Ezekiel 18:16 Ezekiel 22:7 Ezekiel 22:29 Ezekiel 45:8 Ezekiel 46:18 Zephaniah 3:1 19 Occurrences |
    |