Lexical Summary anah: befall, befalls, let him fall Original Word: אָנָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance befall, deliver, happen, seek a quarrel A primitive root (perhaps rather identical with 'anah through the idea of contraction in anguish); to approach; hence, to meet in various senses -- befall, deliver, happen, seek a quarrel. see HEBREW 'anah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be opportune, to meet, encounter opportunely NASB Translation befall (1), befalls (1), let him fall (1), seeking a quarrel (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs III. [אָנָה] verb be opportune, meet, encounter opportunely (Arabic  the right time is come, or it is come to the right time, or to maturity, or is opportune). Pi`el Perfect אִנָּה Exodus 21:13 cause (or allow) to meet in בְיָדוֺ ׳הָאֱלֹהִים א (object omitted), i.e. without any purpose of the man to whom suffix Ref. Pu`al be allowed to meet, be sent, Imperfect יְאֻנֶּה Proverbs 12:21 (with ל); 3 feminine singular תְּאֻנֶּה Psalm 91:10 (with אֶל), subject evil. Hithpa`el cause oneself to meet, seek occasion (= seek a quarrel with) followed by ל 2 Kings 5:7. Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Hebrew 579 (אָנָה) occurs six times and consistently conveys the idea of something “coming upon,” “befalling,” or “being caused to happen.” Either God Himself “lets” or “delivers” an event, or He withholds it so that it will not “befall” the one under His care. The contexts range from Israel’s civil law to royal crisis, wilderness unbelief, and wisdom literature, presenting a unified testimony to divine providence. Contexts of Occurrence • Exodus 21:13 – In the manslayer statute, accidental death is explained in terms of God’s sovereignty: “If, however, someone has not lain in wait, but God delivered him into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee.” Divine Providence in Unintentional Events The manslayer provision (Exodus 21:13) anchors accidental tragedies in God’s sovereign governance. Even unintended death is no blind chance; it “happens” because God “delivered” the victim. Yet He also institutes mercy—cities of refuge—to protect the one who killed unknowingly. Justice and compassion are thus held in balance, illustrating that divine oversight never negates human responsibility or the need for societal safeguards. Signs and Unbelief in the Wilderness In Numbers 14:11 the same verb frames the miraculous signs of the Exodus as divinely caused phenomena. Israel’s refusal to trust the God who repeatedly “caused” wonders to occur exposes unbelief as willful rebellion, not lack of evidence. The repetition of אָנָה (“How long…?”) heightens the urgency of repentance. Human Limitation Versus Divine Causation Facing Aram’s demand to heal Naaman, Israel’s king exclaims, “Am I God, to kill and bring back to life?” (2 Kings 5:7). His rhetorical question affirms that only the LORD can cause critical events—life, death, healing—to occur. The incident prepares the stage for Elisha, through whom God will indeed “cause” Naaman’s cleansing, vindicating divine power over human impotence. Protection Promised to the Righteous Psalm 91:10 and Proverbs 12:21 use אָנָה in the negative form to declare that calamity will not “befall” those who dwell under God’s shelter or walk in righteousness. What God does not permit simply cannot occur. These promises encourage faith, not presumption; they assume abiding in God’s presence and living uprightly. Theological Themes 1. Sovereignty: Every occurrence assumes God’s active rule over circumstances—whether calamity, miracle, or protection. Pastoral and Ministry Implications • Comfort in Tragedy – Accidents are under God’s ultimate governance; refuge is available in Him. Canonical Contribution Strong’s 579 enriches biblical theology by linking providence, justice, and protection under one verb. Whether providing asylum, performing signs, restraining evil, or exposing unbelief, the LORD is shown to be the One who ultimately causes or withholds every event. Such a perspective pervades Scripture and finds its culmination in the cross, where what “befell” Christ was both human wrongdoing and the determined plan of God (Acts 2:23), ensuring that eternal harm will never befall those who are in Him. Forms and Transliterations אִנָּ֣ה אָ֙נָה֙ אָ֥נָה אנה יְאֻנֶּ֣ה יאנה מִתְאַנֶּ֥ה מתאנה תְאֻנֶּ֣ה תאנה ’ā·nāh ’ānāh ’in·nāh ’innāh Anah inNah miṯ’anneh miṯ·’an·neh mitanNeh ṯə’unneh ṯə·’un·neh teunNeh yə’unneh yə·’un·neh yeunNehLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 21:13 HEB: צָדָ֔ה וְהָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אִנָּ֣ה לְיָד֑וֹ וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י NAS: [for him], but God let [him] fall into his hand, KJV: but God deliver [him] into his hand; INT: lie God let his hand will appoint Numbers 14:11 Numbers 14:11 2 Kings 5:7 Psalm 91:10 Proverbs 12:21 6 Occurrences |
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