Lexical Summary anoki: I, I am Original Word: אָנֹכִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance I, me, which Sometimes {aw-no'-kee}; a primitive pro.; I -- I, me, X which. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. pronoun Definition I NASB Translation Myself (2), myself (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs אָֽנֹכִ֫י אָנֹ֑כִי (once Job 33:9 אָֽנֹכִ֑י pronoun 1 singular common I; Genesis 3:10; Genesis 7:4; Genesis 15:1,2; Genesis 16:5 #NAME?הֲ הֶאָנֹכִי Numbers 11:12; Job 21:4. (Assyrian anâku, Phoenician & Moabite אנך: not in Arabic, Aramaic, Ethiopic; but ku appears as the affix of the 1 singular in the Ethiopic verb (e.g. waladku = Hebrew יָלַדְתִּי). אָנֹכִי and אֲנִי appear to be two parallel formations (both containing the element ani [compare the suffix אָֽנֹכִי pronoun 1 singular see above below אֲנִי. Topical Lexicon Overviewאָנֹכִי conveys the personal pronoun “I” with an added note of emphasis or self-assertion. Across its approximately 359 appearances it ranges from God’s solemn self-revelation to the anguished voice of a sufferer, anchoring covenant, prophecy, praise, and lament in the speaker’s own identity. Because Scripture never wastes words, the deliberate choice of אָנֹכִי rather than the simpler אֲנִי often signals heightened solemnity, intimacy, or urgency. Frequency and Distribution Occurrences span every major corpus of the Old Testament: Torah, Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, and Prophets. The highest concentrations are found in Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Psalms, and Job. Its first appearance follows humanity’s fall (Genesis 3:10), linking self-identity to accountability before God; its final use occurs in Malachi 3:6, where the unchanging nature of God guarantees covenant faithfulness. Emphatic Self-Declaration of the LORD אָנֹכִי most powerfully appears on the lips of the LORD, underscoring His unique, self-existent being: • Genesis 15:1 — “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” In each case the divine “I” grounds every promise, command, or judgment. By repeating אָנֹכִי the LORD both identifies Himself and guarantees the word that follows. Covenant Foundation The Sinai covenant begins with אָנֹכִי; therefore obedience is rooted first in who God is, not merely in what He commands. Similar covenantal formulas appear in: • Leviticus 11:44 — holiness laws When God says “I,” covenant obligations and blessings stand on His unchanging person. Prophetic Authority Prophets often preface or punctuate oracles with אָנֹכִי to authenticate their message: • Isaiah 41:4 — “I, the LORD—the first and the last—I am He.” Thus the prophetic word carries divine weight, not human conjecture. Liturgical and Poetic Usage In Psalms and Job the pronoun gives emotional immediacy: • Psalm 22:6 — “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.” Here the speaker’s “I” is laid bare before the divine “You,” modeling honest worship, repentance, and trust. Human Self-Identification and Lament Beyond liturgy, ordinary narrative uses highlight personal responsibility (Genesis 42:37), reassurance (Genesis 46:3), or confession (1 Samuel 24:11). The difference between arrogant self-assertion (2 Chronicles 25:19) and humble submission (1 Kings 3:7) is exposed by context, offering cautionary examples for believers. Contrast with אֲנִי Whereas אֲנִי can function as a simple subject, אָנֹכִי often marks focus or contrast, roughly equivalent to “I, indeed” or “It is I who…”. For example, Isaiah 51:12 employs both: “I, yes I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal man…?” The doubled form intensifies the statement and elevates the divine comfort above human fear. Messianic and Christological Trajectory The emphatic “I” of YHWH in the Old Testament foreshadows the “I am” declarations of Jesus Christ (John 8:58; Revelation 1:17). By appropriating the divine self-designation, Jesus identifies Himself with the covenant-making LORD, affirming both Old and New Testament unity and the full deity of the Messiah. Ministerial Application 1. Preaching: Emphasize that every command or promise is anchored in God’s character (“I am the LORD”). Key Thematic Reference Index Covenant Initiation: Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6 Promise and Protection: Genesis 15:1; Genesis 28:15; Isaiah 41:10 Judgment: Ezekiel 5:8; Amos 2:13 Comfort and Restoration: Isaiah 43:25; Jeremiah 30:11 Lament: Psalm 22:6; Job 7:20 Wisdom Reflection: Ecclesiastes 2:1; Proverbs 8:17 (wisdom personified echoes divine “I”) Conclusion Across the Old Testament, אָנֹכִי anchors revelation in the speaker’s own being. When uttered by God it guarantees truth; when spoken by humans it reveals need. Together these occurrences weave a tapestry of covenant faithfulness, prophetic certainty, honest worship, and messianic hope, directing every reader to the unchanging “I am” who speaks and saves. Forms and Transliterations אָ֙נֹכִי֙ אָ֝נֹכִ֗י אָ֠נֹכִי אָ֭נֹכִֽי אָֽנֹכִ֖י אָֽנֹכִ֖י֙ אָֽנֹכִ֗י אָֽנֹכִ֛י אָֽנֹכִ֞י אָֽנֹכִי֙ אָנֹ֑כִי אָנֹ֔כִי אָנֹ֖כִי אָנֹ֗כִי אָנֹ֘כִי֮ אָנֹֽכִי׃ אָנֹכִ֑י אָנֹכִ֕י אָנֹכִ֖י אָנֹכִ֗י אָנֹכִ֛י אָנֹכִ֜י אָנֹכִ֞י אָנֹכִ֡י אָנֹכִ֣י אָנֹכִ֤י אָנֹכִ֥י אָנֹכִ֧י אָנֹכִ֨י אָנֹכִ֨י ׀ אָנֹכִי֙ אָנֹכִי֩ אָנֹכִי֮ אנכי אנכי׃ הֶ֭אָנֹכִי הֶאָנֹכִ֣י האנכי וְאָ֣נֹכִ֔י וְאָ֨נֹכִ֜י וְאָֽנֹכִ֗י וְאָֽנֹכִי֙ וְאָנֹכִ֖י וְאָנֹכִ֗י וְאָנֹכִ֛י וְאָנֹכִ֞י וְאָנֹכִ֣י וְאָנֹכִ֤י וְאָנֹכִ֥י וְאָנֹכִ֨י וְאָנֹכִי֙ ואנכי ’ā·nō·ḵî ’ānōḵî aNochi he’ānōḵî he·’ā·nō·ḵî heanoChi veanoChi wə’ānōḵî wə·’ā·nō·ḵîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 3:10 HEB: כִּֽי־ עֵירֹ֥ם אָנֹ֖כִי וָאֵחָבֵֽא׃ KJV: and I was afraid, because I [was] naked; INT: because was naked I hid Genesis 4:9 Genesis 7:4 Genesis 15:1 Genesis 15:2 Genesis 15:14 Genesis 16:5 Genesis 16:8 Genesis 18:27 Genesis 19:19 Genesis 20:6 Genesis 20:6 Genesis 21:24 Genesis 21:26 Genesis 23:4 Genesis 24:3 Genesis 24:13 Genesis 24:24 Genesis 24:27 Genesis 24:31 Genesis 24:34 Genesis 24:37 Genesis 24:42 Genesis 24:43 Genesis 25:22 359 Occurrences |
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, נִי-] or ana, & one strengthened by the addition of the demonstrative basis Ku [probably akin to 
כָּא, כֹּה here]: compare Sta§ 179 WSG 95 f. 98-101), of which, in most of the Semitic languages, one prevailed to the exclusion of the other, but which in Hebrew maintained their place side by side.) In some cases אני and אנכי appear capable of being used indiffer-ently; in others the choice seems to have been determined, partly by rhythmical considera-tions, partly by a growing preference for אֲנִי among later writers. Thus when appended to the verb for emphasis (whether with or without גַּם) the lighter form אֲנִי is nearly always used (