6044. Anim

Lexical Summary

Anim: Anim

Original Word: עָנִים
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: `Aniym
Pronunciation: ah-neem'
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-neem')
KJV: Anim
NASB: Anim
Word Origin: [for plural of H5869 (עַיִן - eyes)]

1. fountains
2. Anim, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Anim

For plural of ayin; fountains; Anim, a place in Palestine -- Anim.

see HEBREW ayin

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as ayin
Definition
a place in the hill country of Judah
NASB Translation
Anim (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

עָנִים proper name, of a location in hill-country of Judah Joshua 15:50, Αισαμ, Ανειμ[β], perhaps Ghuwain, approximately 17 miles west of south from Hebron, Buhl^{Geogr. 163. f}.

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Occurrence

Joshua 15:50 records עָנִים (Anim) in the catalog of hill-country towns allotted to the tribe of Judah: “Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim” (Berean Standard Bible). Though mentioned only here, its placement alongside well-known Judahite settlements situates it firmly within the heartland of Israel’s southern inheritance.

Geographic Setting

The surrounding list (Joshua 15:48-51) ranges from Debir in the west to Giloh in the east, mapping a corridor just south-southwest of Hebron. Anim therefore lay in rugged terrain distinguished by natural springs and terraced hillsides—terrain suited for viticulture, olive groves, and pastoral grazing. Ancient itineraries place it two to three hours’ walk south of Eshtemoh, in the vicinity of modern Khirbet Ghūwein or Khirbet ʿAnab. Such proximity to perennial water sources makes the probable root idea of “fountains” fitting and suggests continuous occupation through the Iron Age.

Historical Context

1. Conquest and Settlement: Anim’s appearance in the Judahite register signals that the town, like its neighbors, passed into Israelite hands during the southern campaign led by Joshua (Joshua 10). Its survival in the allotment list reflects the reliability of the conquest narrative and underscores the completeness of the tribal inheritance.
2. Levitical Influence: Eshtemoh—immediately adjacent in the list—later became a priestly city (Joshua 21:14; 1 Chronicles 6:57). Anim, lying next door, would have benefited from priestly presence, facilitating instruction in the Law, sacrificial oversight, and judicial counsel for the surrounding villages.
3. Defensive Function: Hill-country settlements formed a defensive chain guarding Judah’s interior from Philistine incursions to the west and from desert raiders to the south. Anim’s elevated situation contributed to that strategic buffer.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Fulfillment: Each named town in Joshua 15 testifies that the LORD kept His promise to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21) and to the generation that left Egypt (Deuteronomy 1:21). Anim stands as a geographical proof-point of divine faithfulness.
2. Sanctifying Everyday Life: The inclusion of obscure villages like Anim emphasizes that covenant blessings reached ordinary families, fields, and fountains. No corner of Judah was too insignificant for the Lord’s concern.
3. Community and Worship: Proximity to a priestly center meant easier access to teaching and sacrificial worship, reinforcing the pattern that right doctrine and right living radiate outward from dedicated worship hubs (Deuteronomy 33:10; Malachi 2:7).

Ministry Reflections

• God remembers places and people that history quickly forgets. Anim encourages contemporary believers laboring in small or remote settings that their service is noted by God (Hebrews 6:10).
• Anim’s likely springs illustrate the sustaining grace of the Lord, “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). Ministry located by living water remains fruitful regardless of scale.
• The strategic linkage of Anim within Judah’s hill country challenges churches today to view small congregations as vital nodes in a broader gospel network, partnering for mutual defense against spiritual adversaries and for the nurture of covenant life.

Summary

Anim, though mentioned only once, contributes to the tapestry of Judah’s settlement, declaring covenant fulfillment, priestly influence, and the enduring value of seemingly minor places in God’s redemptive storyline.

Forms and Transliterations

וְעָנִֽים׃ וענים׃ veaNim wə‘ānîm wə·‘ā·nîm

Englishman's Concordance

Joshua 15:50
HEB: וַעֲנָ֥ב וְאֶשְׁתְּמֹ֖ה וְעָנִֽים׃
NAS: and Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim,
KJV: And Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim,
INT: and Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 6044
1 Occurrence

wə·‘ā·nîm — 1 Occ.