Lexical Summary taaniyyah: Response, Answer Original Word: תַּאֲנִיָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance occasion From 'anah; lamentation -- heaviness, mourning. see HEBREW 'anah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom anah Definition mourning NASB Translation lamenting (1). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Usage The noun conveys the idea of formal, audible lamentation—an organized expression of grief that is public, communal, and often liturgical in nature. It depicts a depth of sorrow that is not silent but voiced, signaling crisis, loss, or divine judgment. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Isaiah 29:2: “I will distress Ariel, and there will be mourning and lamentation, and she will be to Me like an altar hearth.” Historical Setting Isaiah 29 addresses pre-exilic Jerusalem, warning that the city’s religious formalism would end in siege and devastation. The lamentation foretold here anticipates the sound of funeral dirges echoing through the streets as the city reels under divine discipline. Lamentations 2 is post-exilic poetry reflecting on the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. The word captures the multiplication of grief after the Babylonian onslaught, emphasizing that the sorrow is God-ordained (“The Lord has become like an enemy”). Theological Significance • Divine Judgment: In both texts the lament is inseparable from Yahweh’s righteous dealing with His covenant people. Mourning does not arise merely from human tragedy but from the holy response of God to sin. Intertextual Echoes Other Hebrew words for grief occur in passages such as Psalm 137 and Joel 1, yet this specific term highlights the organized, almost liturgical nature of mourning. It anticipates the later use of communal fasts and lament services seen in texts like Nehemiah 9 and Acts 13:2, where God meets His people in corporate humility. Christological and Eschatological Connections The prophetic laments prepare the way for the Man of Sorrows (Isaiah 53:3), whose own lament culminated at the cross, absorbing divine judgment so that ultimate comfort might be offered (2 Corinthians 1:3–5). Eschatologically, Revelation 21:4 promises an end to all lamentation as God wipes away every tear, fulfilling the trajectory begun in Isaiah and Lamentations. Applications for Ministry • Worship Planning: Incorporating seasons of corporate lament (for communal sin, national tragedy, persecution) aligns modern worship with biblical patterns. Summary Found only twice, the word paints a vivid picture of collective wailing under God’s heavy hand, yet it also points beyond judgment to mercy. Scriptural lament ultimately drives believers to the cross, where mourning is turned to comfort, and to the New Jerusalem, where lamentation will cease forever. Forms and Transliterations תַּאֲנִיָּ֖ה תַֽאֲנִיָּה֙ תאניה ta’ănîyāh ṯa’ănîyāh ta·’ă·nî·yāh ṯa·’ă·nî·yāh taaniYahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 29:2 HEB: לַֽאֲרִיאֵ֑ל וְהָיְתָ֤ה תַֽאֲנִיָּה֙ וַֽאֲנִיָּ֔ה וְהָ֥יְתָה NAS: to Ariel, And she will be [a city of] lamenting and mourning; KJV: Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: INT: to Ariel become lamenting and mourning become Lamentations 2:5 2 Occurrences |
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