חָנַן
chânan · H2603 · Hebrew · 77 occurrences
Meanings
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to be kindly disposed, to be generous, to be merciful, to be gracious, to pity
State in which humans or deities are favorably disposed to (other) humans, and act accordingly
ExamplesGenesis 33:11 “Please accept my gift which has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have plenty.” So he urged him, and he accepted it.
Genesis 43:29 And as he raised his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
Exodus 33:19 And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion to whom I will show compassion.”
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to beg for mercy, to make supplication
Causative action by which humans try to win a favorable attitude from deities or from other humans by approaching that deity or person in a very humble way
ExamplesGenesis 42:21 Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; for that reason this distress has happened to us.”
Deuteronomy 3:23 “I also pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying,
1 Kings 8:33 “When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, if they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and implore Your favor in this house,
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to grant
Causative action by which humans or deities give something to (other) humans out of the kind disposition of their hearts
ExamplesGenesis 33:5 He raised his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”
Judges 21:22 “And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we shall say to them, ‘Give them to us voluntarily, because we did not take for each man of Benjamin a wife in battle, nor did you give them to them, otherwise you would now be guilty.’”
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to grant
Causative action by which deities impart knowledge to humans out of the kind disposition of their hearts
ExamplesPsalm 119:29 Remove the false way from me, And graciously grant me Your Law.
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to speak kindly or charmingly
Literally to make one's voice kind, and hence actions by which humans speak graciously in order to win a favorable attitude from other humans
ExamplesProverbs 26:25 When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, Because there are seven abominations in his heart.
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to be repulsive
Causative action by which humans arouse in other humans an feeling of disgust, so that they do not want to associate with them
ExamplesJob 19:17 “My breath is offensive to my wife, And I am loathsome to my own brothers.
How it’s used In 9 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
75 occurrences in 17 groups
- Not stated: you (one person) 25
- Not stated: I 9
- Not stated: he, she or it 9
- Not stated: they 6
- Not stated (participle) 5
- אֱלֹהִיםGod, gods 4
- Other words · 9 groups that occur once or twice (11) 11
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
50 occurrences in 17 groups
- נִיme 23
- נוּus 7
- ךָּyou 3
- Other words · 14 groups that occur once or twice (17) 17
Second objectAs in “call him Lord”
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- תּוֹרָהlaw, instruction 1
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
24 occurrences in 22 groups
- לto/for+ וֹhim 4
- אֵלto, toward+ ךָּyou 3
- לto/for+ אָמַרto say 3
- לto/for+ פָּנִיםface, presence, before 3
- Other words · 18 groups that occur once or twice (21) 21
With adverbsAdverbs
6 occurrences in 2 groups
- לֹאnot 5
- אַלnot, do not 1
What it doesIt is the subject
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- הָיָהto be, to become 1
What is done to itIt is the object
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- חָנַןto be gracious, to have mercy 1
What it is said to bePredicate
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- לָוָהto join 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
3 occurrences in 2 groups
- לto/for 3
- בin/on/with 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Near synonyms 2 words
- חוּס chûwç · H2347 · to have pity, to spare, to mind
- Both lexemes express mercy or compassion, describing a favorable disposition or compassionate action toward another.
- רָחַם râcham · H7355 · to love, to be merciful, to have mercy (on someone)
- Two distinct Hebrew roots (חנן vs. רחם) expressing overlapping "mercy/compassion" senses, genuinely substitutable in context.
In the other Testament 2 words
- ἐλεέω eleéō · G1653 · to show mercy, to be merciful toward, to have mercy on
- Greek ἐλεέω focuses specifically on the act of showing mercy or compassion, while Hebrew חָנַן encompasses a broader semantic range including favor, grace, and mercy, with חָנַן serving as the standard Hebrew rendering for the mercy/compassion subset that ἐλεέω explicitly denotes.
- δέομαι déomai · G1189 · to plead, to beg
- δέομαι (déomai, G1189) δέομαι emphasizes the petition/supplication aspect of חָנַן (chânan, H2603) חָנַן specifically when directed toward seeking favor or mercy, rather than the broader sense of showing gracious favor itself (which would be χάρις (cháris, G5485) χάρις or cognates).
Semantic domains 5 entries
- Merciful002001002019
- The word denotes showing gracious favor or mercy toward another, as in Genesis 33:5's and 33:11's accounts of God dealing graciously with Jacob's household.
- Non-Possess002003002018
- This entry carries no independent "Non-Possess" sense of its own beyond the ordinary sense of showing generosity or being gracious to the poor and needy, as at Proverbs 14:21, 14:31, and 19:17 ("one who is gracious to a poor person lends to the LORD") — a real but narrow extension of the word's dominant graciousness sense, not a distinct lexical sense of dispossession.
- Know002004002007
- This entry carries no independent "Know" sense of its own; every genuine tagged occurrence of חָנַן concerns being gracious, pleading for favor, or showing compassion (Genesis 33:5, Exodus 33:19, Numbers 6:25), not cognition or knowing. The domain is bundle-shared with a homographic root.
- Speak002004001009008
- The word denotes making a spoken plea, as in Genesis 42:21's account of Joseph's brothers recalling how he pleaded with them and they would not listen.
- Unwilling002001002031
- This entry carries no independent "Unwilling" sense of its own; every genuine tagged occurrence concerns being gracious or pleading for favor, the opposite of unwillingness. The domain is bundle-shared with a homographic root.
Word family 10 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H2603. chanan I. חָנַן verb shew favour, be gracious (Late Hebrew id., Aramaic חֲנַן ;…
I. חָנַן verb shew favour, be gracious (Late Hebrew id., Aramaic חֲנַן ; Arabic yearn towards, long for, be merciful, compassionate, favourable, inclined towards; Sabean חן in proper name מסבררהם חן DHMEpigr. Denkm. 40; Phoenician חנן in חן favour, and proper name as חננבעל אלחנן,; Assyrian in derivatives annu, grace, favour, unninu, têninu nannu, id., LotzTP ZimBP 23, 66) —
Qal Perfect חָנַן Gen 33:5; suffix חַנַּ֫נִי Gen 33:11; יְ֯חַנַּנִי 2Sa 12:22; חַנֹּתִי Exo 33:19; חָנָ֑נוּ Lam 4:16; Imperfect יֶחֱנַן Amo 5:15; יָחֹן Deu 28:50; וַיָּ֫חָן 2Ki 13:23; suffix יָחְנְךָ Gen 43:29; Isa 30:19; וִיחֻנֶּךָָ Num 6:25; יְחֻנֶּנּוּ Isa 27:11; Job 33:24; יְחָנֵּנוּ Psa 67:2; Psa 123:2; Mal 1:9; תָּחֹן Psa 59:6; suffix תְּחָנֵּם Deu 7:2; אָחֹן Exo 33:19; Imperative suffix חָנֵּנִי Psa 4:2 17t. Psalms; חָנְנֵנִי Psa 9:14 (Baer pts. חַנְנֵנִי); חָנֵּנוּ Isa 33:2; Psa 123:3 (twice in verse); חָנּוּנוּ Jdg 21:22; חָנּנִֻי Job 19:21 (twice in verse); Infinitive absolute חָנוֺן Isa 30:19; construct חַנּוֺת Psa 77:10; חֶנְנָהּ Psa 102:14; חֲנַנְכֶם Isa 30:18; Participle חֹנֵן Pro 14:31; חוֺנֵן Psa 37:21 Psa 37:5t. Psalms, Proverbs — favour, shew favour; 1 of man:
a. Jdg 21:22 favour us with them (2 accusative; i.e. by giving them to us).
b. in dealing with the poor, needy, and orphans, absolute Psa 37:21; Psa 37:26 = Psa 112:5; with accusative Pro 14:31; Pro 19:17; Pro 28:8;
c. לְ Psa 109:12.
c. by considering and sparing, with accusative Deu 7:2; Deu 28:50; Lam 4:16; Job 19:21 (twice in verse).
2 of God,
a. in the bestowal of favours, with accusative Gen 33:11 (E), Gen 43:29 (J), Num 6:25 (P), 2Sa 12:22; double accusative Gen 33:5 (E), חָנֵּנִי תּוֺרָֽתְךָ be gracious unto me (in giving) thy law Psa 119:29.
b. usually in the bestowal of redemption from enemies, evils, and sins; absolute Psa 77:10, elsewhere with accusative Exo 33:19 (twice in verse) (JE), Amo 5:15; 2Ki 13:23; Isa 27:11; Isa 30:18-19, (twice in verse); Isa 33:2; Mal 1:9; Psa 4:2; Psa 6:3; Psa 9:14; Psa 25:16; Psa 26:11; Psa 27:7; Psa 30:11; Psa 31:10; Psa 41:5; Psa 41:11; Psa 51:3; Psa 56:2; Psa 57:2 (twice in verse); Psa 59:6; Psa 67:2; Psa 86:3; Psa 86:16; Psa 102:14; Psa 119:58; Psa 119:132; Psa 123:2; Psa 123:3 (twice in verse); Job 33:24. — Job 19:17 see II. חנן
Niph`al Perfect2feminine singular נֵחַנְתְּ Jer 22:23 be pitied (compare נֵאַר √ארר) but ᵑ9 ᵑ6 ᵐ5 express groan (i.e. נֶאֱנַחְתְּ), which is favoured by context, and adopted by Hi Ew Gf Gie and others
Pi`el Imperfect3masculine singular make gracious, favourable קוֺלוֺ כִּייְֿחַנֵּן Pro 26:25.
Poe`l Imperfect3masculine singular direct favour to (Ges§ 55, 1) יְחֹנֵנוּ וְאֶתעֲֿפָרָהּ Psa 102:15; Participle עֲנָיִ֯ים מְחוֺנֵן Pro 14:21.
Hoph`al Imperfect יֻחַן be shewn favour, consideration Isa 26:10; Pro 21:10.
Hithpa`el Perfect2masculine singular הִתְחַנַּנְתָּה 1Ki 9:3 1Ki 9:5t. Perfect; Imperfect וַיִּתְחַנֵּן 2Ki 1:13; וַתִּתְחַנֶּןֿ Est 8:3; אֶתְחַנָּ֑ן Psa 30:9 +?t. Imperfect; Infinitive לְהִתְחֶנֶּןֿ Est 4:8; בְּהִתְחַנְנוֺ Gen 42:21 — seek or implore favour:
1 of man, with אֶל Gen 42:21 (E) 2Ki 1:13; with לְ Job 19:16; Est 4:8; Est 8:3.
2 of God, with אֶלֿ Deu 3:23; 1Ki 8:33, 1Ki 8:47 2Ch 6:37; Job 8:5; Psa 30:9; Psa 142:2; with לְ Hos 12:5; Job 9:15; with לפני 1Ki 8:59; 1Ki 9:3; 2Ch 6:24.
II. [חָנַן] be loathsome (compare Arabic x. foetorem emisit (puteus); Syriac rancid); — only בִטְנִי לִבְנֵי וְחַנֹּתִ֫י Job 19:17 and I am loath-some to the sons of my womb (|| זָרָה see II. זור), so RVm Ew De Di and others (On the tone see De.)
[חֲנַן] verb shew favour (see Biblical Hebrew); —
Pa`el Infinitive with aff. person מִחַן (K§ K:46, 3 a) Dan 4:24 (compare Biblical Hebrew
Po`. Pro 14:21).
Hithpa. implore favour (of God; so Biblical Hebrew Hithpa`el), Participle מִתְחַנֵּן Dan 6:12.
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 5 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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