אֲנוּ
we
Definition
אֲנוּ is a first-person plural pronoun meaning 'we'. It is a contracted, poetic, or emphatic form of the more common אֲנַחְנוּ (ʼănaḥnûw, H587). This word functions exclusively as a subject pronoun, referring to a group that includes the speaker. Its single biblical occurrence in Jeremiah 42:6 carries the full weight of a community's collective voice, as the remnant of Judah addresses the prophet Jeremiah.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in Jeremiah 42:6. In this context, it is employed by the people—both the small and the great—as they make a solemn oath before Jeremiah. They use this pronoun to present themselves as a unified body speaking with one voice, declaring, 'Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God.' Its rarity suggests it may have been a more formal or emphatic variant of the standard pronoun.
Etymology
אֲנוּ is a contracted form of the common Hebrew pronoun אֲנַחְנוּ (ʼănaḥnûw, H587), which also means 'we'. This contraction is a linguistic phenomenon where a longer, more common word is shortened, often for poetic meter, emphasis, or dialectical variation. Similar contractions are found in other Semitic languages, indicating a shared linguistic feature.
Semantic Range
Though a simple pronoun, its sole use in Jeremiah 42:6 is theologically significant. It represents the collective voice of God's people at a critical juncture—after the fall of Jerusalem—making a vow of obedience. The tragedy is that this unified 'we' quickly fractures into disobedience (Jeremiah 43:2-4). The word thus marks a poignant moment of communal commitment that highlights the gap between human profession and genuine faith, underscoring the need for a heart transformed by God.
In its ancient Near Eastern context, a collective oath spoken by a community using 'we' carried immense weight. It was a binding social and religious contract. The use of this possibly formal pronoun in Jeremiah 42:6 would have underscored the seriousness of their pledge before God and the prophet, making their subsequent rebellion a grave breach of cultural and covenantal norms.
אֲנַחְנוּ (ʼănaḥnûw, H587) — The standard, more frequently used Hebrew word for 'we', from which אֲנוּ is contracted.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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