בַּעֲנָא
Banana, the name of four Israelite
Definition
Baana is a proper name given to four different Israelite men in the Old Testament. The name means 'son of affliction' or 'son of sorrow,' derived from the Hebrew root for affliction. In 1 Kings 4:12 and 4:16, Baana is the name of two of King Solomon's twelve district governors, responsible for supplying provisions for the royal household. In Nehemiah 3:4, a different Baana is mentioned as the son of a man who helped repair the wall of Jerusalem, though his father's name is obscured in the text.
Biblical Usage
The name Baana is used exclusively as a personal name for men in administrative or communal roles. It appears in the historical books of 1 Kings and Nehemiah. In 1 Kings, it identifies two of Solomon's regional officials (1 Kings 4:12, 4:16), highlighting the administrative structure of the kingdom. In Nehemiah 3:4, it identifies a participant in the wall reconstruction, indicating a family lineage within the post-exilic community.
Etymology
The name בַּעֲנָא (Baʻănâʼ) is a proper noun derived from the same root as the common noun בַּעֲנָה (Baʻănâh, H1196), meaning 'affliction,' 'trouble,' or 'sorrow.' It is a compound name, likely meaning 'son of affliction.' It shares this root with words expressing distress or misery, though as a name its use may have been descriptive or perhaps hopeful for deliverance from such a state.
Semantic Range
As a personal name meaning 'son of affliction,' Baana serves as a subtle reminder of the human condition of suffering and the hope for God's redemption. The individuals bearing this name are found in contexts of royal service (1 Kings) and communal restoration (Nehemiah), suggesting that God works through people from all backgrounds, even those whose names recall hardship, to accomplish His purposes in governance and rebuilding.
In ancient Israelite culture, names often carried significant meaning, describing circumstances of birth, parental hopes, or character. A name like Baana ('son of affliction') may reflect a difficult birth or a family's experience of hardship. Its bearers in the biblical record, however, hold positions of responsibility, indicating that one's name did not necessarily dictate one's future role or status in the community.
בַּעֲנָה (Baʻănâh, H1196) — The common noun meaning 'affliction' or 'trouble,' from which the proper name is derived.
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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