Bible Word Study
יַעֲנַי
Yaʻănay · Jaanai, an Israelite
יַעֲנַי
Jaanai, an Israelite
Definition
Jaanai is a proper name of an Israelite mentioned in the genealogical records of 1 Chronicles 5:12. As a personal name, it identifies a specific individual from the tribe of Gad. The name likely carries the meaning 'responsive' or 'he answers,' derived from its etymological root. In the biblical context, it functions solely to denote this person within a list of Gadite chiefs and warriors.
Biblical Usage
The word יַעֲנַי (Yaʻănay) is used only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 5:12. It appears in a genealogical list detailing the descendants of Gad who lived in the Transjordan region. The context is purely historical and onomastic, serving to record a lineage of tribal leaders. There are no patterns of usage beyond this single attestation.
Etymology
The name יַעֲנַי (Yaʻănay) is derived from the same root as H3283 (יָעֵן, yaʻan), which means 'to answer' or 'to be responsive.' It is a proper noun formed from this verbal root, likely in a participial or gentilic form, meaning 'responsive one' or 'he who answers.' This connects it conceptually to other Hebrew names and words involving response or answer.
Semantic Range
As a personal name, 'Jaanai' reflects the common Israelite practice of using meaningful, theophoric, or descriptive names. A name meaning 'responsive' may have expressed a hope for divine favor or a characteristic of the individual. Its appearance in a chronicle of Gadite warriors situates him within the social structure of a tribe known for its military capability (1 Chronicles 5:18).
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]