† יַעְנַי n.pr.m. 1 Ch 5:12. H4617
Answer, response, reply; purpose, intent
The noun מַעֲנֶה (ma'aneh), from the root עָנָה ('to answer'), denotes a verbal response or reply — the substance of what one says in return. Proverbs treasures this word: 'a soft answer turns away wrath' (Prov 15:1), and 'a word in its season, how good it is!' (Prov 15:23). In Job 32, the young Elihu waits for the friends' answer that never comes (32:3, 5), then speaks because their silence has left no reply. A single occurrence in Proverbs 16:4 stretches the word toward 'purpose' or 'intent' — 'the LORD has made everything for its purpose' — where the idea of an 'answer' becomes a fitting response built into creation's design.
Senses
1. answer, response, reply — A verbal answer, response, or reply given in dialogue or discourse. In Proverbs 15:1 a 'gentle answer' (מַעֲנֶה־רַךְ) turns away wrath — one of the Bible's most memorable proverbs on the power of words. Proverbs 15:23 celebrates the joy of giving an apt reply, and Proverbs 16:1 observes that 'the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.' In Job 32:3 and 32:5, Elihu's frustration grows because Job's three friends could produce no מַעֲנֶה — no adequate response to refute Job. French 'réponse,' Spanish 'respuesta,' and German 'antwortete' all converge on the straightforward speech-reply meaning across these passages. 7×
AR["إِجابَةٌ","بِجَوابِ-","جَواباً","جَوابٌ","جَوابٌ-","جَوابُ","جَوَابٌ"]·ben["উত্তর","উত্তর-","উত্তরে-"]·DE["[במענה]","von-antwortete"]·EN["an-answer","answer","answer-of","in-an-answer-of","response"]·FR["dans-réponse","de-il-a-répondu","réponse"]·heb["ב-מענה־","מענה","מענה־"]·HI["उत्तर","उत्तर-में","उत्तर।"]·ID["Jawaban-","dengan-jawaban-","jawaban","tanggapan"]·IT["[מענה]","an-answer","answer","answer-di","in-in-an-answer-di","response"]·jav["ing-wangsulan-saking","wangsulan","wangsulan-saking"]·KO["대답-에서-","대답은","대답을","대답이","대답이-","응답-이"]·PT["Resposta-","em-resposta-de-","resposta","resposta-de"]·RU["в-ответе-","ответ","ответ-","ответа"]·ES["Respuesta","en-respuesta-de","respuesta","respuesta-de"]·SW["jibu","jibu-kutoka-kwa","jibu-la","katika-jibu-la"]·TR["cevabı","cevabında-","cevap","cevap-"]·urd["جواب","جواب-میں"]
2. purpose, intent — An extended sense meaning 'purpose,' 'intent,' or 'fitting response' — the inherent design or appointed end of something. Attested only in Proverbs 16:4: 'The LORD has made everything לְמַעֲנֵהוּ' — 'for its purpose' or, more literally, 'for its answer,' as though each created thing carries within it a response to the Creator's design. English 'for his purpose' and Spanish 'para propósito suyo' confirm this specialized meaning. The semantic link to sense 1 is elegant: just as a verbal answer is the fitting response to a question, a thing's purpose is its fitting response to its maker's intent. 1×
AR["لِغَرَضِهِ"]·ben["তাঁর-উদ্দেশ্যের-জন্য"]·DE["[למענהו]"]·EN["for-his-purpose"]·FR["son-réponse-lui"]·heb["ל-מענהו"]·HI["उद्देश्य-के-लिए"]·ID["untuk-tujuannya"]·IT["al-per-suo-purpose-suo"]·jav["kanggé-ancas"]·KO["목적-대로-그-의"]·PT["para-seu-propósito"]·RU["для-цели-Своей"]·ES["para-propósito-suyo"]·SW["kwa-kusudi-lake"]·TR["amacı-için"]·urd["مقصد-اپنے-کے-لیے"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† יַעְנַי n.pr.m. 1 Ch 5:12.