anan · cloud

What it means

anan (עָנָן) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “cloud”.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. A mass of vapor in the sky that gives shade, brings rain or covers the light.
2. The cloud of YHWH's presence.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Cloud. BDB: a cloud, a mass of cloud.

• The bow in the cloud Genesis 9:13
• The pillar of cloud that leads Exodus 13:21Numbers 9:17
• The cloud on Sinai: “in a thick cloud” Exodus 19:9Exodus 24:15
• The cloud that fills the dwelling Exodus 40:34Leviticus 16:2
• “Like a morning cloud” Hosea 6:4

Historical and cultural background

The cloud marks the presence of YHWH in the wilderness: it covers the tent of meeting when it is finished (Exodus 40:34), and the people set out or camp as the cloud is lifted or settles (Numbers 9:17).

How we translate it

“Cloud” 84 times and “clouds” 3. עַמּוּד עָנָן is “pillar of cloud” (Exodus 13:21). Other Hebrew words for clouds, such as those in Job, are also rendered “clouds”; pointing at the word shows which one the text uses.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• cloud ×84
• clouds ×3

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×4
• Exodus×20
• Leviticus×2
• Numbers×20
• Deuteronomy×5
• 1 Kings×2
• 2 Chronicles×2
• Nehemiah×2
• Job×6
• Psalms×4
• Isaiah×2
• Jeremiah×1
• Lamentations×1
• Ezekiel×11
• Hosea×2
• Joel×1
• Nahum×1
• Zephaniah×1

• Genesis 9:13

  my bow I have put in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

• Genesis 9:14

  And it will happen, when I bring clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the cloud,

• Genesis 9:16

  And the bow will be in the cloud, and I will see it to remember the eternal covenant between Elohim and every living being of all flesh that is on the earth.”

• Exodus 13:21

  YHWH went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give light to them, so that they could travel by day and by night.

• Exodus 13:22

  The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

• Exodus 14:19

  Then the angel of Elohim, who was going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them,

• Exodus 14:20

  and it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness, and it lit up the night; and the one did not come near the other all night.

• Exodus 14:24

  In the morning watch, YHWH looked down on the camp of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and threw into confusion the camp of the Egyptians.

• Exodus 16:10

  As Aaron spoke to all the community of the sons of Israel, they turned toward the wilderness, and look, the glory of YHWH appeared in the cloud.

• Exodus 19:9

  YHWH said to Moses, “Look, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to YHWH.

• Exodus 19:16

  On the third day, when morning came, there were thunders and lightnings and a heavy cloud on the mountain, and the sound of a horn, very loud; and all the people who were in the camp trembled.

• Exodus 24:15

  Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.

• Exodus 24:16

  The glory of YHWH dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and on the seventh day he called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.

• Exodus 24:18

  Moses entered the midst of the cloud and went up onto the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

• Exodus 33:9

  And whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and he would speak with Moses.

• Exodus 33:10

  And all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, and all the people would rise and bow down, each man at the entrance of his tent.

• Exodus 34:5

  And YHWH descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of YHWH.

• Exodus 40:34

  Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of YHWH filled the dwelling.

• Exodus 40:35

  And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting, for the cloud dwelt on it, and the glory of YHWH filled the dwelling.

• Exodus 40:36

  And whenever the cloud was taken up from over the dwelling, the sons of Israel would set out, in all their journeys.

• Exodus 40:37

  But if the cloud was not taken up, they would not set out until the day that it was taken up.

• Exodus 40:38

  For the cloud of YHWH was on the dwelling by day, and fire was in it by night, before the eyes of all the house of Israel, in all their journeys.

• Leviticus 16:2

  And YHWH said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother that he is not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, in front of the cover of expiation that is on the ark, so that he does not die; for in the cloud I will appear over the cover of expiation.

• Leviticus 16:13

  And he shall put the incense on the fire before YHWH, and the cloud of the incense shall cover the cover of expiation that is over the testimony, so that he does not die.

• Numbers 9:15

  And on the day the dwelling was set up, the cloud covered the dwelling, the tent of the testimony; and in the evening there was over the dwelling something like the appearance of fire until morning.

• Numbers 9:16

  So it was continually: the cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night.

• Numbers 9:17

  And whenever the cloud was lifted from over the tent, after that the sons of Israel would set out; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the sons of Israel would camp.

• Numbers 9:18

  According to the command of YHWH the sons of Israel would set out, and according to the command of YHWH they would camp; all the days that the cloud dwelt over the dwelling they would remain camped.

• Numbers 9:19

  And when the cloud lingered over the dwelling many days, the sons of Israel would keep the charge of YHWH and not set out.

• Numbers 9:20

  And sometimes the cloud was a few days over the dwelling; according to the command of YHWH they would camp, and according to the command of YHWH they would set out.

• Numbers 9:21

  And sometimes the cloud was there from evening until morning; and when the cloud was lifted in the morning, they would set out; or a day and a night, and when the cloud was lifted, they would set out.

• Numbers 9:22

  Or two days, or a month, or a year, while the cloud lingered over the dwelling, dwelling on it, the sons of Israel would remain camped and not set out; but when it was lifted, they would set out.

• Numbers 10:11

  And it happened in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, that the cloud was lifted from over the dwelling of the testimony.

• Numbers 10:12

  And the sons of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud settled in the wilderness of Paran.

• Numbers 10:34

  And the cloud of YHWH was over them by day when they set out from the camp.

• Numbers 11:25

  And YHWH came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy men, the elders; and when the spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not continue.

• Numbers 12:5

  And YHWH came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent, and called Aaron and Miriam, and the two of them came out.

• Numbers 12:10

  And the cloud withdrew from over the tent, and look, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and look, she was leprous.

• Numbers 14:14

  and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, YHWH, are in the midst of this people, that you, YHWH, are seen eye to eye, and your cloud stands over them, and in a pillar of cloud you go before them by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

• Numbers 16:42

  And it happened, when the community had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and look, the cloud covered it, and the glory of YHWH appeared.

And 47 more times.