ani · poor, afflicted

What it means

ani (עָנִי) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “poor, afflicted”.

One who suffers need and has no one to defend him; also humble.

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 lowly, oppressed person, with no one to defend them.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Poor, afflicted: one who suffers need, is oppressed and has no one to defend him. It comes from the verb עָנָה (afflict, humble, H6031); close to it is עָנָו (humble).

• The poor whom the law protects Leviticus 19:10Deuteronomy 24:14
• The afflicted who cries out to YHWH Psalms 22:24Psalms 34:6Psalms 86:1
• Doing justice to the afflicted Psalms 82:3Proverbs 22:22
• Oppressing the poor as a sin Ezekiel 18:12Isaiah 3:14

Historical and cultural background

The law commanded leaving what remained in the field and the vineyard “for the poor and for the resident alien” (Leviticus 19:10), and paying the poor hired worker his wages the same day (Deuteronomy 24:14-15).

How we translate it

“Afflicted” 56 times and “poor” 18. “Afflicted” is preferred in the Psalms and the prophets, where the word stresses suffering and oppression (“This afflicted one called”, Psalm 34:6); “poor” in the laws, where it is someone without means (“for the poor and for the resident alien”, Leviticus 19:10).

How it is translated

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

• afflicted ×56
• poor ×18

Related words

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

Where it appears

• Exodus×1
• Leviticus×2
• Deuteronomy×4
• 2 Samuel×1
• Job×6
• Psalms×29
• Proverbs×5
• Ecclesiastes×1
• Isaiah×13
• Jeremiah×1
• Ezekiel×4
• Amos×1
• Habakkuk×1
• Zephaniah×1
• Zechariah×4

• Exodus 22:25

  If you lend silver to my people, to the poor with you, you shall not be to him like a creditor; you shall not lay interest on him.

• Leviticus 19:10

  And your vineyard you shall not strip bare, and the fallen grapes of your vineyard you shall not gather; for the poor and for the resident alien you shall leave them. I am YHWH your Elohim.

• Leviticus 23:22

  And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not finish reaping the edge of your field, and the gleanings of your harvest you shall not gather; for the poor and for the resident alien you shall leave them. I am YHWH your Elohim.”

• Deuteronomy 15:11

  For the needy one will never cease from the midst of the land; therefore I am commanding you, saying, “You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your poor, and to your needy in your land.”

• Deuteronomy 24:12

  And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge.

• Deuteronomy 24:14

  You shall not exploit a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether of your brothers or of your resident aliens who are in your land, within your gates.

• Deuteronomy 24:15

  On his day you shall give him his wages, and the sun shall not go down on him, for he is poor and to it he lifts up his soul; so that he does not cry out against you to YHWH, and it be sin in you.

• 2 Samuel 22:28

  And afflicted people you save, but your eyes are on the haughty, whom you bring low.

• Job 24:9

  They seize the orphan from the breast, and against the poor they take pledges.

• Job 24:14

  With the light the murderer rises; he kills the poor and the needy, and in the night he is like the thief.

• Job 29:12

  because I rescued the poor crying for help, and the orphan, and the one who had no helper.

• Job 34:28

  so as to bring to him the cry of the poor, and the cry of the afflicted he hears.

• Job 36:6

  He does not keep alive the wicked, and the right of the poor he grants.

• Job 36:15

  He delivers the poor in his affliction, and in oppression he uncovers their ear.

• Psalms 9:18

  For not forever will the needy be forgotten; the hope of the afflicted will not perish forever.

• Psalms 10:2

  In his pride the wicked hotly pursues the afflicted; let them be caught in the plans that they have devised.

• Psalms 10:9

  He lies in wait in the hiding place like a lion in its lair; he lies in wait to seize the afflicted; he seizes the afflicted by dragging him into his net.

• Psalms 12:5

  “Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, now I will arise,” says YHWH; “I will set in safety the one they snort at.”

• Psalms 14:6

  The counsel of the afflicted you put to shame, for YHWH is his refuge.

• Psalms 18:27

  For you save an afflicted people, and haughty eyes you bring low.

• Psalms 22:24

  For he has not despised nor detested the affliction of the afflicted, nor has he hidden his face from him; and when he cried for help to him, he heard.

• Psalms 25:16

  Turn to me and show me favor, for I am alone and afflicted.

• Psalms 34:6

  This afflicted one called, and YHWH heard, and from all his distresses he saved him.

• Psalms 35:10

  All my bones will say, “YHWH, who is like you, who delivers the afflicted from one stronger than he, and the afflicted and the needy from the one who robs him?”

• Psalms 37:14

  The sword the wicked have drawn, and they have bent their bow to bring down the afflicted and the needy, to butcher the upright in their way.

• Psalms 40:17

  And I am afflicted and needy; Adonai will think of me; my help and the one who brings me to safety are you; my Elohim, do not delay.

• Psalms 68:10

  Your flock settled in it; you prepared, in your goodness, for the afflicted, Elohim.

• Psalms 69:29

  But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, Elohim, set me on high.

• Psalms 70:5

  And I am afflicted and needy; Elohim, hurry to me; my help and the one who brings me to safety are you; YHWH, do not delay.

• Psalms 72:2

  May he judge your people with righteousness, and your afflicted with justice.

• Psalms 72:4

  May he judge the afflicted of the people, save the sons of the needy, and crush the oppressor.

• Psalms 72:12

  For he will deliver the needy who cries out, and the afflicted and him who has no helper.

• Psalms 74:19

  Do not give to the wild beast the soul of your turtledove; the life of your afflicted ones do not forget forever.

• Psalms 74:21

  Let not the oppressed turn back humiliated; let the afflicted and the needy praise your name.

• Psalms 82:3

  Judge the poor and the orphan; do justice to the afflicted and the destitute.

• Psalms 86:1

  A prayer of David. Incline your ear, YHWH; answer me, for I am afflicted and needy.

• Psalms 88:15

  Afflicted am I and dying from youth; I have borne your terrors; I am bewildered.

• Psalms 102:1

  A prayer of the afflicted one, when he grows faint and before YHWH pours out his complaint. YHWH, hear my prayer, and let my cry for help come to you.

• Psalms 109:16

  because he did not remember to show loyal love, but pursued the afflicted and needy man, and the brokenhearted to put him to death.

• Psalms 109:22

  For afflicted and needy am I, and my heart is pierced within me.

And 34 more times.