This verb is often translated as "to be gracious" or "have mercy," however these are abstract terms and do not help us understand the meaning of this verb from an Hebraic perspective, which always relates words to something concrete. One of the best tools to use to find the more concrete meaning of a word is to look at how that word is paralleled with other words in poetical passages. In the book of Psalms the word Hhanan is paralleled with "heal," "help," "raise up," "refuge" and "give strength." From a concrete Hebraic perspective, חנן means all of this, and no English word can convey the meaning of the Hebrew, but we could sum up its meaning with "providing protection." Where would a nomadic Hebrew run for protection? The camp, which in the Hebrew language is the word mahhaneh (Strong's # 4264), a noun related to Hhanan.
Strong's: #2603 |
Definition of Hebrew Words 
