The first occurrence.
And Abraham answered and said: Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to YHVH, who am but dust and ashes. Gen 18:27
The primitive root.
Strong’s H6030 ענה anah, a primitive root meaning, “to sing, to answer, to reply.” The 3-letter root is ayin + nun + hey.
ayin ע = the eye, thus watch, know, shade
nun נ, ן = the seed, thus continue, heir, son
hey ה = man w/ raised arms, thus look, reveal, wonder, worship, breath
The story: To eye (ayin) continually (nun) while revealing (hey) what is known. When someone is answering with a true report, they look you straightforwardly in the eye, but if they are trying to hide something, as a falsehood, they tend to hide their eyes. This word is most often used of solemn declarations, as when YHVH makes a decree, a judge hands down a sentence, or a witness testifies in court.
Leave a Reply