Lexical Summary
anaph: boughs, branches
Original Word:עָנָף
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:`anaph
Pronunciation:ah-NAHF
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-nawf')
KJV: bough, branch
NASB:boughs, branches, branch
Word Origin:[from an unused root meaning to cover]
1. a twig (as covering the limbs)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bough, branch
From an unused root meaning to cover; a twig (as covering the limbs) -- bough, branch.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitiona branch, bough
NASB Translationboughs (3), branch (1), branches (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — usually singular collective, absolute
branches of vine
Ezekiel 17:8, plural only suffix
Psalm 80:11 (both in figure);
boughs of tree, construct
Leviticus 23:40, suffix (as if from Kö
ii. 1, 74)
Ezekiel 36:8; singular absolute (in figurative)
Malachi 3:19, of cedar
Ezekiel 17:23;
Ezekiel 31:3.
Topical Lexicon
Entry: עָנָף (’ānāph) – branch, boughCultic Significance: Feast of Booths (Leviticus 23:40)
At the inauguration of the Feast of Booths the people were commanded, “On the first day you are to take the product of splendid trees—palm fronds, leafy branches, and poplars of the brook—and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days” (Leviticus 23:40). Here עָנָף designates the leafy boughs woven into the festive sukkah. The image is one of covenant joy: Israel, having been gathered out of Egypt, now celebrates under the shade of branches that proclaim the Lord’s provision in the wilderness. Modern Jewish practice still reflects this command, and Christian readers find in it an enduring call to remember God’s sheltering grace (John 1:14;Revelation 7:15).
National and Redemptive Imagery
Psalm 80 uses agricultural metaphors to narrate Israel’s story. The transplanted vine spreads so vigorously that “The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars with its branches” (Psalm 80:10). The same noun appears in Ezekiel’s parable of the two eagles (Ezekiel 17). Although the first planting fails through covenant infidelity (Ezekiel 17:8), the Lord promises a future work: “On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; it will produce boughs and bear fruit and become a magnificent cedar” (Ezekiel 17:23). These passages keep before the reader the tension between divine election and human responsibility: Israel’s prosperity is possible only under God’s sovereign care.
God’s Sovereignty over Empires (Ezekiel 31:3)
The prophet compares Assyria to “a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and dense foliage” (Ezekiel 31:3). By using עָנָף to describe pagan greatness, Ezekiel reminds Judah that the same Lord who grants expansive boughs can also break them off (Romans 11:17–22). The rise and fall of nations are therefore traced to the divine gardener rather than to military or economic might.
Promise to the Land (Ezekiel 36:8)
After judgment comes hope: “But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and bear fruit for My people Israel, for they will soon come home” (Ezekiel 36:8). The Branch-bearing hills anticipate both the physical return from exile and the eschatological renewal that climaxes in the New Jerusalem (Isaiah 55:12–13;Revelation 22:2). Ministry application: Evangelism and discipleship flourish where the church trusts the Lord to make barren places fruitful again.
Eschatological Judgment (Malachi 4:1)
“For surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace… not leaving them root or branch” (Malachi 4:1). The final occurrence of עָנָף underscores total eradication. Whereas earlier passages picture luxuriant growth, the Day of the LORD strips the wicked of every last shoot. The warning motivates personal repentance and fuels the church’s proclamation of the gospel while there is still time (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Theological Threads and Ministry Reflections
• Provision and Joy: Booths made from עָנָף teach believers to celebrate God’s shelter in Christ.
• Growth and Mission: Branch imagery portrays the expansive reach of God’s kingdom, inviting participation in gospel outreach (Matthew 13:32).
• Warning and Hope: The same word that speaks of shade can also foretell fiery judgment, pressing home the urgency of holy living (1 Peter 1:14–16).
In Scripture, עָנָף is never a mere botanical term. Whether woven into feasts, shading mountains, or consumed by fire, every branch ultimately points to the Gardener who prunes, plants, and perfects His people for His glory.
Forms and Transliterations
וְעָנָֽף׃ וַ֝עֲנָפֶ֗יהָ וַעֲנַ֥ף וענף וענף׃ וענפיה עַנְפְּכֶ֣ם עָנָ֛ף עָנָף֙ ענף ענפכם ‘ā·nāp̄ ‘an·pə·ḵem ‘ānāp̄ ‘anpəḵem aNaf anpeChem vaaNaf vaanaFeiha veaNaf wa‘ănap̄ wa‘ănāp̄ehā wa·‘ă·nā·p̄e·hā wa·‘ă·nap̄ wə‘ānāp̄ wə·‘ā·nāp̄
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