a.nach denotes lamenting expressions of distress, heard amid oppression, loss, hunger, wrongdoing, and harsh rule.

The verb marks audible or expressed lament under severe conditions: Israel groans under service, Jerusalem’s people lament amid deprivation and disgrace, and individuals or communities mourn in the face of judgment, loss, or oppressive rule.

1. Lamenting amid distress, loss, or oppression · dominant

   The Niphal forms occur where suffering prompts lament: in Exodus 2:23 the sons of Israel groan because of service, while in Lamentations 1:11 the people are seeking bread and the APB renders the clause “All her people sigh.” In Ezekiel 9:4, the marked men are described in connection with the abominations done in Jerusalem, and in Proverbs 29:2 the people’s response is set against a wicked ruler.

   Exodus 2:23Lamentations 1:11Lamentations 1:4Lamentations 1:21Ezekiel 9:4Proverbs 29:2

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents these clauses with “sigh,” “sighs,” or “groaned,” and in Ezekiel 9:4 pairs “sigh” with “groan.” In Ezekiel 21:11 the imperative forms are present in the supplied Hebrew data, but the APB verse does not overtly reflect them.