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Anammelech
answer; poverty of the king
עֲנַמֶּ֫לֶךְ a.nam.me.lekh
Anammelech (Hebrew: עֲנַמֶּ֫לֶךְ, a.nam.me.lekh) means “answer; poverty of the king”, by traditional interpretation. It appears once, at 2 Kings 17:31. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Adrammelech in 2 Kings 17.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Anammelech
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 1 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Divided Kingdom
- Hapax
- Yes occurs exactly once
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | 2 Kings 17:31 |
| Cross-references | 7 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Adrammelech co-occurrence Appears with Adrammelech in 2 Kings 17.
- So co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as So.
- Shalmaneser co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Shalmaneser.
- Elah co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Elah.
- Hoshea co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Hoshea.
- Nebat co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Nebat.
- Ahaz co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Ahaz.
- Hammelech root Shares the element -melech, “king”.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 2Ki.17.31
§ Anammelech = "image of the king"
an Assyrian false god introduced to Israel during the monarchy; worshipped with rites resembling those of Molech; companion god of 'Adrammelech'
Anammelech was an Assyrian deity worshiped by the Sepharvites, who were among the foreign peoples settled in Samaria by the Assyrian king.
The biblical story
Anammelech was an Assyrian deity mentioned in the Bible as one of the gods worshiped by the Sepharvites. The Sepharvites were a people group from the Assyrian Empire who were brought to Samaria by the Assyrian king after the deportation of the Israelites. They settled in the cities of Samaria and continued to worship their own gods, including Anammelech.
The worship of Anammelech involved child sacrifice, as the Sepharvites were known to "burn their children in the fire" as part of their religious practices. This abhorrent act was strongly condemned by God and was one of the reasons for His judgment against the foreign nations who had been settled in Samaria.
The name "Anammelech" is believed to mean "Anu is king" or "Anu is prince," referring to the Mesopotamian sky god Anu. This connection suggests that Anammelech may have been a local deity or a manifestation of Anu worshiped by the Sepharvites. The worship of foreign gods, including Anammelech, was a violation of God's covenant with Israel and demonstrated the syncretistic practices that led to the downfall of the Northern Kingdom.
Key verses
Anammelech appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
2 Kings 17:31
Show all 1 reference
2 Kings (1)
- 2 Kings 17:31