אַלְלַי
𐤀𐤋𐤋𐤉
ʼalᵉlay
H480 particle
SILEX Entry
Definition
An exclamatory interjection expressing deep lament, grief, or distress, typically uttered in times of personal or communal catastrophe. Its primary function is as an emotional outcry, signaling intense woe or sorrow. The term may carry nuances of desperation or anguish in certain poetic or prophetic contexts.
Semantic Range
woe, alas, exclamatory lament, utterance of sorrow or grief, expression of deep anguish
Root / Etymology
Derived by reduplication from the root אָלָה (ʼalah), which means 'to swear, curse, invoke an oath, appeal.' The reduplicated form intensifies the emotional force, transforming the base root's sense of invocation or pronouncement into a heightened expression of woe.
Historical & Contextual Notes
אַַלְלַי appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, most notably in Job 10:15, as an emphatic cry of misery. It signals not merely sadness but a personal lament of utmost distress, often when facing irreparable loss or overwhelming adversity. Unlike other interjections such as אוֹי (hoy), which serves as a call of warning or mourning, אַַלְלַי is more strictly a self-directed lament. In later rabbinic and poetic Hebrew, the term is largely replaced by other exclamatory expressions. Standard English translations render it as 'woe' or 'alas,' but these may not fully capture the profound anguished outburst signaled in its original context. Its emotional resonance is strongest in poetic or liturgical settings, where the expression of human suffering is foregrounded.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
by reduplication from אָלָה; alas!; woe.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אלה (ʾ-l-h) — to swear, to invoke, to curse, to pronounce solemnly
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H412 | אֵל | these |
| H414 | אֵלָא | Elah |
| H422 | אָלָה | you swore an oath |
| H423 | אָלָה | solemn curse-oath |
| H424 | אֵלָה | her strong oak |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H480-01 |
אַ֣לְלַי | alelay | HTj |
Woe is me | Ah, woe! | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences