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אָבַל

𐤀𐤁𐤋

ʼâbal

H56 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To mourn, grieve, or express ritual lamentation, particularly as a formal response to death or calamity. The verb denotes the actions and emotional state associated with bereavement, especially public or communal mourning ceremonies.

Semantic Range

to mourn, to bewail, to lament, to perform ritual mourning, to grieve, to enter a state of mourning

Root / Etymology

Root: אבל. The core meaning of the root is 'to mourn' or 'to lament.' The verb אָבַל is the simple Qal or Niphal form directly from this root, expressing the state or act of mourning, frequently, but not exclusively, in ritual context. Cognate forms in related Northwest Semitic languages often denote mourning or lamentation as well.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, אָבַל describes both individual and corporate acts of mourning, including the practices associated with loss of a family member, leader, or communal disaster. The word appears in both narrative and prophetic genres to describe customary mourning behaviors such as weeping, wearing sackcloth, or formal periods of ritual grief. In some cases (e.g., Genesis 37:34-35), it emphasizes extended emotional suffering, not simply formal ritual. The related term קָדַר (qadar) also covers aspects of sorrow or gloom but is more often associated with the appearance of mourning rather than the act itself. אָבַל is distinct from terms like סָפַד (sapad, 'to wail or lament in song') in that אָבַל emphasizes the experiential and ritual aspects of grief rather than performative lament. Usage persists from early patriarchal narratives to late prophetic books, reflecting continuity in Israelite mourning customs. Standard English translations using 'mourn,' 'lament,' or 'bewail' generally communicate the word's sense, though they may lack nuance regarding social and ritual implications. The term is not uniquely Israelite and parallels mourning vocabulary in neighboring ancient Near Eastern cultures.

Translation Consistency

primary "mourn" 38 occurrences

Most common, natural English equivalent for אָבַל and fits the full semantic range (to mourn, bewail, lament, perform ritual mourning). "Mourn" is widely used in both narrative and ritual contexts, is plain-language rather than archaic, and can be inflected consistently for all forms (mourned, mourning, mourns, etc.). It best preserves the typical usage across the occurrences.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"mourners" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to bewail; lament, mourn.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

אבל (ʼâbal) — to mourn, to lament, to grieve

Root אבל to mourn, to lament, to grieve
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H57 אָבֵל mourning man
H58 אָבֵל
H60 אֵבֶל mourning-of
H61 אֲבָל but indeed

Word Forms

20 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H56-02 אָבְלָ֤ה avelah HVqp3fs mourns mourning mourning 5
H56-11 תֶּאֱבַ֣ל teeval HVqi3fs will mourn she will mourn it will mourn 4
H56-16 וַ/יִּתְאַבֵּ֛ל vayiteabel HC/Vtw3ms and mourned and he went into mourning and he mourned 4
H56-19 וְ/אָֽבְלוּ֙ veavelu HC/Vqp3cp and mourn and they mourned and they mourned 4
H56-01 אָבַ֨ל aval HVqp3ms mourned but indeed mourned 3
H56-08 מִתְאַבֵּ֣ל miteabel HVtrmsa he was mourning mourning himself mourn 3
H56-17 וַ/יִּֽתְאַבְּל֣וּ vayiteabelu HC/Vtw3mp and mourned they entered mourning and they mourned 2
H56-20 יִתְאַבָּ֑ל yiteabal HVtj3ms mourn let him enter mourning let him mourn 2
H56-03 אָֽבְלוּ֙ avelu HVqp3cp have mourned they mourned have mourned 1
H56-04 הַ/מִּֽתְאַבְּלִ֖ים hamiteabelim HTd/Vtrmpa who mourn the mourning ones the mourning ones 1

Occurrences in Scripture

39 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H56-16 Genesis 37:34 וַ/יִּתְאַבֵּ֥ל vayiteabel HC/Vtw3ms mourned and he went into mourning and he mourned
H56-15 Exodus 33:4 וַ/יִּתְאַבָּ֑לוּ vayiteabalu HC/Vtw3mp and they mourned they entered into mourning they entered into mourning
H56-17 Numbers 14:39 וַ/יִּֽתְאַבְּל֥וּ vayiteabelu HC/Vtw3mp and mourned they entered mourning and they mourned
H56-17 1 Samuel 6:19 וַ/יִּֽתְאַבְּל֣וּ vayiteabelu HC/Vtw3mp and the people mourned they entered mourning and they mourned
H56-06 1 Samuel 15:35 הִתְאַבֵּ֥ל hiteabel HVtp3ms grieved he entered into mourning he entered into mourning
H56-08 1 Samuel 16:1 מִתְאַבֵּ֣ל miteabel HVtrmsa mourn mourning himself mourn
H56-16 2 Samuel 13:37 וַ/יִּתְאַבֵּ֥ל vayiteabel HC/Vtw3ms And mourned and he went into mourning and he mourned
H56-07 2 Samuel 14:2 הִֽתְאַבְּלִי hiteabeli HVtv2fs mourn Mourn yourself mourn yourself
H56-09 2 Samuel 14:2 מִתְאַבֶּ֖לֶת miteabelet HVtrfsa mourning the one mourning herself mourning herself
H56-16 2 Samuel 19:2 וַ/יִּתְאַבֵּ֖ל vayiteabel HC/Vtw3ms and mourns and he went into mourning and he mourned
H56-19 Isaiah 3:26 וְ/אָבְל֖וּ veavelu HC/Vqq3cp and mourn and they mourned and they mourned
H56-19 Isaiah 19:8 וְ/אָ֣בְל֔וּ veavelu HC/Vqq3cp and they will lament and they mourned and they will mourn
H56-02 Isaiah 24:4 אָבְלָ֤ה avelah HVqp3fs mourns mourning mourning
H56-01 Isaiah 24:7 אָבַ֥ל aval HVqp3ms mourned but indeed mourned
H56-01 Isaiah 33:9 אָבַ֤ל aval HVqp3ms mourned but indeed mourned
H56-04 Isaiah 66:10 הַ/מִּֽתְאַבְּלִ֖ים hamiteabelim HTd/Vtrmpa who mourn the mourning ones the mourning ones
H56-11 Jeremiah 4:28 תֶּאֱבַ֣ל teeval HVqi3fs shall mourn she will mourn she will mourn
H56-11 Jeremiah 12:4 תֶּאֱבַ֣ל teeval HVqi3fs will mourn she will mourn it will mourn
H56-02 Jeremiah 12:11 אָבְלָ֥ה avelah HVqp3fs it mourns mourning mourning
H56-02 Jeremiah 14:2 אָבְלָ֣ה avelah HVqp3fs mourns mourning mourning
H56-02 Jeremiah 23:10 אָבְלָ֣ה avelah HVqp3fs mourns mourning mourning
H56-20 Ezekiel 7:12 יִתְאַבָּ֑ל yiteabal HVtj3ms mourn let him enter mourning let him mourn
H56-20 Ezekiel 7:27 יִתְאַבָּ֗ל yiteabal HVti3ms will mourn let him enter mourning let him mourn
H56-05 Ezekiel 31:15 הֶאֱבַ֜לְתִּי heevaleti HVhp1cs I caused to mourn I caused to mourn I caused to mourn
H56-11 Hosea 4:3 תֶּאֱבַ֣ל teeval HVqi3fs will mourn she will mourn it will mourn
H56-01 Hosea 10:5 אָבַ֨ל aval HVqp3ms mourned but indeed mourned
H56-03 Joel 1:9 אָֽבְלוּ֙ avelu HVqp3cp have mourned they mourned have mourned
H56-02 Joel 1:10 אָבְלָ֖ה avelah HVqp3fs mourns mourning mourning
H56-19 Amos 1:2 וְ/אָֽבְלוּ֙ veavelu HC/Vqp3cp and shall mourn and they mourned and they mourned
H56-18 Amos 8:8 וְ/אָבַ֖ל veaval HC/Vqq3ms and mourn and he mourned and mourn
H56-19 Amos 9:5 וְ/אָבְל֖וּ veavelu HC/Vqp3cp and mourn and they mourned and they mourned
H56-11 Job 14:22 תֶּאֱבָֽל teeval HVqi3fs shall mourn she will mourn it will mourn
H56-14 Lamentations 2:8 וַ/יַּֽאֲבֶל vayaavel HC/Vhw3ms and he caused to mourn and he caused to mourn and he caused to mourn
H56-08 Daniel 10:2 מִתְאַבֵּ֔ל miteabel HVtrmsa mourning mourning himself mourning
H56-08 Ezra 10:6 מִתְאַבֵּ֖ל miteabel HVtrmsa he was mourning mourning himself was mourning
H56-13 Nehemiah 1:4 וָ/אֶתְאַבְּלָ֖/ה vaeteabelah HC/Vtw1cs/Sh and mourned and I entered mourning and I mourned
H56-12 Nehemiah 8:9 תִּֽתְאַבְּל֖וּ titeabelu HVtj2mp mourn may you mourn yourselves mourn
H56-16 1 Chronicles 7:22 וַ/יִּתְאַבֵּ֛ל vayiteabel HC/Vtw3ms and mourned and he went into mourning and he mourned
H56-10 2 Chronicles 35:24 מִֽתְאַבְּלִ֖ים miteabelim HVtrmpa mourned the ones mourning the mourners
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