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צָעַק

𐤑𐤏𐤒

tsâʻaq

H6817 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To cry out loudly, to call or shout for help or attention, especially in situations of distress, grievance, or urgency. Tsâʻaq primarily denotes a vocal utterance driven by intense emotional states, most often associated with distress, oppression, or appeal for justice. The word is used for individuals, groups, or even metaphorically for the land itself, expressing a need or demand for response. It may occasionally extend to the calling together of an assembly, but the core sense is overwhelmingly that of a loud, urgent cry.

Semantic Range

to cry out in distress, to shout or yell, to call loudly for help, to proclaim or call an assembly, to raise an urgent outcry, to appeal for intervention

Root / Etymology

Root: צעק. Derived from the root meaning 'to cry out/loudly call.' The root conveys the act of raising one’s voice in distress, complaint, or summons, frequently seeking intervention from a human authority or from God. No evidence of related non-Semitic roots; usage is well-attested in Hebrew and cognate Semitic languages.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Tsâʻaq appears frequently in narrative and poetic contexts depicting individuals or communities experiencing suffering, injustice, or threat. It is often used to describe the Israelites' cries during bondage in Egypt, appeals to God in times of crisis, and outcries against societal wrongdoing. In some cases, the term is applied metaphorically to the 'cry' of the oppressed rising up to heaven or the land 'crying out' because of bloodshed or injustice. The word differs from similar verbs such as זָעַק (zaʻaq, 'to cry out'), which also denote crying or shouting but may emphasize shock or panic, whereas צָעַק places stronger stress on intensity and the quest for response or intervention. In later Hebrew, צעק retains these senses and continues to connote an outcry or protest. Standard English translations such as 'cry out', 'call for help', or 'shout' capture the basic sense but sometimes risk dulling the urgency, distress, or context-driven specificity of the Hebrew term. In legal or prophetic contexts, the word may highlight social justice issues (the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah, or widows and orphans). Use as 'proclaim an assembly' is rare and context-dependent, more commonly meaning 'raise a loud call' to gather attention.

Translation Consistency

primary "cry" 17 occurrences

The primary sense of צָעַק is a loud, urgent vocal outcry—often distress or appeal—so the simple, natural verb “cry” best matches typical usage. It is the most common rendering in the data (e.g., “cried”), can naturally cover both literal and metaphorical cries, and allows context to supply “out” or intensifiers when needed (e.g., “cry out,” “cry loudly”) without forcing a more formal or less common term like “shout” or “call.”

Alternatives (33 occurrences):
"cried out" (23x) "cried out loudly" (6x) "called out" (2x) "people cried out" (1x) "all cried out" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to shriek; (by implication) to proclaim (an assembly); [idiom] at all, call together, cry (out), gather (selves) (together).

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

צעק (tsâʻaq) — to cry out, to call loudly, to summon for help or justice

Root צעק to cry out, to call loudly, to summon for help or justice
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6818 צַעֲקָה according to her outcry

Word Forms

25 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6817-20 וַ/יִּצְעַ֥ק vayitseaq HC/Vqw3ms and cried out and he cried out and he cried out 8
H6817-21 וַֽ/יִּצְעֲק֖וּ vayitseaqu HC/Vqw3mp and they cried out and they cried out loudly and they cried out loudly 7
H6817-07 צָעֲקָ֨ה tsaaqah HVqp3fs cried out she cried out she cried out 4
H6817-24 יִצְעַק֙ yitseaq HVqi3ms he cries out he cries out he will cry out 4
H6817-09 צָעָ֗קוּ tsaaqu HVqp3cp cried out they cried out they cried out 3
H6817-18 וַ/יִּצָּעֲק֥וּ vayitsaaqu HC/VNw3mp and were gathered and they cried out and they cried out 3
H6817-19 וַ/יִּצָּעֵ֧ק vayitsaeq HC/VNw3ms and-they-were-called and he cried out and he cried out 3
H6817-25 יִצְעֲק֤וּ yitseaqu HVqi3mp they cried out they cry out they cry out 3
H6817-06 צָעַ֣ק tsaaq HVqp3ms cried out he cried out he cried out 2
H6817-12 צֹֽעֲקִים֙ tsoaqim HVqrmpa cry out those crying out those crying out 2

Occurrences in Scripture

55 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6817-12 Genesis 4:10 צֹעֲקִ֥ים tsoaqim HVqrmpa is crying out those crying out those crying out
H6817-20 Genesis 27:34 וַ/יִּצְעַ֣ק vayitseaq HC/Vqw3ms he cried out and he cried out and he cried out
H6817-20 Genesis 41:55 וַ/יִּצְעַ֥ק vayitseaq HC/Vqw3ms cried out and he cried out and he cried out
H6817-12 Exodus 5:8 צֹֽעֲקִים֙ tsoaqim HVqrmpa cry out those crying out those crying out
H6817-21 Exodus 5:15 וַ/יִּצְעֲק֥וּ vayitseaqu HC/Vqw3mp and cried out and they cried out loudly and they cried out loudly
H6817-20 Exodus 8:8 וַ/יִּצְעַ֤ק vayitseaq HC/Vqw3ms and cried out and he cried out and he cried out
H6817-21 Exodus 14:10 וַ/יִּצְעֲק֥וּ vayitseaqu HC/Vqw3mp and they cried out and they cried out loudly and they cried out loudly
H6817-04 Exodus 14:15 תִּצְעַ֖ק titseaq HVqi2ms are you crying out you cry out do you cry out
H6817-20 Exodus 15:25 וַ/יִּצְעַ֣ק vayitseaq HC/Vqw3ms and he cried out and he cried out and he cried out
H6817-20 Exodus 17:4 וַ/יִּצְעַ֤ק vayitseaq HC/Vqw3ms and Moses cried out and he cried out and he cried out
H6817-10 Exodus 22:22 צָעֹ֤ק tsaoq HVqa he cries out crying out loudly crying out loudly
H6817-24 Exodus 22:22 יִצְעַק֙ yitseaq HVqi3ms he cries out he cries out he will cry out
H6817-24 Exodus 22:26 יִצְעַ֣ק yitseaq HVqi3ms he cries out he cries out he will cry out
H6817-20 Numbers 11:2 וַ/יִּצְעַ֥ק vayitseaq HC/Vqw3ms and cried out and he cried out and the people cried out
H6817-20 Numbers 12:13 וַ/יִּצְעַ֣ק vayitseaq HC/Vqw3ms and cried out and he cried out and he cried out
H6817-15 Numbers 20:16 וַ/נִּצְעַ֤ק vanitseaq HC/Vqw1cp and we cried out and we cried out and we cried out
H6817-07 Deuteronomy 22:24 צָעֲקָ֣ה tsaaqah HVqp3fs she cried out she cried out she cried out
H6817-07 Deuteronomy 22:27 צָעֲקָ֗ה tsaaqah HVqp3fs she cried she cried out she cried out
H6817-15 Deuteronomy 26:7 וַ/נִּצְעַ֕ק vanitseaq HC/Vqw1cp and we cried out and we cried out and we cried out
H6817-21 Joshua 24:7 וַ/יִּצְעֲק֣וּ vayitseaqu HC/Vqw3mp and they cried out and they cried out loudly and they cried out loudly
H6817-21 Judges 4:3 וַ/יִּצְעֲק֥וּ vayitseaqu HC/Vqw3mp and cried out and they cried out loudly and they cried out loudly
H6817-19 Judges 7:23 וַ/יִּצָּעֵ֧ק vayitsaeq HC/VNw3ms were called out and he cried out and they were called out
H6817-19 Judges 7:24 וַ/יִּצָּעֵ֞ק vayitsaeq HC/VNw3ms and-they-were-called and he cried out and he cried out
H6817-16 Judges 10:12 וַ/תִּצְעֲק֣וּ vatitseaqu HC/Vqw2mp and you cried out and you all cried out and you all cried out
H6817-18 Judges 10:17 וַ/יִּצָּֽעֲקוּ֙ vayitsaaqu HC/VNw3mp and were gathered and they cried out and they cried out
H6817-19 Judges 12:1 וַ/יִּצָּעֵק֙ vayitsaeq HC/VNw3ms and were gathered and he cried out and he cried out
H6817-17 1 Samuel 10:17 וַ/יַּצְעֵ֤ק vayatseeq HC/Vhw3ms called he caused an outcry and he called out
H6817-18 1 Samuel 13:4 וַ/יִּצָּעֲק֥וּ vayitsaaqu HC/VNw3mp and were summoned and they cried out and they cried out
H6817-06 1 Kings 20:39 צָעַ֣ק tsaaq HVqp3ms cried out he cried out he cried out
H6817-03 2 Kings 2:12 מְצַעֵק֙ metsaeq HVprmsa crying-out the loud-crying one crying out
H6817-18 2 Kings 3:21 וַ/יִּצָּעֲק֗וּ vayitsaaqu HC/VNw3mp they were summoned and they cried out and they cried out
H6817-07 2 Kings 4:1 צָעֲקָ֨ה tsaaqah HVqp3fs cried out she cried out she cried out
H6817-09 2 Kings 4:40 צָעָ֗קוּ tsaaqu HVqp3cp cried out they cried out they cried out
H6817-20 2 Kings 6:5 וַ/יִּצְעַ֥ק vayitseaq HC/Vqw3ms and he cried out and he cried out and he cried out
H6817-07 2 Kings 6:26 צָעֲקָ֤ה tsaaqah HVqp3fs cried out she cried out cried out
H6817-02 2 Kings 8:3 לִ/צְעֹ֣ק litseoq HR/Vqc to cry to cry out loudly to cry out loudly
H6817-13 2 Kings 8:5 צֹעֶ֣קֶת tsoeqet HVqrfsa was appealing crying-out one crying out one
H6817-25 Isaiah 19:20 יִצְעֲק֤וּ yitseaqu HVqi3mp they will cry out they cry out they cry out
H6817-09 Isaiah 33:7 צָעֲק֖וּ tsaaqu HVqp3cp cry out they cried out they cried out
H6817-24 Isaiah 42:2 יִצְעַ֖ק yitseaq HVqi3ms he will cry out he cries out he will cry out
H6817-24 Isaiah 46:7 יִצְעַ֤ק yitseaq HVqi3ms one cries out he cries out he will cry out
H6817-05 Isaiah 65:14 תִּצְעֲקוּ֙ titseaqu HVqi2mp shall cry out you will cry out you will cry out
H6817-14 Jeremiah 22:20 וּֽ/צְעָ֔קִי utseaqi HC/Vqv2fs and cry out And cry out! and cry out
H6817-23 Jeremiah 22:20 וְ/צַֽעֲקִי֙ vetsaaqi HC/Vqv2fs and cry out and cry out! and cry out
H6817-11 Jeremiah 49:3 צְעַקְנָה֮ tseaqenah HVqv2fp cry out Cry out! Cry out
H6817-09 Psalms 34:18 צָעֲק֣וּ tsaaqu HVqp3cp cried out they cried out they cried out
H6817-22 Psalms 77:2 וְ/אֶצְעָ֑קָה veetseaqah HC/Vqh1cs and-I-cry-out and let me cry out and I cry out
H6817-08 Psalms 88:2 צָעַ֖קְתִּי tsaaqeti HVqp1cs I cried out I cried out I cried out
H6817-21 Psalms 107:6 וַ/יִּצְעֲק֣וּ vayitseaqu HC/Vqw3mp then they cried out and they cried out loudly and they cried out loudly
H6817-21 Psalms 107:28 וַ/יִּצְעֲק֣וּ vayitseaqu HC/Vqw3mp they cried out and they cried out loudly and they cried out loudly
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