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κλαυθμός

klauthmós

G2805 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An audible expression of grief or sorrow; weeping or wailing, especially as a public or intense emotional response to loss, misfortune, or extreme distress. The term often denotes loud, sometimes ritualized, lamentation or mourning, as opposed to silent tears, and can occur in private or communal settings. In both literal and figurative uses, it refers to the external manifestation of grief.

Semantic Range

weeping, wailing, audible lamentation, act of mourning, outward expression of grief, (in some contexts) public outcry or mourning, eschatological anguish

Root / Etymology

From the verb κλαίω (klaiō, 'to weep, to cry'), with the verbal noun suffix -μος (-mos) denoting the act or result of the verb, thus meaning 'the act of weeping' or 'weeping itself'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, κλαυθμός appears in poetic and prose contexts to depict the audible, often excessive grief characteristic of mourning for the dead, devastating news, or calamity (e.g., Homer, tragic poets). The word occurs rarely outside of emotional or ritualized mourning. In the Septuagint, κλαυθμός is used to translate Hebrew terms for lamenting, especially in communal or familial mourning. Within the New Testament, κλαυθμός is associated not only with earthly sorrow but also, especially in Matthew (e.g., 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13), as a formulaic depiction of anguish and despair connected to eschatological judgment ('weeping and gnashing of teeth'). English translations as 'weeping' or 'wailing' sometimes obscure the intensity or public dimension that κλαυθμός could convey in Hellenistic settings, where ritual lamentation was more common than in most modern cultures. The word is distinct from δάκρυ (tear) or θρῆνος (dirge/lament song), as κλαυθμός focuses on the emotional act rather than the product (tear) or the ritual performance (dirge).

Translation Consistency

primary "wail" 9 occurrences

κλαυθμός refers to an audible, often loud or ritualized expression of grief. 'Wail' is the natural, common English verb/noun that best captures that sense of loud lamentation or mourning. ('Weep' is quieter; 'lament' is more formal/song-like—'wail' matches the typical audible intensity.)

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from κλαίω; lamentation:--wailing, weeping, X wept.

Root Family

κλαυθμός (klauthmos) — weeping, wailing, audible lamentation, mourning

Root κλαυθ- to weep, to cry loudly, to lament

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2805-01 κλαυθμὸς klauthmos N NOM M SG weeping audible wailing audible wailing 9

Occurrences in Scripture

9 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2805-01 Matthew 2:18 κλαυθμὸς klauthmos N NOM M SG weeping audible wailing audible wailing
G2805-01 Matthew 8:12 κλαυθμὸς klauthmos N NOM M SG weeping audible wailing audible wailing
G2805-01 Matthew 13:42 κλαυθμὸς klauthmos N NOM M SG weeping audible wailing audible wailing
G2805-01 Matthew 13:50 κλαυθμὸς klauthmos N NOM M SG weeping audible wailing audible wailing
G2805-01 Matthew 22:13 κλαυθμὸς klauthmos N NOM M SG weeping audible wailing audible wailing
G2805-01 Matthew 24:51 κλαυθμὸς klauthmos N NOM M SG weeping audible wailing audible wailing
G2805-01 Matthew 25:30 κλαυθμὸς klauthmos N NOM M SG weeping audible wailing audible wailing
G2805-01 Luke 13:28 κλαυθμὸς klauthmos N NOM M SG weeping audible wailing audible wailing
G2805-01 Acts 20:37 κλαυθμὸς klauthmos N NOM M SG weeping audible wailing audible wailing
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