← H16 H18 →

אֲבוֹי

𐤀𐤁𐤅𐤉

ʼăbôwy

H17 particle

SILEX Entry

Root אבה to desire, to long for, to be willing

Definition

An exclamatory term expressing a cry of pain, woe, or lament; used as an interjection to denote distress or deep sorrow in the face of calamity, hardship, or impending disaster. The term can indicate a profound sense of longing or despair and functions as a marker of mourning, anguish, or strong emotional suffering in poetic or prophetic contexts.

Semantic Range

cry of woe, lamentation, exclamation of pain, expression of sorrow, utterance of anguish, interjection in mourning

Root / Etymology

Root: אבה, which primarily means 'to desire, to long for, to be willing.' The formation אֲבוֹי is likely an onomatopoeic interjection derived from this root, serving to vocalize a feeling of inner yearning or distress, though used idiomatically as a lament. Some scholars note its form is typical for Hebrew exclamatory words but its direct morphological relationship to the root אבה is debated; the etymology is thus uncertain beyond root association.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, אֲבוֹי occurs rarely (e.g., Numbers 21:29; Jeremiah 22:18) and is most commonly found in poetic and lamentational settings. It expresses intense emotional pain or mourning, typically in the face of national catastrophe, personal loss, or judgment. The term is used both as a self-directed lament ('woe is me!') and as a proclamation of mourning over others (see Jeremiah 22:18, where it frames communal lament for a king). English translations often render it simply as 'woe,' but this can obscure its function as an interjection expressing the sound of grief rather than a mere declaration. The term is similar in function to other Hebrew cries of lament such as הוֹי (hoy), but אֲבוֹי carries an especially personal or emotive shade, often coupled with mourning ritual or poetry. Such exclamations became characteristic of prophetic and wisdom literature as markers for expressions of pain or warning. The use of 'woe' or related terms in English Bible translations misunderstands the vivid, emotive quality of the Hebrew interjection.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָבָה (in the sense of desiring); want; sorrow.

Bantu Hebrew

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

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

אבה (ʾ-b-h) — to desire, to long for, to be willing

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H14 אָבָה he was willing
H16 אֵבֶה papyrus reed
H34 אֶבְיוֹן man in want
H35 אֲבִיּוֹנָה the desire-arousing caper berry
H5666 עָבָה he was willing

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H17-01 אֲב֡וֹי avoy HTj sorrow Ah, woe! 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H17-01 Proverbs 23:29 אֲב֡וֹי avoy HTj sorrow Ah, woe!
← H16 Hebrew Lexicon H18 →