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אָח

𐤀𐤇

ʼâch

H253 particle

SILEX Entry

Root אח to cry out in pain, to express anguish

Definition

An exclamatory interjection expressing intense emotion, especially grief, pain, woe, or alarm; serves as a spontaneous outcry in situations of distress, lament, or surprise. The term functions as an emotional utterance lacking propositional meaning, rather conveying affective response depending on situational context. In biblical usage, it can introduce or punctuate lament and prophetic oracles, highlighting personal or communal anguish or conveying deep regret.

Semantic Range

expression of pain, wailing, lament, grief, distress, alarm, surprise

Root / Etymology

Root/etymology uncertain. The term is likely onomatopoeic, formed to imitate a natural cry of pain or distress heard in human speech. It shares semantic and possibly phonetic connection with the related utterance אֲהָהּ (ʼahâh), which serves a comparable purpose as an expression of lament or alarm.

Historical & Contextual Notes

אָח is an archaic, poetic exclamation found in a limited number of biblical passages, predominantly in contexts of lamentation, prophetic woe, or sudden emotional pain, especially in the genres of prophetic literature (e.g., Ezek 6:11, Jeremiah 1:6, 4:10). It expresses the speaker’s immediate emotional response, often preceding a declaration of woe or misfortune. In biblical Israelite literature, such interjections do not carry propositional content and are not tied to particular religious ritual. They should be distinguished from structured mourning practices such as kinah lament poetry or ritualized wailing. The English exclamations "oh!", "alas!", or "ah!" approximate the sense, but may not convey the intensity or contextual nuance always present in Hebrew usage. Later English translations sometimes render this as "alas" or "ah", but in Early Modern English (e.g., KJV) these terms may sound stilted; modern versions may use more idiomatic equivalents. Do not confuse with אָח meaning "brother" (Strong's H251), which is etymologically and semantically unrelated. The word maintains primarily the same emotional-exclamatory function throughout the biblical period and shows little evolution across textual strata.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a variation for אֲהָהּ; Oh! (expressive of grief or surprise); ah, alas.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אח (ʾ-ḥ) — brotherhood, kinship, male sibling, associate

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H251 אָח brother
H252 אַח your brothers
H254 אָח the firepot
H255 אֹחַ howling wild creatures
H264 אַחֲוָה the brotherhood

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H253-01 אָ֔ח ach HTj ah! brother 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H253-01 Ezekiel 6:11 אָ֔ח ach HTj Alas brother
H253-01 Ezekiel 21:20 אָ֛ח ach HTj ah! brother
← H252 Hebrew Lexicon H254 →