יָבַב
𐤉𐤁𐤁
yâbab
H2980 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To cry out loudly, to wail, to howl; used primarily of intense vocal expressions of grief, distress, lamentation, or pain, often mourning or communal disaster, but can also describe the loud calls of animals or expressions of terror.
Semantic Range
to cry out loudly, to wail in grief, to howl in distress, to utter an anguished or piercing cry, to make the howling sound of animals
Root / Etymology
Root: יָבַב (y-b-b). This root conveys the action of uttering a loud, mournful cry or howl, particularly as an outward expression of deep emotion or anguish. The exact origin is debated; commonly viewed as an ancient onomatopoeic root imitating the sounds of wailing or howling.
Historical & Contextual Notes
יָבַב is rare in biblical usage and generally appears in poetic or highly expressive passages, such as in prophetic oracles (e.g., Isaiah 16:7) where peoples or individuals are described as howling in lament over destruction or catastrophe. The connotation is not of a controlled, polite weeping but of uninhibited, communal outcry, often paralleling or intensifying the standard terms for weeping ('בכה') or lamenting ('נהה'). In animal contexts, it is used to describe howling or wailing noises (e.g., calls of wild animals at night). The word did not become a standard term for human lament but conveys a stronger, more visceral response than mere crying. Later biblical and post-biblical sources preserve similar nuance. English translations often render it "howl," "wail," or "cry out," but may obscure the difference between this root and more common verbs for weeping or calling.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to bawl; cry out.
Bantu Hebrew
| Language | Bantu Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bemba | kububa | to cry repeatedly, howl, moan (as in pain, distress, or lamentation) | |
| Bemba | ukububula | to wail, to groan | |
| Chichewa | kububudwa | to groan, wail (as in pain or distress) | |
| Chokwe | kububila | to cry out, to lament | |
| Kaonde | kububa | to wail, lament loudly | |
| Kikongo | kububila | weep aloud, cry loudly | |
| Kimbundu | kububila | to cry loudly, to howl | |
| Lingala | kobobela | to cry out, wail loudly | |
| Luba-Kasai (Tshiluba) | kubobela | to wail, to lament loudly | |
| Luba-Katanga | kububa | hurler, crier avec douleur, se lamenter | |
| Ndebele | ukububula | to moan, groan, wail | |
| Shona | kububira | to moan, wail, cry out (from distress or pain) | |
| Tswana | go bubula | to moan, groan, wail in pain | |
| Umbundu | okububila | to wail, to lament aloud | |
| Venda | ububula | to moan, groan, wail | |
| Xhosa | ukububula | to moan, groan, wail | |
| Zulu | ukububula | to groan, moan, wail |
Root Family
יבב (y-b-b) — to howl, to wail, to cry loudly
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3103 | יוֹבָב | and Howler |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2980-01 |
וַ/תְּיַבֵּ֛ב | vateyabev | HC/Vpw3fs |
and she cried | and she wailed loudly | and she cried | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2980-01 |
Judges 5:28 | וַ/תְּיַבֵּ֛ב | vateyabev | HC/Vpw3fs |
and she cried | and she wailed loudly | and she cried |