ὦ G5599
O! An exclamatory vocative particle used to address someone directly, often with strong emotion.
This single-syllable exclamation serves as a vocative particle of direct address, typically charged with emotion. In the Gospels, Jesus uses it when lamenting faithlessness — 'O faithless generation!' (Matt 17:17; Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41) — and when commending surprising faith — 'O woman, great is your faith!' (Matt 15:28). Paul employs it in both rebuke and passionate argument (Rom 2:1, 3; Gal 3:1; 1 Tim 6:11). On the road to Emmaus, the risen Christ gently chides, 'O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe' (Luke 24:25). Across translations the particle remains remarkably stable: Spanish '¡Oh,' French 'Ô,' German 'o.'
Senses
1. O — A vocative exclamation used to address persons directly, typically with heightened emotion — whether grief, astonishment, rebuke, or admiration. Jesus uses it to lament unbelief ('O faithless generation,' Mark 9:19) and to praise exceptional trust ('O woman, great is your faith,' Matt 15:28). Paul deploys it in sharp rhetorical address ('O foolish Galatians,' Gal 3:1). The particle is virtually universal across languages — Spanish '¡Oh,' French 'Ô,' German 'o' — confirming its function as a raw emotive marker preceding direct address. 17×
AR["يا", "يَا"]·ben["ও", "ওহ", "ওহ,", "ওহে", "যীশু", "হে"]·DE["o", "oh"]·EN["O", "O-"]·FR["o", "Ô", "ô"]·heb["אוֹי", "הוֹי", "יְהוּדִים"]·HI["अये", "अरे", "ओ", "जो", "हाय", "हे"]·ID["Hai", "O", "Wahai", "hai"]·IT["o", "oh", "ō"]·jav["Dhuh", "Dhuh,", "Dhúh", "dhuh", "dhúh"]·KO["모든-것-에-대하여", "오"]·PT["Ó", "Ó,", "ó"]·RU["О", "о", "о-"]·ES["Oh", "oh", "¡Oh"]·SW["Ee", "Ee-", "Enyi", "Lo", "Lo,", "ee", "enyi", "ewe"]·TR["Ah", "Ey", "ey", "hangi"]·urd["ارے", "اوہ", "اے"]
Matt 15:28, Matt 17:17, Mark 9:19, Luke 9:41, Luke 24:25, Acts 1:1, Acts 13:10, Acts 18:14, Acts 27:21, Rom 2:1, Rom 2:3, Rom 9:20 (+5 more)
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὦ and ὤ, an exclamation, expressing surprise, joy, or pain, O! oh! with nominative, ὢ τάλας ἐγώ Refs 5th c.BC+: also with genitive, ὢ τῆς ἀναισχυντίας Refs 2nd c.AD+; with interrogative, ὤ, τί λέγει; Refs; in the middle of a sentence, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II with vocative, a mode of address, whether at the beginning of a sentence or in a parenthesis, ὦ Ἀχιλεῦ Refs 8th c.BC+; in invocations of the…