H0162 H0162
alas! ah! — an exclamation of grief, dismay, or desperate appeal
Ahahh is one of the rawest sounds in the Hebrew Bible — a guttural cry erupting at moments of shock, grief, or pleading. Jephthah cries it upon seeing his daughter (Judg 11:35); Elisha's servant cries it when the axe head sinks into the Jordan (2 Kgs 6:5). Most characteristically it appears in the formula ahahh adonai YHWH ('alas, Lord GOD!'), a phrase of prophetic anguish used by Joshua (7:7), Gideon (Judg 6:22), Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. Spanish 'ah/ay,' French 'helas,' and German 'ach' each reach for their most visceral interjection.
Senses
1. alas — An interjection expressing acute distress, dismay, or anguished appeal to God. Occurs as a standalone cry of shock (Judg 11:35; 2 Kgs 6:5, 15) and in the formulaic address ahahh adonai YHWH ('alas, Lord GOD!'), found in Joshua, Judges, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. Joel intensifies it with ahahh layyom, 'alas for the day!' (1:15). German 'ach' and French 'helas' mirror the raw emotive register. 15×
AR["آهٍ", "آهِ", "آهْ"]·ben["আহা", "হায়"]·DE["[אהה]", "ach", "alas"]·EN["Alas", "alas"]·FR["hélas", "hélas!"]·heb["אהה"]·HI["अहाह", "हाय"]·ID["Aduh", "Ah", "aduh", "oh"]·IT["ahime", "ahimè", "alas"]·jav["Adhuh", "adhuh", "aduh", "dhuh"]·KO["아", "아-", "아아", "아이고", "아하"]·PT["Ah", "Ah,", "Ai", "ah", "ai"]·RU["Ах", "Увы", "о", "увы"]·ES["Ah", "ah", "ay", "¡Ah!", "¡Ay", "¡Ay!", "¡ah!"]·SW["Aa", "Lo", "Ole", "ole"]·TR["ah", "eyvah", "ve-dedim"]·urd["آہ", "افسوس", "اہاہ", "ہائے"]
Josh 7:7, Judg 6:22, Judg 11:35, 2 Kgs 3:10, 2 Kgs 6:5, 2 Kgs 6:15, Jer 1:6, Jer 4:10, Jer 14:13, Jer 32:17, Ezek 4:14, Ezek 9:8 (+3 more)
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אֲהָהּ (آهْ, አህ ) interj. alas! Ju 11:35 2 K 3:10; 6:5, 15; with ל Jo 1:15 אֲהָהּ לַיוֹם alas for the day! for etc. In the combination אֲהָהּ אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִֹה Jos 7:7 Ju 6:22 Je 1:6; 4:10; 14:13; 32:17; Ez 4:14; 9:8; 11:13; 21:5.