H2201 H2201
An outcry or cry of distress, often arising from suffering, oppression, or injustice and directed toward God.
Ze'aqah is the raw, urgent cry wrung from the throat by suffering or injustice. It first appears when the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah reaches God (Gen 18:20), establishing from the outset that this is a cry heaven cannot ignore. Throughout Scripture it denotes the collective groan of the oppressed — the Israelites in Egypt (Neh 9:9), the poor whose plea must not be stopped up (Prov 21:13), and Esther's people facing annihilation (Esth 4:1). German 'Schrei' and Spanish 'clamor' both capture its gut-level intensity. In one distinctive use (Eccl 9:17), the word shifts to mean a loud shout or clamor in contrast to quiet wisdom.
Senses
1. cry, outcry of distress — A cry or outcry born of distress, complaint, or supplication — the dominant sense across 18 of 19 occurrences. It is the sound of suffering demanding a hearing: the outcry of Sodom (Gen 18:20), the cry of enslaved Israel that God 'heard' (Neh 9:9), Mordecai's bitter wail at the decree of destruction (Esth 4:1). Spanish 'clamor' and German 'Schrei' both point to its visceral, public character. The word often pairs with shama' ('to hear'), underscoring that this cry compels divine attention (Jer 18:22; 20:16; Neh 5:6). 18×
AR["الصَّرْخَةُ","صَرْخَةً","صَرْخَةٌ","صَرْخَتَهُمْ","صُرَاخًا","صُرَاخٍ","صُرَاخَ-","صُرَاخَهُمْ","صُرَاخُ","صُرَاخِ","صُرَاخِكَ","عَنْ-صُراخِ-","لِ-صُرَاخِي","مِنْ-صُرَاخِ","وَصُرَاخٌ","وَ‒صُرَاخِهِمْ"]·ben["-আমার-ক্রন্দনের-জন্য","-চিৎকার","আর-চিৎকার","ও-তাদের-কান্নার","কান্না-","ক্রন্দন","চিৎকার","চিৎকার-তাদের","চিৎকার-থেকে","চিৎকারের","তাদের-ক্রন্দন","তোমার-কান্নার","তোমার-চিৎকারের"]·DE["Schrei","[וזעקתם]","[זעקה]","[זעקת]","[זעקתם]","[לזעקתי]","[מזעקת]","das-Geschrei","und-Schrei"]·EN["a-cry","an-outcry","and-an-outcry","and-their-cry","cry","cry-of-","crying","for-my-cry","from-cry-of","of-your-cry","outcry-of","outcry-their","the-cry","their-cry"]·FR["[וזעקתם]","[זעקה]","[זעקתם]","cri","de-מזעקת","et-cri","outcry-de","à-mon-לזעקתי-moi"]·heb["ה-זעקה","ו-זעקה","ו-זעקתם-ם","זעקה","זעקת","זעקתך","זעקתם-ם","ל-זעקתי","מ-זעקת","מ-זעקת-"]·HI["उनकी-चिल्लाहट","उनकी-दुहाई","और-चिल्लाहट","और-विलाप","चिल्लहत","चिल्लाहट","चिल्लाहट-तेरी","चिल्लाहट-से-","चीख","चीख-","चीख-का","चीख-की","चीत्कार-","चीत्कार-ने","मेरी-दोहाई-के-लिए","से-चिल्लाहट"]·ID["-teriakan","dan-jeritan","dan-seruan-mereka","dari-jeritan","dari-tangisan","jeritan","jeritan-mereka","ratapan","seruan","seruan-mereka","teriakan","teriakan-","teriakanmu","untuk-teriakanku"]·IT["[וזעקתם]","[זעקה]","[זעקת]","[זעקתם]","da-da-cry-di","e-grido","grido","outcry-di","per-per-mio-cry-mio"]·jav["jerit","jerit-","kangge-pambengok-kawula","lan-jerit","lan-pasambat-ipun","pambengok","panguwuh","pasambat","pasambatipun","saking-jeritipun","saking-sesambatipun","sambat","sesambat","sesambat-nipun","sesambat-panjenengan","sesambatan","wonten-ing-ènjing,"]·KO["그들의-부르짖음을","그리고-그들의-부르짖음의","그리고-울부짖음이","나의-부르짖음에","너의-부르짖음의","부르짖음-에서-","부르짖음에서-","부르짖음을","부르짖음을-","부르짖음의","부르짖음이","외침의-","울부짖음의"]·PT["Clamor-de","Do-clamor-de","clamor","clamor-deles","do-clamor-de-","e-clamor-seu","e-grito","grito","grito-de","o-grito","para-meu-clamor","seu-clamor","teu-clamor"]·RU["От-вопля","воплем","вопль","вопль-их","вопля","вопля-твоего","для-вопля-моего","и-вопль","и-вопля-их","крик-","крика","от-вопля-"]·ES["clamor","clamor-de","clamor-de-ellos","del-clamor-del-","desde-clamor-de","el-clamor","el-grito-de","grito-de-","para-mi-clamor","su-clamor","tu-clamor","y-clamor","y-su-clamor"]·SW["Kilio-cha","Kutoka-kilio-cha","kilio","kilio-cha","kilio-chao","kwa-kilio-cha","kwa-kilio-changu","na-kilio","na-kilio-chao","ya-kilio","ya-kilio-chako"]·TR["-den-çığlığından","cigligini-","ciglik","feryadin","feryadinin","feryadlarını","feryadı","feryadım-için","feryat","feryatın","ve-feryadlarının","ve-çığlığı","çığlık","çığlığı","çığlığından-","çığlığının"]·urd["اور-ان-کی-فریاد","اور-چیخ","اُن-کی-فریاد","تیری-فریاد-کی","فریاد-سے-","میری-فریاد-کے-لیے","چیخ","چیخ-","چیخ-سے","چیخ-نے","چیخ-کی"]
2. shout, loud clamor — A loud shout or clamor, emphasizing volume and public commotion rather than emotional anguish. This sense appears only in Ecclesiastes 9:17, where 'the quiet words of the wise are better than the shout of a ruler among fools.' Spanish 'más que clamor de' and English 'than shout of' both mark the shift from suffering to mere noise, contrasting bluster with the still authority of wisdom. 1×
AR["مِ-زَّعَقَت"]·ben["চিৎকারের-চেয়ে"]·DE["[מזעקת]"]·EN["than-shout-of"]·FR["de-מזעקת"]·heb["מ-זעקת"]·HI["से-चिल्लाहट"]·ID["lebih-dari-teriakan"]·IT["da-than-shout-of"]·jav["langkung-saking-suwanten"]·KO["보다-외침"]·PT["mais-que-grito-de"]·RU["более-крика"]·ES["más-que-clamor-de"]·SW["kuliko-kelele-za"]·TR["bagirmasindan"]·urd["سے-چیخ"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† זְעָקָה n.f. cry, outcry, abs. ז׳ Je 18:22 + 5 times; cstr. זַעֲקַת Gn 18:20 + 3 times; sf. זַעֲקָתִי Jb 16:18; זַעֲקָתָם Is 15:5 + 3 times;— 1. outcry, against, זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וגו׳ Gn 18:20 (J). 2. cry of distress, concerning something זַעֲקַת־שֶׁבֶר Is 15:5 (obj. of יְעֹעֵ֑רוּ; cf. בִּבְכִי in prev. cl.); abs. v 8 (subj. of הִקִּיפָה, ‖ יְלָלָה); Je 18:22 (תִּשָּׁמַע ז׳), 20:16; 48:4; 50:46 Ne…