H7879 H7879
Complaint or lament before God; deep meditation or musing; also ordinary talk or speech.
A richly layered noun from the root meaning 'to ponder, muse, complain.' In its most frequent sense, it is the raw, unfiltered cry of distress poured out before God -- Hannah's anguished plea (1 Sam 1:16), Job's bitter lament (Job 7:13; 9:27; 10:1), and the psalmist who 'pours out his complaint before the LORD' (Ps 142:2). Yet the same word can soften into quiet meditation, as when the psalmist's 'musing' on God's works becomes sweet (Ps 104:34). Elijah uses it with gentle irony of a god who may be 'musing' (1 Kgs 18:27). In a single occurrence (2 Kgs 9:11), it simply means 'talk' -- ordinary speech.
Senses
1. complaint, lament — A complaint, lament, or grievance voiced in distress, typically directed to God. The dominant sense across Job (7:13; 9:27; 10:1; 21:4; 23:2) and the Psalms (55:2; 64:1; 102:1; 142:2), where suffering is vocalized as a formal plea. Hannah distinguishes her prayer from drunkenness by calling it 'the abundance of my complaint' (1 Sam 1:16). Spanish 'queja,' French 'plainte,' and Arabic 'shakwa' all confirm the grievance register. 11×
AR["الشَّكْوَى", "شَكواهُ", "شَكْوايَ", "شَكْوَايَ", "في-شَكواي", "في-شَكْوايَ", "فِي-شَكْواي"]·ben["-সঙ্গে-আমার-কথা", "অভিযোগ", "অভিযোগ-আমার;", "আমার-অভিযোগ", "আমার-অভিযোগের", "আমার-নালিশে", "তার-অভিযোগ", "মধ্যে-চিন্তা-আমার"]·DE["[בשיחי]", "[שחי]", "[שיח]", "[שיחי]", "in-mein-complaint", "mein-complaint", "sein-complaint"]·EN["complaining", "his-complaint", "in-my-complaint", "my-complaint"]·FR["dans-mon-plainte-moi", "dans-plainte", "mon-complaint", "mon-plainte-moi", "plainte"]·heb["ב-שיחי", "ב-שיחי-", "שיח", "שיחו", "שיחי"]·HI["अपनी-चिंता-को", "अपनी-विनती", "अपनी-शिकायत", "चिंता", "मेरी-शिकायत", "मेरी-शिकायत-में", "मेरे-ध्यान-में", "शिकायत", "शिकायत-करता-हूँ"]·ID["dalam-keluhanku", "keluh-kesah-ku", "keluhan", "keluhanku", "keluhannya"]·IT["in-lamento-mio", "lamento", "lamento-mio", "mio-complaint"]·jav["ing-pasambat-kawula", "keluh-kesah-kula", "lan", "pangresah-kula", "pasambat-kawula", "sambat-ipun", "sesambat", "sesambat-kawula", "wonten-ing-keluh-kawula"]·KO["그-의-탄원-을", "나-의-명상", "나-의-탄식-에서", "나-의-탄식-을", "나의-탄식-을", "나의-호소가", "나의-호소이냐", "불평", "에-나의-탄식을"]·PT["em-conversa-minha", "em-minha-queixa", "minha-conversa", "minha-queixa", "minha-queixa;", "queixa", "sua-queixa"]·RU["беседы-моей", "в-жалобе-моей", "в-сетовании-моём", "жалоба-моя", "жалобу-мою", "жалобы", "сетование-моё", "сетование-своё"]·ES["a-mi-queja,", "con-mi-queja", "en-mi-queja", "es-mi-queja;", "es-mi-queja?", "mi-queja", "mi-queja,", "queja?", "su-queja"]·SW["katika-malalamiko-yangu", "katika-mawazo-yangu", "lalamiko-langu", "malalamiko", "malalamiko-yangu", "maombi-yake"]·TR["düşüncelerimde-", "kaygım", "yakınmasını", "şikayet", "şikayetimde", "şikayetimde-", "şikayetimi", "şikâyetim", "şikâyetimi"]·urd["اپنی-شکایت", "اپنے-شکوے", "بَ-سوچ-میری", "شکایت", "شکایت-میری", "میری-بات-میں"]
2. meditation, musing — Meditation or musing -- quiet, absorbed reflection rather than vocal grievance. In Psalm 104:34 the psalmist hopes his 'meditation' will be pleasing to God, a contemplative rather than anguished posture. Elijah uses the word with irony at Carmel (1 Kgs 18:27), suggesting Baal may be deep in thought. Spanish 'meditacion' and German 'meditation' reflect this reflective, non-distressed sense. 2×
AR["تَأمُّلي", "مُنْشَغِلٌ"]·ben["আমার-ধ্যান", "কথাবার্তা"]·DE["mein-meditation", "musing"]·EN["musing", "my-meditation"]·FR["musing", "plainte"]·heb["שיחה", "שיחי"]·HI["बातचीत", "मेरा-मनन"]·ID["melamun", "renungan-ku"]·IT["lamento", "musing"]·jav["lagi-menggalih", "perenungan-kula"]·KO["깊이-생각하는", "나-의-묵상-이"]·PT["meditação", "minha-meditação"]·RU["задумался", "размышление-моё"]·ES["meditación", "mi-meditación"]·SW["anawaza", "tafakuri-yangu"]·TR["düşünce", "düşüncem"]·urd["میری-سوچ", "گفتگو"]
3. talk, speech — Talk or speech in a general, non-technical sense. In 2 Kings 9:11, Jehu's companions ask about the prophet's 'talk' -- what did that madman say? Here the word carries no emotional weight, just ordinary discourse. Spanish 'habla de el' and French 'son parle' render it as simple speech, distinct from both complaint and meditation. 1×
AR["حَديثَهُ"]·ben["তার-কথা"]·DE["sein-talk"]·EN["his-talk"]·FR["son-parle"]·heb["שיחו"]·HI["सीखो"]·ID["-bicaranya"]·IT["suo-talk"]·jav["gunem-ipun"]·KO["그의-말을"]·PT["conversa-dele"]·RU["речь-его"]·ES["habla-de-él"]·SW["maneno-yake"]·TR["konuşmasını"]·urd["اُس-کی-بات"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)H5315 1. soul, inner being (647×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H3820a 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (572×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H4672 1. Qal: find, discover (289×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)G1492 1. know facts or truths (285×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H3824 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (250×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. שִׂיחַ n.m. ψ 104:34 complaint, musing;—abs. שׂ׳ 1 K 18:27; Pr 23:29; sf. שִׂיחִי 1 S 1:16 +, שִׂחִי Jb 23:2, שִׂיחוֹ 2 K 9:11 ψ 102:1;— 1. plaint, complaint: Jb 7:13; 9:27; 10:1 (‖ מר נפשׁ), 21:4; 23:2 Pr 23:29 ψ 55:3 (‖ אָהִימָה); קוֹלִי בְּשִׂיחִי 64:2; שָׁפַךְ שׂ׳ לפני י׳ 102:1; 142:3. Foll. are dub.: 2. musing, 1 K 18:27 (E) of a god, ‖ שִׂיג לוֹ, (so RV; SS ‘nachdenken’; Buhl…