אַלְלַי
alas!
Definition
The Hebrew interjection אַלְלַי (ʼalᵉlay) is a cry of deep distress, lament, or woe. It expresses profound grief, despair, or a sense of calamity, often in response to personal suffering or a dire situation. In Job 10:15, Job uses the word to lament his miserable state, feeling trapped between guilt and innocence. In Micah 7:1, the prophet employs it to mourn the spiritual desolation and moral corruption he witnesses in the land, comparing it to a fruitless harvest.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only twice in the Old Testament, both in poetic contexts of lament. In Job 10:15, it is part of Job's personal complaint about his suffering. In Micah 7:1, it introduces a prophetic lament over the nation's sin. The pattern is its exclusive use in contexts of intense, heartfelt grief—whether individual (Job) or corporate (Micah).
Etymology
Derived by reduplication from the root אָלָה (ʼālâ, H421), which relates to swearing, adjuring, or lamenting. This formation intensifies the sense of woe or lament. It is a cognate with similar lament words in Semitic languages, emphasizing a cry of grief.
Semantic Range
This word highlights the biblical honesty in expressing human anguish before God. It validates lament as a legitimate form of prayer and spiritual response to suffering and evil, as seen in the righteous sufferer (Job) and the grieving prophet (Micah). Understanding this Hebrew cry enriches reading by showing that deep despair has a place in the biblical narrative and in a relationship with God.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, formalized laments for personal and national tragedy were common. This interjection would be recognized as a conventional, yet powerful, expression of overwhelming sorrow, similar to mourning practices.
הוֹי (hôy, H1945) — a prophetic cry of 'woe' or 'ah,' often directed at others for judgment. אוֹי (ʼôy, H188) — an exclamation of pain, distress, or grief, very similar in sense but more common. אָנָּה (ʼānnâ, H577) — a cry for favor or mercy, 'I/we beseech you,' often in prayer.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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