נֹהַּ
𐤍𐤄
nôahh
H5089 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An expression or utterance of grief in the form of lamentation or wailing, particularly marking mourning over loss or calamity. Specifically used to denote a public or ritualized act of bewailing, but can include forms of vocal mourning such as dirge or plaintive cry.
Semantic Range
wailing, lamentation, public mourning, ritual complaint, mournful utterance
Root / Etymology
Root: נוח (nun-vav-chet), though the precise root used in this noun is uncertain and unattested elsewhere; etymology uncertain. The nominal form is most likely a cognate or parallel development related to lamentation, but the specific verbal root is unused in the Hebrew Bible. The noun נֹהַּ appears as an isolated form, possibly constructed after the pattern of other lament-related terms.
Historical & Contextual Notes
This rare noun occurs only in Amos 5:16, where it refers to ritualized lamentation or wailing, particularly in public mourning practices common in ancient Israelite society. The context—mourning over disaster or death in the streets—suggests communal or ceremonial lament, sometimes performed professionally by women or designated mourners (cf. Jeremiah 9:16, where similar terms are used). Unlike קִינָה (qinah), which refers to a formal lament or dirge (often poetic and structured), נֹהַּ emphasizes the vocal and emotional aspect of the response to grief, akin to audible moaning or wailing. English translations often render it as 'lamentation' or 'wailing,' but this may not fully capture the intensity of the ritualized, communal aspect. Its extremely limited attestation precludes tracing shifts over time or contrasts of usage in different periods. Later rabbinic tradition does not appear to preserve this exact term, indicating it may have faded from active vocabulary early.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to lament; lamentation; wailing.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נוח (n-w-ḥ) — rest, settle, come to repose (in this nominal form: lament, wail)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2010 | הֲנָחָה | granting of rest |
| H2679 | חֲצִי הַמְּנֻחוֹת | the Resting-Places |
| H3239 | יָנוֹחַ | from Resting-Place |
| H4494 | מָנוֹחַ | resting-place |
| H4495 | מָנוֹחַ | Resting-Place |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5089-01 |
נֹ֥הַּ | noha | HNcmsa |
wailing | ritual lamentation | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5089-01 |
Ezekiel 7:11 | נֹ֥הַּ | noha | HNcmsa |
wailing | ritual lamentation |