נָהָה
𐤍𐤄𐤄
nâhâh
H5091 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To utter a mournful sound or cry, especially as a public expression of grief; to lament or wail. In some contexts, this may also involve gathering or assembling people together for the purpose of communal mourning or lamentation. The word primarily denotes the vocal expression of grief, often in response to bereavement or calamity, and is used for both spontaneous and ritualized expressions of sorrow.
Semantic Range
to wail, to utter a lamentation, to groan in sorrow, to gather or be summoned for mourning; to cry aloud in grief
Root / Etymology
The root נָהָה (NH) likely carries the basic idea of making a prolonged, mournful sound. The verb is derived from this root, typically in the Piel or Hiphil stems, with the specific lexical meaning 'to wail' or 'to lament aloud.' This may in rare cases develop a secondary sense of 'to assemble,' especially in the context of summoning people to a public act of mourning. The etymology beyond the root is not entirely certain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, נָהָה is most commonly used to describe the act of public lamentation, often conducted by designated mourners (sometimes professional wailers) or the broader community in response to national disaster or personal loss (see, e.g., Micah 2:4; Ezekiel 32:18). This wailing is deeply associated with communal rites of mourning and may be accompanied by assembly. The overlap with terms such as קוֹנֵן (qinēn: 'to lament in song or dirge') reflects the structured, performative aspect of such grief, but נָהָה is more focused on the act of loud wailing or groaning itself than on poetic or composed lament. Standard English translations (e.g., 'wail,' 'lament,' 'bewail,' 'groan') generally capture the sense, but may not convey the communal or ritual aspect implicit in some contexts. In prophetic literature, נָהָה also characterizes the response to divinely announced judgment. The word is rarely used outside these contexts, and its possible meaning 'to assemble' appears only in derivative senses through association with mourning gatherings. Later usage in post-biblical Hebrew diminishes, as more specific terms for organized lament develop.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to groan, i.e. bewail; hence (through the idea of crying aloud), to assemble (as if on proclamation); lament, wail.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נהה (n-h-h) — groaning, wailing, lamenting
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5091-03 |
וְ/נָהָ֨ה | venahah | HC/Vqq3ms |
and lament | and he wailed | 1 |
H5091-01 |
נְהֵ֛ה | neheh | HVqv2ms |
wail | wail! | 1 |
H5091-02 |
וַ/יִּנָּה֛וּ | vayinahu | HC/VNw3mp |
and lamented | they wailed aloud | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5091-02 |
1 Samuel 7:2 | וַ/יִּנָּה֛וּ | vayinahu | HC/VNw3mp |
and lamented | they wailed aloud |
H5091-01 |
Ezekiel 32:18 | נְהֵ֛ה | neheh | HVqv2ms |
wail | wail! |
H5091-03 |
Micah 2:4 | וְ/נָהָ֨ה | venahah | HC/Vqq3ms |
and lament | and he wailed |