Hebrew word · H253

אָח

'ach

ah!

An interjection, a wordless cry of strong emotion. Hebrew lexicons (BDB, HALOT) list it as an exclamation of pain or grief, "ah! alas!". It occurs only in Ezek 6:11 and 21:15 (Heb. 21:20, "Ah! it is made for flashing").

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

ah!, alas!, woe!

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Ezekiel 6:11

Range of meaning

An interjection, a wordless cry of strong emotion. Hebrew lexicons (BDB, HALOT) list it as an exclamation of pain or grief, "ah! alas!". It occurs only in Ezek 6:11 and 21:15 (Heb. 21:20, "Ah! it is made for flashing"). It should not be confused with the common noun אָח "brother" or the rare אָח "brazier" (Jer 36:22). A related form, הֶאָח "aha!", is the regular cry of gloating (Ezek 25:3; 26:2; 36:2; Ps 35:21).

Against the English

KJV, WEB, BSB, ESV and NIV all have "Alas!". The Septuagint has "Εὖγε, εὖγε" ("Good! Good!"), which reverses the emotional sense.

How it drifted

English "alas" is now old-fashioned and sounds gently mournful. The Hebrew is a sharp, raw outcry whose exact tone is not certain.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ezek 21:15 uses it as an exclamation at the sword made ready for slaughter. The Greek translators clearly took it as derisive, possibly connecting it with הֶאָח. When Ezekiel protests in his own grief elsewhere, he uses a different word, אֲהָהּ "Ah, Lord GOD!" (4:14; 9:8; 11:13).

Where it appears

Ezekiel · 3

  1. Ezekiel 6:11 אָ֔ח alas!

    This is what the Lord GOD says: Clap your hands, stomp your feet, and cry out “Alas!” because of all the wicked abominations of the house of Israel, who will fall by sword and famine and plague.

    Here: A rare cry found only here and in Ezek 21:15 (Heb. 21:20). It is a raw exclamation of strong feeling. Most Hebrew lexicons read it as pain ("alas!"), but the Greek translators heard gloating ("Good! Good!").

  2. Ezekiel 18:10 אָ֔ח alas!

    Now suppose that man has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these things,

  3. Ezekiel 21:15 אָ֛ח alas!

    So that their hearts may melt and many may stumble, I have appointed at all their gates a sword for slaughter. Yes, it is ready to flash like lightning; it is drawn for slaughter.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.