3759. ouai

Lexicon

ouai: Woe, alas

Original Word: οὐαί
Part of Speech: Interjection, Noun, Indeclinable, Other Type
Transliteration: ouai
Pronunciation: oo-ah'-ee
Phonetic Spelling: (oo-ah'-ee)
Definition: Woe, alas
Meaning: woe!, alas!, uttered in grief or denunciation.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

alas, woe.

A primary exclamation of grief; "woe" -- alas, woe.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. interj.
Definition
alas! woe! (an expression of grief or denunciation)
NASB Translation
woe (46), woes (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3759: οὐαί

οὐαί, an interjection of grief or of denunciation; the Sept. chiefly for הוי and אוי; "Alas! Woe!" with a dat of person added, Matthew 11:21; Matthew 18:7; Matthew 23:13-16, 23, 25, 27, 29; Matthew 24:19; Matthew 26:24; Mark 13:17; Mark 14:21; Luke 6:24-26; Luke 10:13; Luke 11:42-44, 46f, 52; Luke 21:23; Luke 22:22; Jude 1:11; Revelation 12:12 R G L, small edition. (see below) (Numbers 21:29; Isaiah 3:9, and often in the Sept.); thrice repeated, and followed by a dative, Revelation 8:13 R G L WH marginal reading (see below); the dative is omitted in Luke 17:1; twice repeated and followed by a nominative in place of a vocative, Revelation 18:10, 16, 19 (Isaiah 1:24; Isaiah 5:8-22; Habakkuk 2:6, 12, etc.); exceptionally, with an accusative of the person, in Revelation 8:13 T Tr WH text, and L T Tr WH; this accusative, I think, must be regarded either as an accusative of exclamation (cf. Matthiae, § 410), or as an imitation of the construction of the accusative after verbs of injuring (Buttmann, § 131, 14 judges otherwise); with the addition of ἀπό and a genitive of the evil the infliction of which is deplored (cf. Buttmann, 322 (277); Winer's Grammar, 371 (348)), Matthew 18:7; also of ἐκ, Revelation 8:13. As a substantive, ἡ οὐαί (the writer seems to have been led to use the feminine by the similarity of ἡ θλῖψις or ἡ ταλαιπωρία; cf. Winers Grammar, 179 (169)) woe, calamity: Revelation 9:12; Revelation 11:14; δύο οὐαί, Revelation 9:12 (οὐαί ἐπί οὐαί ἔσται, Ezekiel 7:26; οὐαί ἡμᾶς λήψεται Evang. Nicod c. 21 (Pars ii., 5:1 (edited by Tdf.))); so also in the phrase οὐαί μοι ἐστιν, woe is unto me, i. e. divine penalty threatens me, 1 Corinthians 9:16, cf. Hosea 9:12; (Jeremiah 6:4); Epictetus diss. 3, 19, 1 (frequent in ecclesiastical writings).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: A primary exclamation of grief

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • H1945 הוֹי (hoy): An exclamation of woe or lamentation, often used in the Old Testament to express grief or impending judgment.
• H188 אֲבוֹי (avoy): A cry of woe or distress, similar in usage to "οὐαί" in conveying lamentation or sorrow.

These Hebrew terms share a similar function to "οὐαί" in expressing deep emotional responses to situations of grief, judgment, or calamity.

Usage: The term "οὐαί" is used in the New Testament to convey a strong sense of impending doom, judgment, or sorrow. It is often directed towards individuals or groups who are subject to divine judgment or who are in a state of spiritual peril.

Context: The Greek term "οὐαί" appears frequently in the New Testament, particularly in the Gospels and the Book of Revelation. It is a powerful exclamation used by Jesus and other figures to pronounce judgment or express lament over the spiritual state of individuals or communities.

In the Gospels, Jesus uses "οὐαί" to address the scribes and Pharisees, highlighting their hypocrisy and the consequences of their actions (e.g., Matthew 23:13-29). Each "woe" serves as a warning and a call to repentance, emphasizing the seriousness of their spiritual condition. For example, in Matthew 23:13 (BSB), Jesus declares, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces."

The term is also used in the context of eschatological judgment, as seen in the Book of Revelation. Here, "οὐαί" is part of the apocalyptic imagery, signifying the severe judgments that befall the earth during the end times (e.g., Revelation 8:13, 9:12, 11:14). In Revelation 8:13 (BSB), an eagle cries out, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the remaining three angels!"

The use of "οὐαί" underscores the gravity of divine judgment and the urgent need for repentance. It serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of aligning oneself with God's will.

Forms and Transliterations

Ουαι ουαί Οὐαί Οὐαὶ ουδαμού Ouai Ouaí Ouaì

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 11:21 Inj
GRK: Οὐαί σοι Χοραζίν
NAS: Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe
KJV: Woe unto thee, Chorazin!
INT: Woe to you Chorazin

Matthew 11:21 Inj
GRK: σοι Χοραζίν οὐαί σοι Βηθσαϊδά
NAS: to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
KJV: Chorazin! woe unto thee,
INT: to you Chorazin woe to you Bethsaida

Matthew 18:7 Inj
GRK: Οὐαὶ τῷ κόσμῳ
NAS: Woe to the world because
KJV: Woe unto the world because of
INT: Woe to the world

Matthew 18:7 Inj
GRK: σκάνδαλα πλὴν οὐαὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ
NAS: come; but woe to that man
KJV: come; but woe to that man by
INT: trespasses yet woe the man

Matthew 23:13 Inj
GRK: Οὐαὶ δὲ ὑμῖν
NAS: But woe to you, scribes
KJV: But woe unto you, scribes
INT: woe moreover to you

Matthew 23:14 I
GRK: Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν γραμματεῖς
KJV: Woe unto you, scribes
INT: Woe to you scribes

Matthew 23:15 Inj
GRK: Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν γραμματεῖς
NAS: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
KJV: Woe unto you, scribes
INT: Woe to you scribes

Matthew 23:16 Inj
GRK: Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν ὁδηγοὶ
NAS: Woe to you, blind guides,
KJV: Woe unto you, [ye] blind
INT: Woe to you guides

Matthew 23:23 Inj
GRK: Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν γραμματεῖς
NAS: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
KJV: Woe unto you, scribes
INT: Woe to you scribes

Matthew 23:25 Inj
GRK: Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν γραμματεῖς
NAS: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
KJV: Woe unto you, scribes
INT: Woe to you scribes

Matthew 23:27 Inj
GRK: Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν γραμματεῖς
NAS: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
KJV: Woe unto you, scribes
INT: Woe to you scribes

Matthew 23:29 Inj
GRK: Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν γραμματεῖς
NAS: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
KJV: Woe unto you, scribes
INT: Woe to you scribes

Matthew 24:19 Inj
GRK: οὐαὶ δὲ ταῖς
NAS: But woe to those who are pregnant
KJV: And woe unto them that are with
INT: woe moreover to those that

Matthew 26:24 Inj
GRK: περὶ αὐτοῦ οὐαὶ δὲ τῷ
NAS: as it is written of Him; but woe to that man
KJV: him: but woe unto that man
INT: concerning him woe moreover

Mark 13:17 Inj
GRK: οὐαὶ δὲ ταῖς
NAS: But woe to those who are pregnant
KJV: But woe to them that are with
INT: woe moreover to those that

Mark 14:21 Inj
GRK: περὶ αὐτοῦ οὐαὶ δὲ τῷ
NAS: as it is written of Him; but woe to that man
KJV: him: but woe to that man
INT: concerning him woe however to the

Luke 6:24 Inj
GRK: Πλὴν οὐαὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς
NAS: But woe to you who are rich,
KJV: But woe unto you that are rich!
INT: But woe to you who are

Luke 6:25 Inj
GRK: οὐαὶ ὑμῖν οἱ
NAS: Woe to you who are well-fed now,
KJV: Woe unto you that are full!
INT: Woe to you who

Luke 6:25 Inj
GRK: ὅτι πεινάσετε οὐαί οἱ γελῶντες
NAS: for you shall be hungry. Woe [to you] who laugh
KJV: ye shall hunger. Woe unto you
INT: for you will hunger Woe to you who laugh

Luke 6:26 Inj
GRK: οὐαὶ ὅταν καλῶς
NAS: Woe [to you] when all
KJV: Woe unto you, when
INT: Woe to you when well

Luke 10:13 Inj
GRK: Οὐαί σοι Χοραζίν
NAS: Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe
KJV: Woe unto thee, Chorazin!
INT: Woe to you Chorazin

Luke 10:13 Inj
GRK: σοι Χοραζίν οὐαί σοι Βηθσαιδά
NAS: to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
KJV: Chorazin! woe unto thee,
INT: to you Chorazin woe to you Bethsaida

Luke 11:42 Inj
GRK: ἀλλὰ οὐαὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς
NAS: But woe to you Pharisees!
KJV: But woe unto you, Pharisees!
INT: But woe to you

Luke 11:43 Inj
GRK: οὐαὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς
NAS: Woe to you Pharisees! For you love
KJV: Woe unto you, Pharisees!
INT: Woe to you

Luke 11:44 Inj
GRK: οὐαὶ ὑμῖν ὅτι
NAS: Woe to you! For you are like
KJV: Woe unto you, scribes
INT: Woe to you for

Strong's Greek 3759
47 Occurrences

Οὐαί — 47 Occ.