5091. nahah

Lexical Summary

nahah: To lead, guide, conduct

Original Word: נָהָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nahah
Pronunciation: naw-HAW
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-haw')
KJV: lament, wail
NASB: lamented, utter, wail
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to groan, i.e. bewail
2. hence (through the idea of crying aloud), to assemble (as if on proclamation)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

lament, wail

A primitive root; to groan, i.e. Bewail; hence (through the idea of crying aloud), to assemble (as if on proclamation) -- lament, wail.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to wail, lament
NASB Translation
lamented (1), utter (1), wail (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

נָהָה verb wail, lament (probably onomatopoetic, compare Sta^{Geschichte. i. 388}; Arabic (in Lexicons); Ethiopic : is recreari, respirare, etc. Di⁶³²); —

Qal Perfect וְנָהָה Micah 2:4 lament followed by accusative of congnate meaning with verb; Imperative נְהֵה Ezekiel 32:18, followed byעַל concerning, for.

Niph`al Imperfect וַיִּנָּהוּ 1 Samuel 7:2 followed byאַהֲרִי went mourning after (so most, compare Th Dr, who argue against Thes were gathered), < read ויפנ(הׅ, וַיִּפְנוּ turned after = submitted to (as Ezekiel 29:16) ᵐ5 (perhaps), We Kit Bu HPS.

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 5091 נָהָה portrays the deliberate, audible mourning that rises when covenant people face the gravity of sin, judgment, or loss. More than a spontaneous outburst, it is a purposeful, often communal lament directed toward God or proclaimed over a nation. Across its three occurrences the verb marks a turning-point in spiritual awareness, calling the hearer to repentance, humility, and renewed dependence on the LORD.

Occurrences in Scripture

• 1 Samuel 7:2 – After decades of Philistine oppression, “all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.” Their corporate wailing becomes the prelude to Samuel’s nationwide revival.
• Ezekiel 32:18 – The prophet is commanded, “Lament over the multitude of Egypt,” summoning nations to witness Egypt’s descent to the pit and to reckon with divine justice.
• Micah 2:4 – The remnant will “lament with bitter lamentation,” acknowledging the consequences of social injustice and land­-grabbing among Judah.

Thematic Analysis

1. Covenant Sensitivity: In 1 Samuel 7 the lament emerges when Israel finally feels the absence of God’s favor. נָהָה signals a heart awakened to covenant breach and yearning for restoration.
2. Prophetic Dirge: Ezekiel employs the verb in a funerary dirge that functions both as public warning and as divine verdict. The lament is not mere emotion but prophetic proclamation—truth set to mourning.
3. Social Reckoning: Micah links the verb to economic oppression. The community that exploited the poor will itself learn the cry of distress. נָהָה thus exposes structural sin and anticipates divine redress.

Historical Context

• Shiloh to Mizpah (1 Samuel 7) – The Ark’s long stay at Kiriath Jearim illustrates spiritual inertia; the lament breaks that inertia, preparing the ground for victory at Ebenezer.
• Fall of Egypt’s Power (Ezekiel 32) – The lament occurs shortly after Pharaoh Hophra’s defeat, underscoring that imperial might cannot shield from the sword of the LORD.
• Eighth-century Judah (Micah 2) – Economic inequity and impending Assyrian invasion frame the prophet’s lament, proving that national security rests on covenant fidelity, not land accumulation.

Prophetic and Liturgical Dimensions

The verb undergirds Israel’s tradition of dirges (kinot) later embodied in Lamentations and reflected in communal fasts. In worship, such cries transition the assembly from confession to hope, anchoring supplication in God’s character: “For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime” (Psalm 30:5).

Christological Foreshadowing

The ministry of Jesus fulfills and transforms lament. At Gethsemane He embodies holy sorrow, and on the cross He voices Psalm 22. Post-resurrection, the church’s mourning is transfigured into longing for His return (Revelation 22:20). Thus נָהָה ultimately points toward the One who bears griefs that His people may inherit joy.

Pastoral Application

• Call to Repentance – Congregational lament remains essential for awakening apathetic hearts and confronting societal sin.
• Counseling Grief – נָהָה validates vigorous emotional expression before God, legitimizing tears in the healing process.
• Preaching Judgment and Hope – Prophetic lament models how to announce hard truths while still directing hearers to the mercy found at the cross.

Related Terms and Distinctions

While נָהָה emphasizes audible wailing, קוֹנֵן (Strong’s 6969) stresses composition of a funeral song, and בָּכָה (Strong’s 1058) focuses on shedding tears. נָהָה can incorporate both but foregrounds the intentional act of public mourning.

See Also

2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 51; Joel 2:12-17; Matthew 5:4

Forms and Transliterations

וְנָהָ֨ה וַיִּנָּה֛וּ וינהו ונהה נְהֵ֛ה נהה nə·hêh neHeh nəhêh vaiyinnaHu venaHah way·yin·nā·hū wayyinnāhū wə·nā·hāh wənāhāh

Englishman's Concordance

1 Samuel 7:2
HEB: עֶשְׂרִ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיִּנָּה֛וּ כָּל־ בֵּ֥ית
NAS: of Israel lamented after
KJV: of Israel lamented after
INT: twenty years lamented and all the house

Ezekiel 32:18
HEB: בֶּן־ אָדָ֕ם נְהֵ֛ה עַל־ הֲמ֥וֹן
NAS: of man, wail for the hordes
KJV: of man, wail for the multitude
INT: Son of man wail for the hordes

Micah 2:4
HEB: עֲלֵיכֶ֣ם מָשָׁ֗ל וְנָהָ֨ה נְהִ֤י נִֽהְיָה֙
NAS: you a taunt And utter a bitter
KJV: a parable against you, and lament with a doleful
INT: against A taunt and utter lamentation become

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 5091
3 Occurrences

nə·hêh — 1 Occ.
way·yin·nā·hū — 1 Occ.
wə·nā·hāh — 1 Occ.