Lexical Summary nehi: Lamentation, wailing Original Word: נְהִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lamentation, wailing From nahah; an elegy -- lamentation, wailing. see HEBREW nahah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom nahah Definition a wailing, lamentation, mourning song NASB Translation lamentation (3), wailing (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs נְהִי noun [masculine] wailing, lamentation, mourning song; — ׳נ absolute Amos 5:16 5t.; וָנֶהִ֑י Jeremiah 9:9; — wailing, at ׳יs judgement Micah 2:4 as accusative of congnate meaning with verb; Jeremiah 9:9 (c.נָשָׂא עַלֿ, + ׳בְּכִ, "" קִינָה ), Jeremiah 9:17 (c, id.,"" דִּמְעָה), Jeremiah 9:18 (׳קוֺל נ ), Jeremiah 31:15 ("" בְּכִי, תַּמְרוּרִים); mourning song ׳יוֺדְעֵי נ Amos 5:16 of professional mourners, skilled in mourning song; compare Jeremiah 9:19, where taught ("" קִינָת), also הִי Ezekiel 2:10 ("" אֵכֶל, מִסְמֵּד q. v. (Ol Co read נתי, compare Berthol). Topical Lexicon Definition and Semantic Range נְהִי depicts the intense, audible lament that rises in the wake of catastrophe, bereavement, or national calamity. It is more than quiet sorrow; it is a public, communal cry that gives voice to pain so deep it demands expression. Scripture employs the term to portray both spontaneous grief and formalized mourning rites, underscoring the reality that sin and judgment fracture human life and provoke anguish that must be named before God. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Jeremiah 9:10 – The prophet mourns over Judah’s desolate land: “I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains…” Each passage links נְהִי to covenant violation and ensuing judgment while also hinting at God’s redemptive intention beyond the sorrow. Cultural and Historical Background Ancient Near Eastern culture employed professional mourners to articulate communal loss. Jeremiah’s call for the “skillful women” reflects this custom. Their role was pedagogical: by dramatizing grief they awakened national conscience to sin’s cost and urged repentance. The prophetic writers adapt this social practice to convey Yahweh’s own lament over His people, revealing divine compassion alongside divine justice. Theological Significance 1. Revelation of God’s Heart – The prophets’ laments echo the Lord’s own grief (Jeremiah 9:1). נְהִי demonstrates that judgment is never cold; it is accompanied by divine sorrow that sin has made such measures necessary. Pastoral and Practical Implications • Validating Sorrow – Believers are invited to bring raw grief before God. Suppressing pain contradicts biblical precedent. Messianic and Eschatological Dimensions Rachel’s weeping in Jeremiah 31:15 resurfaces in Matthew 2:18 after Herod’s massacre, situating נְהִי within the larger salvation narrative. The lament that marks Israel’s loss becomes the backdrop for the arrival of the One who will ultimately “wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4). Thus, the word’s trajectory moves from covenant breach to new-covenant fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Connections to the New Testament Church While the term itself does not appear in Greek, its ethos permeates passages such as James 4:9 (“Grieve, mourn and weep”) and Romans 12:15 (“Weep with those who weep”). The early Church channels the prophetic tradition of נְהִי to foster solidarity and humility. Summary נְהִי encapsulates the Scriptural theology of lament: an honest, communal cry birthed by sin’s devastation yet held within the larger purposes of a compassionate, covenant-keeping God. It invites God’s people of every age to mourn rightly, repent sincerely, and hope steadfastly in the redemption secured through the Lord’s unfailing mercy. Forms and Transliterations וָנֶ֗הִי ונהי נְהִ֛י נְהִ֤י נְהִי֙ נֶ֑הִי נֶ֔הִי נֶֽהִי׃ נהי נהי׃ ne·hî nə·hî Nehi nehî nəhî vaNehi wā·ne·hî wānehîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 9:10 HEB: אֶשָּׂ֧א בְכִ֣י וָנֶ֗הִי וְעַל־ נְא֤וֹת NAS: up a weeping and wailing, And for the pastures KJV: a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations INT: will take A weeping and wailing and for the pastures Jeremiah 9:18 Jeremiah 9:19 Jeremiah 9:20 Jeremiah 31:15 Amos 5:16 Micah 2:4 7 Occurrences |
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