Outcry
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Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical context, the term "outcry" often refers to a loud and passionate expression of distress, injustice, or a call for divine intervention. It is a significant theme throughout the Scriptures, illustrating the human response to suffering and the expectation of God's justice.

Old Testament Usage

The concept of outcry is prominently featured in the Old Testament, where it is often associated with the cries of the oppressed and the response of a just and righteous God. One of the earliest mentions is found in the account of Sodom and Gomorrah. In Genesis 18:20-21 , the Lord says, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Their sin is so grievous that I will go down and see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will know." Here, the outcry is linked to the grievous sins of the cities, prompting divine investigation and eventual judgment.

In Exodus, the Israelites' cries under Egyptian bondage are heard by God, leading to their deliverance. Exodus 3:7 states, "The LORD said, 'I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.'" This passage highlights God's attentiveness to the cries of His people and His commitment to act on their behalf.

The prophets also frequently address the theme of outcry, often as a call for justice. In Isaiah 5:7 , the prophet laments, "For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of His delight. He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress." The outcry here is a result of societal injustice and a lack of righteousness among God's people.

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, the concept of outcry is less frequent but still significant. It is often associated with the cries for mercy and healing directed toward Jesus. In Mark 10:47-48 , the blind man Bartimaeus cries out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Despite being rebuked by the crowd, he continues to cry out, demonstrating faith and persistence. Jesus responds to his outcry by restoring his sight, illustrating the compassionate response of Christ to those in need.

The Book of Revelation also contains references to outcry, particularly in the context of divine justice. Revelation 6:10 describes the souls of the martyrs crying out, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?" This outcry reflects the anticipation of God's ultimate justice and the vindication of His people.

Theological Implications

The theme of outcry in the Bible underscores the relationship between human suffering, divine justice, and God's responsiveness to His creation. It serves as a reminder of God's attentiveness to the cries of the oppressed and His commitment to righteousness. The biblical narrative consistently portrays God as one who hears and responds to the outcry of His people, whether it be for deliverance, justice, or mercy.

In a broader theological sense, the outcry represents the human longing for God's intervention in a world marred by sin and injustice. It is a testament to the hope and faith that believers place in God's character and His promises to act on behalf of those who call upon Him.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) A vehement or loud cry; a cry of distress, alarm, opposition, or detestation; clamor.

2. (n.) Sale at public auction.

Greek
2906. krauge -- an outcry
... an outcry. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: krauge Phonetic Spelling:
(krow-gay') Short Definition: a shout, clamor, outcry Definition: (a) a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2906.htm - 7k

2752. keleusma -- a shout of command
... keleusma Phonetic Spelling: (kel'-yoo-mah) Short Definition: a word of command,
a call Definition: a word of command, a call, an arousing outcry. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2752.htm - 6k

2351. thorubos -- an uproar
... thorubos Phonetic Spelling: (thor'-oo-bos) Short Definition: confused noise, riot,
disturbance Definition: (a) din, hubbub, confused noise, outcry, (b) riot ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2351.htm - 7k

5456. phone -- a voice, sound
... Word Origin probably from phemi Definition a voice, sound NASB Word Usage blasts
(1), cry (1), language (1), languages (1), outcry (1), sound (15), sounds (4 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5456.htm - 7k

995. boe -- a cry
... See 994 (). Word Origin a prim. word Definition a cry NASB Word Usage outcry (1).
cry. From boao; a halloo, ie Call (for aid, etc.) -- cry. see GREEK boao. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/995.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew
2201. zeaqah -- a cry, outcry
... 2200, 2201. zeaqah. 2202 . a cry, outcry. Transliteration: zeaqah Phonetic
Spelling: (zah'-ak) Short Definition: outcry. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/2201.htm - 6k

6682. tsevachah -- an outcry
... 6681, 6682. tsevachah. 6683 . an outcry. Transliteration: tsevachah Phonetic
Spelling: (tsev-aw-khaw') Short Definition: cry. Word ...
/hebrew/6682.htm - 6k

6818. tseaqah -- a cry, outcry
... 6817, 6818. tseaqah. 6819 . a cry, outcry. Transliteration: tseaqah
Phonetic Spelling: (tsah-ak-aw') Short Definition: cry. Word ...
/hebrew/6818.htm - 6k

2200. zeiq -- to cry, call
... 1). cry. (Aramaic) corresponding to za'aq; to make an outcry -- cry. see HEBREW
za'aq. 2199, 2200. zeiq. 2201 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/2200.htm - 6k

7303. Rohagah -- an Asherite
... Rohgah. From an unused root probably meaning to cry out; outcry; Rohagah, an Israelite --
Rohgah. 7302, 7303. Rohagah. 7304 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7303.htm - 5k

6963. qol -- sound, voice
... 2), cry (2), crying (1), growl* (1), listen (4), loudly (1), loudness (1), lowing
(2), news (1), noise (21), obey* (14), obeyed* (5), outcry (1), proclamation ...
/hebrew/6963.htm - 6k

Library

This ChapterShows How, when God Bestows Greater Favours on the ...
... favours.2. Our Lord excites the soul's longings.3. Courage needed to reach the last
mansions.4. Trials accompanying divine favours.5. Outcry raised against ...
/.../teresa/the interior castle or the mansions/chapter i this chapter shows.htm

Chapter xxxix
... of the household and said to them: Look, he brought us a Hebrew man to make sport
of us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I raised a loud outcry; and it ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxix.htm

The Crucifixion.
... to make my purchases and get everything ready, so that I may get home in time."
Hardly had he said this than he heard the sound of a great outcry, and amidst ...
//christianbookshelf.org/stead/king of the jews/chapter ix the crucifixion.htm

Confession of Sin --A Sermon with Seven Texts
... A great outcry has been raised of late against tickets-of-leave; I have no doubt
there are some men here, who before high heaven stand in the same position as ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/confession of sina sermon with.htm

Chapter xix
... anyone else who belongs to thee in the city, Bring such a one out from the place,
For we are about to destroy this place, because great is the outcry over them ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xix.htm

Twenty Fourth Sunday after Trinity Prayer and Spiritual Knowledge.
... Again, the wicked world eagerly contributes its share of hindrance, its bitter hatred
and venomous outcry against Christians as people of the worst type ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/twenty fourth sunday after trinity.htm

Fourth Sunday after Trinity Consolation in Suffering, and Patience ...
... Christians are not to conduct themselves in this impatient manner. It ill becomes
them to make extravagant complaint and outcry about injustice. ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/fourth sunday after trinity consolation.htm

Chapter xviii
... 20, 21. And Yahweh said: The outcry over Sodom and Gomorrah"surely it is
great, and their sin"surely it is exceedingly grievous. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xviii.htm

The Foundation of the Monastery of St. Joseph. Persecution and ...
... the city. There arose a great outcry, for the reasons I mentioned before,
[19] and there was some apparent ground for it. The prioress ...
/.../teresa/the life of st teresa of jesus/chapter xxxvi the foundation of.htm

Letters of the Council of Sardica to the Churches of Egypt and of ...
... They raised a great outcry, affirming that Athanasius had committed murder, and
had made away with one Arsenius a Meletian Bishop, whose loss they pretended to ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/chapter iii letters of the council.htm

Thesaurus
Outcry (56 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Outcry (56 Occurrences). Mark 5:39 He goes in. "Why all
this outcry and loud weeping?" He asks; "the child is asleep, not dead." (WEY) ...
/o/outcry.htm - 22k

Exclamation (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A loud calling or crying out; outcry; loud or emphatic utterance; vehement
vociferation; clamor; that which is cried out, as an expression of feeling ...
/e/exclamation.htm - 7k

Complaining (3 Occurrences)
... kom-plan'-ing (tsewachah, "cry," "outcry," siach, "meditation," "complaint"): tsewachah
is translated "complaining" (Psalm 144:14, the Revised Version (British ...
/c/complaining.htm - 8k

Noise (126 Occurrences)
... margin "because of the voice of"; 1 Samuel 4:6, etc.); hamon, "noise," "sound"
(1 Samuel 14:19); roghez, "anger," "rage" (Job 37:2); rea`, "outcry" (Job 36:33 ...
/n/noise.htm - 41k

Clamor (7 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A great outcry or vociferation; loud and continued
shouting or exclamation. 2. (n.) Any loud and continued noise. ...
/c/clamor.htm - 9k

Cry (431 Occurrences)
... 6. (vt) To make oral and public proclamation of; to declare publicly; to notify
or advertise by outcry, especially things lost or found, goods to be sold, etc ...
/c/cry.htm - 46k

Shout (114 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vi) To utter a sudden and loud outcry, as in joy,
triumph, or exultation, or to attract attention, to animate soldiers, etc. ...
/s/shout.htm - 35k

Outcries (8 Occurrences)

/o/outcries.htm - 8k

Measure (269 Occurrences)
... Exodus 16:8 And Moses said, The Lord will give you meat for your food at evening,
and in the morning bread in full measure; for your outcry against the Lord ...
/m/measure.htm - 45k

Yell (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (vt) To utter or declare with a yell; to proclaim in a loud tone. 3. (n.) A sharp,
loud, hideous outcry. Multi-Version Concordance Yell (1 Occurrence). ...
/y/yell.htm - 6k

Resources
What does it mean to “remember Lot's wife” in Luke 17:32? | GotQuestions.org

Who was John Calvin? | GotQuestions.org

What was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah? | GotQuestions.org

Outcry: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Outcry (56 Occurrences)

Mark 5:39
He goes in. "Why all this outcry and loud weeping?" He asks; "the child is asleep, not dead."
(WEY)

Acts 7:57
Upon this, with a loud outcry they stopped their ears, rushed upon Stephen in a body,
(WEY)

Acts 16:22
The crowd, too, joined in the outcry against them, till at length the praetors ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods;
(WEY)

Acts 17:5
But the Jews, being moved with envy, took with them certain low persons from among the common people, and getting together a great number of people, made an outcry in the town, attacking the house of Jason with the purpose of taking them out to the people.
(BBE)

Acts 19:23
And about that time a great outcry took place about the Way.
(BBE)

Acts 19:34
and having known that he is a Jew, one voice came out of all, for about two hours, crying, 'Great 'is' the Artemis of the Ephesians!'
(See NAS)

Acts 23:9
And there was a great outcry: and some of the scribes on the side of the Pharisees got up and took part in the discussion, saying, We see no evil in this man: what if he has had a revelation from an angel or a spirit?
(BBE)

Ephesians 4:31
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.
(WEB)

James 5:4
lo, the reward of the workmen, of those who in-gathered your fields, which hath been fraudulently kept back by you -- doth cry out, and the exclamations of those who did reap into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth have entered;
(See NAS)

Genesis 18:20
And the Lord said, Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is very great, and their sin is very evil,
(BBE NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 18:21
I will go down now, and see if their acts are as bad as they seem from the outcry which has come to me; and if they are not, I will see.
(BBE NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 19:13
for we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before Yahweh that Yahweh has sent us to destroy it."
(WEB BBE NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 16:8
And Moses said, The Lord will give you meat for your food at evening, and in the morning bread in full measure; for your outcry against the Lord has come to his ears: for what are we? your outcry is not against us but against the Lord.
(BBE)

Exodus 16:9
And Moses said to Aaron, Say to all the people of Israel, Come near before the Lord for he has given ear to your outcry.
(BBE)

Exodus 16:12
The outcry of the children of Israel has come to my ears: say to them now, At nightfall you will have meat for your food, and in the morning bread in full measure; and you will see that I am the Lord your God.
(BBE)

Exodus 17:3
And the people were in great need of water; and they made an outcry against Moses, and said, Why have you taken us out of Egypt to send death on us and our children and our cattle through need of water?
(BBE)

Numbers 11:2
And the people made an outcry to Moses, and Moses made prayer to the Lord, and the fire was stopped.
(BBE)

Numbers 14:36
And the men whom Moses sent to see the land, and who, by the bad account they gave of the land, were the cause of the outcry the people made against Moses,
(BBE)

Numbers 16:34
And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said: 'Lest the earth swallow us up.'
(See NAS)

Numbers 16:41
But on the day after, all the children of Israel made an outcry against Moses and against Aaron, saying, You have put to death the Lord's people.
(BBE)

Numbers 26:9
And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram. These are the same Dathan and Abiram who had a place in the meeting of the people, who together with Korah made an outcry against Moses and Aaron and against the Lord:
(BBE)

Deuteronomy 1:27
And you made an angry outcry in your tents, and said, In his hate for us the Lord has taken us out of the land of Egypt, to give us up into the hands of the Amorites for our destruction.
(BBE)

Joshua 9:18
And the children of Israel did not put them to death, because the chiefs of the people had taken an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. And all the people made an outcry against the chiefs.
(BBE)

1 Samuel 4:13
And when he came, Eli was seated by the wayside watching: and in his heart was fear for the ark of God. And when the man came into the town and gave the news, there was a great outcry.
(BBE)

1 Samuel 4:14
And Eli, hearing the noise and the cries, said, What is the reason of this outcry? And the man came quickly and gave the news to Eli.
(BBE NAS RSV NIV)

1 Samuel 5:10
So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And when the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of the town made an outcry, saying, They have sent the ark of the God of Israel to us for the destruction of us and of our people.
(BBE)

1 Samuel 5:12
The men who didn't die were struck with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
(See NIV)

2 Samuel 18:29
And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said in answer, When Joab sent me, your servant, I saw a great outcry going on, but I had no knowledge of what it was.
(BBE)

1 Kings 13:2
And by the order of the Lord he made an outcry against the altar, saying, O altar, altar, the Lord has said, From the seed of David will come a child, named Josiah, and on you he will put to death the priests of the high places, who are burning offerings on you, and men's bones will be burned on you.
(BBE)

1 Kings 13:32
For the outcry he made by the word of the Lord against the altar in Beth-el and against all the houses of the high places in the towns of Samaria, will certainly come about.
(BBE)

Nehemiah 5:1
Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their countrymen the Jews.
(BBE NAS RSV NIV)

Nehemiah 5:6
And on hearing their outcry and what they said I was very angry.
(BBE NAS RSV NIV)

Job 7:11
So I will not keep my mouth shut; I will let the words come from it in the pain of my spirit, my soul will make a bitter outcry.
(BBE)

Job 10:1
My soul is tired of life; I will let my sad thoughts go free in words; my soul will make a bitter outcry.
(BBE)

Job 15:4
Truly, you make the fear of God without effect, so that the time of quiet worship before God is made less by your outcry.
(BBE)

Job 19:7
Truly, I make an outcry against the violent man, but there is no answer: I give a cry for help, but no one takes up my cause.
(BBE)

Job 21:4
As for me, is my outcry against man? is it then to be wondered at if my spirit is troubled?
(BBE)

Job 23:2
Even today my outcry is bitter; his hand is hard on my sorrow.
(BBE)

Job 31:38
If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow;
(BBE)

Psalms 74:23
Keep in mind the voice of your haters; the outcry of those who come against you goes up every day.
(BBE)

Psalms 144:14
Our oxen will pull heavy loads. There is no breaking in, and no going away, and no outcry in our streets.
(WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS)

Isaiah 13:2
Put up a flag on a clear mountain-top, make a loud outcry to them, give directions with the hand, so that they may go into the doors of the great ones.
(BBE)

Isaiah 24:11
A cry over the wine 'is' in out-places, Darkened hath been all joy, Removed hath been the joy of the land.
(See NAS RSV)

Isaiah 29:24
Those whose hearts were turned away from him will get knowledge, and those who made an outcry against him will give attention to his teaching.
(BBE)

Jeremiah 2:15
The young lions have made an outcry against him with a loud voice: they have made his land waste; his towns are burned up, with no one living in them.
(BBE)

Jeremiah 8:16
The loud breathing of the horses comes to our ears from Dan: at the sound of the outcry of his war-horses, all the land is shaking with fear; for they have come, and have made a meal of the land and everything in it; the town and the people living in it.
(BBE)

Jeremiah 18:22
Let a cry be heard from their houses, when you shall bring a troop suddenly on them; for they have dug a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
(See NAS)

Jeremiah 20:16
Then hath that man been as the cities, That Jehovah overthrew, and repented not, And he hath heard a cry at morning, And a shout at time of noon.
(See NAS)

Jeremiah 48:3
The sound of a cry from Horonaim, desolation and great destruction!
(See NAS)

Jeremiah 48:34
From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim, to Eglath Shelishiyah: for the waters of Nimrim also shall become desolate.
(See NAS)

Jeremiah 49:21
The earth trembles at the noise of their fall; there is a cry, the noise which is heard in the Red Sea.
(See NAS)

Jeremiah 50:46
At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth trembles, and the cry is heard among the nations.
(See NAS)

Jeremiah 51:54
The sound of a cry from Babylon, and of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!
(See NAS)

Hosea 10:14
So a great outcry will go up from among your people, and all your strong places will be broken, as Beth-arbel was broken by Shalman in the day of war, as the mother was broken on the rocks with her children.
(BBE)

Habakkuk 1:2
How long, O Lord, will your ears be shut to my voice? I make an outcry to you about violent behaviour, but you do not send salvation.
(BBE)

Zephaniah 1:10
And in that day, says the Lord, there will be the sound of a cry from the fish doorway, and an outcry from the new town, and a great thundering from the hills, and cries of grief from the people of the Hollow;
(BBE)

Subtopics

Outcry

Related Terms

Outdone (1 Occurrence)

Excel (12 Occurrences)

Outcry (56 Occurrences)

Job (60 Occurrences)

Backslide

Outcries
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