a, a-ha': Interjections of frequent occurrence in the Old Testament, representing different Hebrew words and different states of feeling. (1) 'ahah, expressing complaint and found in the phrase "Ah, Lord Yahweh" (Jeremiah 1:6; 4:10 etc.; Ezekiel 4:14 etc.). Elsewhere the word is translated "alas!" (Joel 1:15). (2) 'ach, occurs once (Ezekiel 21:15), expressing grief in contemplating Israel's destruction. (3) he'ach, usually expresses malicious joy over the reverses of an enemy, and is introduced by the verb "to say" (Brown-Driver-Briggs' Lexicon); so in Psalms 35:21,25; Ezekiel 25:3; 26:2; 36:2; in the repeated Psalms 40:15; 70:3. It expresses satiety in Isaiah 44:16; and represents the neighing of a horse in Job 39:25. (4) hoy, expresses grief or pain, (Isaiah 1:4; Jeremiah 22:18). In 1 Ki 13:30 it is translated "alas!" More frequently it is used to indicate that a threat of judgment is to follow (Isaiah 10:5; 29:1; or to direct attention to some important announcement (Isaiah 55:1), where the Hebrew word is translated "Ho." (5) Greek oua, in Mark 15:29, used by those who mocked Jesus, as He hung upon the cross. All of these words are evidently imitative of the natural sounds, which spontaneously give expression to these emotions of complaint, grief, pain, exultation, etc.

Edward Mack

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

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