The Hebrew word hôw, represented by H1930, is a powerful interjection meaning oh! or alas. It appears 2 times in 1 unique verse, marking it as a specific and potent expression of grief. It directly conveys a sense of dismay and sorrow.
The sole appearance of H1930 is in a prophecy of widespread mourning delivered by Amos. The Lord declares that wailing will fill the streets and highways, and people will cry out, "Alas! alas!" Amos 5:16. This usage places the word at the heart of a public and national lament, a direct response to divine judgment where even farmers are called to mourning and professional mourners to wailing.
Several related words help frame the context of profound sorrow surrounding H1930:
- H4553 miçpêd (a lamentation; lamentation, one mourneth, mourning, wailing): This term for wailing appears alongside H1930, describing the sound that will fill the land as a result of God's judgment Amos 5:16.
- H60 ʼêbel (lamentation; mourning): This word signifies the act of mourning itself, to which the common husbandman is called, indicating that the sorrow would permeate every level of society Amos 5:16.
- H5092 nᵉhîy (an elegy; lamentation, wailing): This refers to a formal lament or elegy, highlighting the use of professional mourners, or those "skilful of lamentation," who are summoned to lead the wailing Amos 5:16.
The theological weight of H1930 is concentrated in its singular context:
- A Cry of Judgment: The exclamation is not just a human response to tragedy but a direct fulfillment of a divine decree. The LORD himself declares that this cry of "Alas!" will be heard, linking the expression of sorrow directly to His judgment Amos 5:16.
- Universal Sorrow: Its use in the context of "all streets" and "all the highways" underscores the comprehensive nature of the coming disaster. The cry of H1930 is not private but a public, communal expression of loss that affects everyone, from the city dweller to the husbandman in the field Amos 5:16.
- The Culmination of Lament: The word serves as the peak emotional outcry within a scene saturated with terms for grief. It is surrounded by wailing, mourning, and lamentation, acting as the raw, verbal expression of the people's ultimate despair in the face of God's action Amos 5:16.
In summary, H1930 hôw is more than a simple cry of sadness. It is a potent, biblically rare exclamation that encapsulates the depth of sorrow resulting from divine judgment. Its sole appearance in Amos paints a vivid picture of a nation overcome with grief, where the cry of "Alas!" becomes the universal response to a catastrophe foretold by God. The word powerfully demonstrates how a brief interjection can convey the immense weight of communal lamentation and the sobering reality of prophetic fulfillment.
TRV