English · KJV
H3013

יָגָה

yâgâh /yaw-gaw'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto grieve
KJV usageafflict, cause grief, grieve, sorrowful, vex.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of yâgâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word yâgâh, represented by H3013, is a primitive root that means to grieve, afflict, cause grief, or vex. It appears 8 times across 8 unique verses in the Bible, making each usage a specific and poignant description of deep emotional pain or the act of inflicting it. This term is central to expressing profound sorrow and affliction.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H3013 is used to describe affliction from both divine and human sources. It features prominently in the book of Lamentations, where the LORD "hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions" Lamentations 1:5. While God is shown to cause grief Lamentations 3:32, the term also applies to human actions. Job cries out to his friends, "How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?" Job 19:2. The word can also describe a state of being, as seen in God's promise to gather "them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly" Zephaniah 3:18.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Hebrew words help to contextualize the meaning of yâgâh:

  • H6031 ʻânâh (to... afflict): This word is used in parallel with yâgâh to clarify God's nature, stating He does not willingly afflict nor grieve the children of men Lamentations 3:33.
  • H4341 makʼôb (grief, pain, sorrow): This noun appears in the same verse as H3013, emphasizing the result of the action: "if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow... wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me" Lamentations 1:12.
  • H584 ʼânach (to sigh): This term for an outward expression of grief is used alongside H3013 to depict the suffering of Zion, where "her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted" Lamentations 1:4.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H3013 is significant, particularly in understanding suffering.

  • Divine Corrective Grief: The word often frames affliction as a divine act, but not one without purpose. God afflicts due to transgressions Lamentations 1:5, yet this action is paired with the promise of compassion, as He does not "willingly... grieve the children of men" Lamentations 3:33.
  • The Pain of Human Vexation: H3013 also defines the grief caused by other people. It is used to describe the verbal torment Job endures from his friends Job 19:2 and the oppression Israel suffers from its enemies Isaiah 51:23.
  • A State of Communal Sorrow: The term expresses the collective grief of a community. In Lamentations, Zion's "virgins are afflicted" Lamentations 1:4, and in Zephaniah, it describes those who are "sorrowful" Zephaniah 3:18, linking the feeling to a shared communal experience.

Summary

In summary, H3013 yâgâh is a powerful verb that conveys the act of causing deep grief or affliction. Its use in scripture shows that this sorrow can originate from God as a reluctant, corrective measure, or from human beings as an act of vexation. The word is especially prominent in Lamentations, where it gives voice to the profound pain of a nation. It offers a specific lens for understanding the complex nature of suffering and grief in the biblical account.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 8 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • הוֹגָה
  • תּוֹגְיוּ
  • מוֹגַיִ
  • נּוּגוֹת
  • נוּגֵי
  • יַּגֶּה

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H6031 עָנָה a primitive root (possibly rather identical with עָנָה through the idea of looking down or browbeating); to depress lite H4341 מַכְאֹב sometimes מַכְאוֹב; also (feminine Isaiah 53:3) מַכְאֹבָה; from כָּאַב; anguish or (figuratively) affliction; grief, pai H584 אָנַח a primitive root; to sigh; groan, mourn, sigh.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 8 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Lamentations (5 verses); never once in the other 35.

1
Job
1
Isaiah
5
Lamentations
1
Zephaniah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.