### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʼachălay**, represented by `{{H305}}`, is an interjection expressing a deep longing or wish, translated as **"O that"** or **"would God"**. It appears **2 times** in **2 unique verses**, highlighting moments of intense desire for divine intervention or personal alignment with God's will.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The two uses of `{{H305}}` capture distinct forms of heartfelt desire. In Psalms, the psalmist cries, "**O that** my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!" [[Psalms 119:5]], a personal plea for spiritual steadfastness. In contrast, a servant girl expresses a wish for her master's physical healing, saying, "**Would** God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy" [[2 Kings 5:3]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide context for these expressions of longing:
* `{{H1870}}` **derek** (a road): Used by the psalmist to describe his "ways" or course of life, it signifies a mode of action he wishes to be aligned with God's statutes [[Psalms 119:5]].
* `{{H2706}}` **chôq** (an enactment): These are the "statutes" or divine decrees the psalmist longs to keep, representing God's appointed laws [[Psalms 119:5]].
* `{{H113}}` **ʼâdôwn** (lord, master, owner): The term used for the servant girl's "lord," indicating a human controller or master whose well-being she desires [[2 Kings 5:3]].
* `{{H1404}}` **gᵉbereth** (mistress): As the feminine counterpart, this is the "mistress" to whom the servant girl speaks, defining the household hierarchy in which this wish for healing is expressed [[2 Kings 5:3]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H305}}` lies in the nature of the desires it expresses.
* **Aspiration for Godly Living:** The cry "**O that**" in [[Psalms 119:5]] expresses a profound spiritual desire for a life that is directed `{{H3559}}` by and in alignment with God's divine appointments `{{H2706}}`. It highlights a heart that longs for obedience.
* **Intercession for Healing:** In [[2 Kings 5:3]], the phrase "**Would** God" voices a compassionate wish for the physical restoration of another. It demonstrates faith that God, through his prophet `{{H5030}}`, has the power to recover `{{H622}}` someone from a condition like leprosy `{{H6883}}`.
* **Expression of Deep Need:** In both contexts, `{{H305}}` is used to express a desire that is beyond the speaker's own power to fulfill, pointing to a reliance on divine action for both spiritual alignment and physical healing.
### Summary
In summary, **ʼachălay** `{{H305}}` is a potent, though infrequent, expression of heartfelt longing in Scripture. It encapsulates both the personal, spiritual yearning for a life that keeps God's statutes [[Psalms 119:5]] and the compassionate, faithful wish for another's miraculous healing [[2 Kings 5:3]]. This word gives voice to the deepest desires that can only be fulfilled by divine power.
TRV