### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʼâlâh**, represented by `{{H421}}`, is a primitive root meaning to **bewail** or **lament**. It appears just **1 time** in the Bible, making its sole appearance highly significant in defining a specific kind of intense grief.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The word `{{H421}}` is used in a powerful command within the book of Joel. The instruction is to **lament** with the intensity of a young **virgin** `{{H1330}}` who has lost the **husband** `{{H1167}}` of her **youth** `{{H5271}}` and is now **girded** `{{H2296}}` with **sackcloth** `{{H8242}}`, the traditional garment of mourning [[Joel 1:8]]. This single use paints a vivid picture of profound and bitter sorrow.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its context help illustrate the depth of this lamentation:
* `{{H1330}}` **bᵉthûwlâh** (virgin): This word describes the one who is to lament, signifying purity and youth, which heightens the sense of tragedy. It is also used figuratively for cities or states, such as the "virgin of Israel" [[Jeremiah 31:4]], connecting personal grief to national sorrow.
* `{{H2296}}` **châgar** (to gird on): This verb specifies the action of putting on mourning garments. It is frequently paired with sackcloth to signify a deliberate act of entering a state of grief or repentance ([[Jeremiah 6:26]], [[Lamentations 2:10]]).
* `{{H8242}}` **saq** (sackcloth): This refers to the coarse cloth worn as a public sign of deep mourning, repentance, or distress. It is a tangible expression of inner anguish, seen when Jacob mourned for his son [[Genesis 37:34]] and when the people of Nineveh repented [[Jonah 3:5]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H421}}` is concentrated in its powerful imagery.
* **The Picture of Profound Loss:** The use of `{{H421}}` in [[Joel 1:8]] establishes a biblical benchmark for grief. It is not a casual sadness but a devastating sorrow, comparable to a young widow's loss of her **husband** `{{H1167}}` at the beginning of their life together.
* **An Embodied Ritual:** The command to **lament** is inseparable from physical action. It is linked directly to the act of girding oneself with **sackcloth** `{{H8242}}`, a visible and public sign of mourning and repentance that appears throughout scripture ([[Jeremiah 6:26]], [[Daniel 9:3]]).
* **From Personal to National Grief:** The intensely personal image of the grieving **virgin** `{{H1330}}` is used by the prophet Joel to call the entire nation to a state of lament. This illustrates how individual sorrow can serve as a metaphor for collective repentance and a turning back to God.
### Summary
In summary, **ʼâlâh** `{{H421}}` is a highly specific term for lamentation, defined by its single, poignant use in scripture. It moves beyond a general sense of sadness to evoke the visceral, all-consuming grief of a young bride mourning her husband. By linking this emotional state to the physical act of wearing sackcloth, the Bible provides a powerful and enduring image of what it means to truly **bewail** and **lament**, using this personal tragedy as a call to national repentance.
TRV