### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʼalᵉlay**, represented by `{{H480}}`, is a powerful expression meaning **alas!** or **woe**. It is derived from a reduplication of אָלָה. This rare term appears only **2 times** in **2 unique verses**, signifying a profound state of distress or lamentation in the moments it is used.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The use of `{{H480}}` in scripture marks points of deep personal anguish. In Job, it is uttered amidst a crisis of faith and suffering, where Job exclaims, "If I be wicked, **woe** unto me" [[Job 10:15]], linking the cry to a state of moral despair and inescapable affliction. Similarly, the prophet Micah uses it to express his sorrow over the spiritual state of his people, crying, "**Woe** is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits" [[Micah 7:1]], lamenting the lack of righteousness as one would lament a barren harvest.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several words found in the context of `{{H480}}` help clarify the nature of this "woe":
* `{{H7561}}` **râshaʻ** (to be... wicked): This term is directly contrasted with righteousness in Job's lament. Job's use of "woe" is his response to the possibility of being found **wicked** [[Job 10:15]].
* `{{H6663}}` **tsâdaq** (to be... righteous): Job expresses that even if he were **righteous**, he would still not be vindicated, highlighting the depth of his hopeless situation [[Job 10:15]].
* `{{H6040}}` **ʻŏnîy** (affliction): Job connects his cry of "woe" directly to his suffering, asking God to see his **affliction**, which is described as depression or misery [[Job 10:15]].
### Theological Significance
The thematic weight of `{{H480}}` is concentrated in its expression of profound sorrow.
* **Moral and Spiritual Anguish:** The term is not used for simple misfortune but for a deep-seated despair rooted in moral and spiritual conditions. It appears when one confronts the consequences of wickedness or the absence of righteousness [[Job 10:15]].
* **Lamentation over Barrenness:** In [[Micah 7:1]], the "woe" signifies a state of spiritual emptiness and a lack of "firstripe fruit," representing a cry against a fruitless and corrupt society.
* **A Cry of Inescapable Affliction:** Job’s use of `{{H480}}` is part of a statement of confusion and suffering where, whether wicked or righteous, the outcome is **affliction** `{{H6040}}`. The "woe" is a declaration of being trapped in misery.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H480}}` is a concise and potent exclamation of **woe**. Though used only twice, it powerfully conveys a sense of profound distress that goes beyond mere sadness. It captures the anguish of a soul caught between wickedness and righteousness, as seen in Job, and the sorrow over a spiritually desolate community, as expressed by Micah. It is a cry from the depths of affliction and moral crisis.
TRV