### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **nᵉʼâqâh**, represented by `{{H5009}}`, is a noun meaning **groaning**. Derived from the primitive root `{{H5008}}` "to groan," this term appears **4 times** across **4 unique verses**. It consistently describes a sound of deep distress, often arising from severe affliction or oppression, which elicits a response from God.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H5009}}` is a powerful expression of suffering that moves God to act. It is used to describe the cries of the children of Israel under Egyptian bondage, a **groaning** that God heard, causing Him to remember His covenant ([[Exodus 2:24]], [[Exodus 6:5]]). Similarly, during the time of the judges, the LORD was moved to deliver the Israelites because of their **groanings** under those who oppressed and vexed them [[Judges 2:18]]. The term is also used in a prophetic context to describe the ultimate defeat of Pharaoh, who will groan with the **groanings** of a deadly wounded man [[Ezekiel 30:24]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the cause and effect surrounding the act of groaning:
* `{{H5008}}` **nâʼaq** (to groan): This is the primitive root from which `{{H5009}}` is derived. It appears alongside its noun form to emphasize the depth of Pharaoh's suffering under judgment [[Ezekiel 30:24]].
* `{{H8085}}` **shâmaʻ** (to hear intelligently): This word is critically linked to groaning. God's act of hearing is not passive; it is an intelligent perception that implies attention and leads to action, as seen when He heard the Israelites' groan ([[Exodus 2:24]], [[Exodus 6:5]]).
* `{{H3905}}` **lâchats** (to press, i.e. (figuratively) to distress): This term identifies the source of the suffering. The groaning in Judges is a direct result of the people being oppressed by their enemies [[Judges 2:18]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H5009}}` is tied to God's response to human suffering.
* **A Catalyst for Covenant Remembrance:** In Exodus, the **groaning** of the Israelites does not go unnoticed. It is the sound that prompts God to hear and remember His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, initiating the events of the exodus ([[Exodus 2:24]], [[Exodus 6:5]]).
* **An Expression Provoking Divine Compassion:** The Israelites' **groanings** under oppression caused the LORD to repent, or be moved with pity, and raise up judges for their deliverance [[Judges 2:18]]. This shows that the expression of suffering can evoke God's compassion and intervention.
* **A Sign of Divine Judgment:** While often the cry of the afflicted righteous, **groaning** can also be the sound of the wicked under judgment. Pharaoh's groaning is not one that leads to deliverance, but is the sign of his utter defeat at the hand of God's instrument, the king of Babylon [[Ezekiel 30:24]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H5009}}` is a term that encapsulates the profound sound of suffering. More than a mere expression of pain, it functions within the biblical narrative as a cry that reaches God, triggering His covenant faithfulness, compassion, and justice. Whether it is the groan of an oppressed people leading to their salvation or the groan of a defeated king under judgment, **nᵉʼâqâh** demonstrates that the cries of humanity do not go unheard.
TRV