a primitive root; to bray (as an ass), scream (from hunger); bray.
Transliteration:nâhaq
Pronunciation:naw-hak'
Detailed Word Study
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew verb `{{H5101}}` (nâhaq) is a primitive root, primarily onomatopoeic in nature. Its most direct and fundamental meaning is "to bray," specifically referring to the characteristic sound made by an ass. This core meaning is expanded to encompass a "scream (from hunger)," suggesting a more general cry of distress or profound need, often associated with an animal's primal vocalization but capable of being extended metaphorically. The semantic range of `{{H5101}}` is thus quite narrow, focusing intensely on a specific type of loud, often guttural vocalization indicative of discomfort, deprivation, or acute suffering.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The verb `{{H5101}}` appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, both instances found within the book of Job, a text deeply concerned with suffering and human lament.
1. **[[Job 6:5]]**: "Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?"
In this verse, Eliphaz the Temanite uses the braying of a wild ass as a rhetorical question to challenge the legitimacy of Job's lament. The implied answer is no; an animal does not cry out when its basic needs are met. The braying (`{{H5101}}`) is presented as a natural, instinctive expression of *lack* or *discomfort*, not contentment. It signifies a sound of protest or an unmet fundamental need, thereby subtly validating the idea that a cry arises from deprivation, even as Eliphaz tries to discredit Job's specific cries.
2. **[[Job 30:7]]**: "Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together."
Here, the verb `{{H5101}}` is powerfully applied to human beings – specifically, the destitute and outcast individuals whom Job describes as having fallen into extreme misery. The use of "brayed" for human cries conveys a profound sense of desperation and dehumanization. It suggests that their vocalizations are not articulate prayers or pleas, but raw, guttural, animal-like sounds of extreme hunger, pain, or despair. This usage underscores their abject poverty and the extent to which their suffering has stripped them of human dignity, reducing their cries to a primal, unrefined expression of agony.
In both contexts, `{{H5101}}` is inextricably linked to a state of deprivation or distress, whether literal hunger (implied in [[Job 6:5]] by the lack of grass) or the profound and multifaceted suffering of the marginalized (in [[Job 30:7]]).
### Related Words & Concepts
The limited occurrences of `{{H5101}}` make its connections primarily thematic.
* **Vocalization of Distress**: Other Hebrew terms describing cries of distress, both human and animal, include `{{H6684}}` (tsa'aq), "to cry out" (often for help); `{{H5098}}` (nāham), "to growl" or "groan" (like a lion or a person in pain); `{{H7442}}` (rā'a'), "to roar" (like a lion or thunder); and `{{H6817}}` (tsalah), "to bleat" (of sheep/goats). Unlike these, `{{H5101}}` specifically evokes the harsh, distinctive sound of an ass, making it particularly evocative of a crude, desperate cry.
* **Hunger and Deprivation**: The concept of hunger (`{{H7456}}`, ra'ab) and general affliction or neediness (`{{H6040}}`, ʿānî) are closely tied to the semantic range of `{{H5101}}`, as the braying or screaming is explicitly linked to a state of being unfulfilled or suffering.
* **Animal Imagery**: The use of animal behavior to illustrate human conditions is a common literary device in wisdom literature, and `{{H5101}}` is a prime example of this, lending a visceral quality to the description of human suffering.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H5101}}` lies in its stark portrayal of suffering and the primal sounds it elicits. In [[Job 6:5]], it functions as a rhetorical point about the natural order: creatures cry out when their needs are unmet. This subtly frames Job's own lament as a natural, if challenging, response to his profound affliction.
More profoundly, in [[Job 30:7]], the application of the animalistic bray to human beings is a powerful theological statement. It depicts the utter degradation and despair that can befall the most vulnerable. Their cries are not dignified prayers but guttural, inarticulate expressions of overwhelming pain and hunger, effectively stripping them of their perceived human dignity in the eyes of society. This challenges the listener to confront the raw, unvarnished reality of suffering.
Theologically, `{{H5101}}` reminds us that suffering can reduce individuals to a state where their expressions of pain are raw and unrefined, akin to the desperate sounds of animals. It implicitly connects to the broader biblical theme of God hearing the cry of the afflicted, even if that cry is an inarticulate bray rather than a reasoned petition. It calls for empathy and recognition of the deepest forms of human misery, suggesting that even the most undignified sounds of distress are valid expressions of suffering that demand attention.
### Summary
The Hebrew verb `{{H5101}}` (nâhaq), meaning "to bray" or "to scream from hunger," is a rare but impactful term found exclusively in the book of Job. Its core meaning describes the harsh, distinctive sound of an ass, extended to encompass a primal cry of distress. In [[Job 6:5]], it serves as a rhetorical device to illustrate that even animals cry out only when deprived, setting the stage for Job's own lament. Most significantly, in [[Job 30:7]], `{{H5101}}` is applied to human beings, vividly depicting the abject misery and dehumanizing effects of extreme poverty and suffering through their animalistic, desperate cries. Theologically, `{{H5101}}` functions as a stark and visceral descriptor of the raw, inarticulate sounds born of profound need and distress, challenging the reader to confront the depths of human suffering and recognize the validity of even the most undignified expressions of pain.
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