The Hebrew word qîynâh, represented by H7015, is a term for a dirge or lamentation. It appears 18 times across 16 unique verses in the Bible. Derived from the root H6969 qûwn, which means to chant or wail, H7015 signifies a formal, often poetic, expression of grief composed in response to death or impending judgment.
In the biblical narrative, H7015 is frequently used in a prophetic context where a prophet is commanded to "take up a lamentation" against a person or nation. Ezekiel is instructed to compose a lamentation for the princes of Israel Ezekiel 19:1, the king of Tyrus Ezekiel 28:12, and Pharaoh of Egypt Ezekiel 32:2. This expression also serves as a response to divine judgment, as when Amos delivers a lamentation to the house of Israel Amos 5:1. These could be preserved in written form, as with the scroll given to Ezekiel containing "lamentations, and mourning, and woe" Ezekiel 2:10 and the lamentations for King Josiah, which were recorded and made an ordinance in Israel 2 Chronicles 35:25.
Several related words clarify the scope of grief and mourning associated with H7015:
- H6969 qûwn (lament, mourning woman): As the primitive root of qîynâh, this verb describes the act of wailing or chanting a dirge. It is often used in tandem, such as when David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan 2 Samuel 1:17.
- H60 ʼêbel (lamentation; mourning): This term for general mourning is used alongside qîynâh to depict a total reversal of joy. God declares He will turn feasts into mourning and songs into lamentation Amos 8:10.
- H5092 nᵉhîy (an elegy; lamentation, wailing): Often appearing with qîynâh, this word emphasizes the sound of wailing. Women are instructed to teach their daughters wailing and their neighbors lamentation Jeremiah 9:20.
- H1899 hegeh (mourning, sound, tale) and H1958 hîy (lamentation; woe): These terms appear with qîynâh on the prophetic scroll shown to Ezekiel, illustrating the complete despair it contained Ezekiel 2:10.
The theological weight of H7015 is primarily seen in its use as a pronouncement of divine judgment and a formal expression of national sorrow.
- Prophetic Judgment: The command to "take up a lamentation" functions as a powerful prophetic act. It is a funeral song sung for a nation or leader not yet dead but doomed by God's decree, as seen in the laments for Tyrus Ezekiel 26:17 and Egypt Ezekiel 32:16.
- Ritualized Grief: A lamentation is a structured and often communal expression of grief. The lamentations for Josiah became a lasting "ordinance in Israel" 2 Chronicles 35:25, and women could be taught the skill of performing them Jeremiah 9:20.
- The Inversion of Joy: The presence of a lamentation signifies the end of peace and prosperity. It replaces songs H7892 and is accompanied by public signs of mourning like sackcloth H8242 and baldness H7144 Amos 8:10.
In summary, H7015 represents far more than simple sadness. It is a formal, composed dirge used to structure and express profound grief. It serves as a key literary and prophetic device, particularly in the writings of Ezekiel and Jeremiah, to announce divine judgment upon nations and leaders. As both a spoken performance and a written text, the lamentation marks moments of catastrophic loss and the reversal of fortune, solidifying its place as a powerful symbol of sorrow in the biblical narrative.
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