English · KJV
H5888

עָיֵף

ʻâyêph /aw-yafe'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto languish
KJV usagebe wearied.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʻâyêph — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʻâyêph, represented by H5888, is a primitive root meaning to languish or be wearied. It is a rare term, appearing only 1 time in 1 verse in the entire Bible. Its singular use provides a potent and specific depiction of a soul exhausted by overwhelming violence and distress.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The sole appearance of H5888 is in Jeremiah 4:31, where the prophet describes a sound of profound suffering. He hears a voice of "anguish" H6869 like that of a woman in the agony of bearing her first child H1069. This is the voice of the "daughter of Zion" (H1323, H6726), who bewails herself and spreads out her hands in despair. She cries out, "Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers" H2026. The word captures a state of utter depletion and life-threatening exhaustion in the face of deadly assault.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words from its context in Jeremiah 4:31 illuminate the depth of this weariness:

  • H2470 châlâh (to be weak, sick, afflicted): This word describes the state of a "woman in travail" and is used as a direct simile for Zion's suffering. It connects the weariness of H5888 to a state of profound physical and emotional affliction.
  • H6869 tsârâh (anguish, distress, tribulation, trouble): Used in parallel with the travail of childbirth, this term defines the intense emotional trouble and adversity that gives rise to the soul's weariness.
  • H188 ʼôwy (woe): This is the lamentation cried out by the daughter of Zion. It is the verbal expression of the profound suffering and despair that comes when one's soul is wearied to its limit.
  • H5315 nephesh (soul): This word, representing a breathing creature or life itself, is the subject of the weariness. It is not merely the body or mind that is tired, but the very essence of life that is languishing.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5888 is concentrated in its powerful, singular context.

  • Personification of Suffering: The word is used to describe the "soul" of the "daughter of Zion," personifying the collective exhaustion and despair of the people of God under severe judgment and attack.
  • Weariness from Sin's Consequences: The weariness is not random; it is explicitly caused "because of murderers" H2026. This links the state of languishing directly to the devastating impact of violence and wickedness in the world.
  • A State of Utter Helplessness: The imagery of a soul being wearied is paired with the spreading of hands H6566, a gesture of desperation and appeal. It portrays a moment when all strength is gone, leaving only the ability to express profound woe.

Summary

In summary, while appearing only once, H5888 offers a deeply evocative picture of exhaustion. It is not a word for common tiredness but for a soul languishing under the weight of mortal anguish and violence. Its use in Jeremiah 4:31 encapsulates the profound despair of the daughter of Zion, whose very life force is depleted by the horrific reality of sin and its consequences, creating a powerful image of communal and spiritual collapse.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 5 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • יָּעַף
  • עָיְפָה

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H6869 צָרָה feminine of צַר; tightness (i.e. figuratively, trouble); transitively, a female rival:; adversary, adversity, affliction H1069 בָּכַר a primitive root; properly, to burst the womb, i.e. (causatively) bear or make early fruit (of woman or tree); also (as H1323 בַּת from בָּנָה (as feminine of בֵּן); a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and H6726 צִיּוֹן the same (regularly) as צִיּוּןlemma צִיוּן missing dagesh, corrected to צִיּוּן; Tsijon (as a permanent capital), a mou H2026 הָרַג a primitive root; to smite with deadly intent; destroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter) H2470 חָלָה a primitive root (compare חוּל, חָלָה, חָלַל); properly, to be rubbed or worn; hence (figuratively) to be weak, sick, af

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

1 verse, all in Jeremiah — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.