What does זָעַק (zaaq) mean in the Bible?
זָעַק (zaaq): Urgent vocalization that bridges personal distress and public proclamation; cry of desperation or authoritative summons
Hebrew · H2199
זָעַק
To shriek (from anguish or danger); by analogy, (as a herald) to announce or convene publicly
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זָעַק H2199
Pronunciation zaaq
What does זָעַק (zaaq) mean in the Bible?
זָעַק (zaaq): Urgent vocalization that bridges personal distress and public proclamation; cry of desperation or authoritative summons
Full entry for זָעַק (H2199) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2199?
The BSB source-word alignment has 73 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include cried out (13), and cried out (6), and cry out (6), Cry out (4), cries out (3).
Where does זָעַק (zaaq) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 2:23. Its strongest book concentrations include Judges (13), 1 Samuel (10), Jeremiah (8), Isaiah (6).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It cried out 13× Judges 3:9, Judges 3:15, Judges 6:6, Judges 6:7
and cried out 6× Exodus 2:23, 1 Samuel 15:11, 2 Samuel 19:4, Nehemiah 9:4
and cry out 6× Judges 10:14, Jeremiah 11:12, Jeremiah 25:34, Jeremiah 48:20
Cry out 4× Isaiah 14:31, Isaiah 15:4, Ezekiel 21:12, Hosea 7:14
cries out 3× Job 31:38, Isaiah 15:5, Hosea 8:2
Then they cried out 3× 1 Samuel 12:10, Psalms 107:13, Psalms 107:19
I cry 2× Psalms 142:1, Psalms 142:5
I cry out 2× Jeremiah 20:8, Lamentations 3:8
summoned 2× Judges 4:10, Judges 4:13
they cried out 2× 1 Chronicles 5:20, Psalms 22:5
They will cry out 2× Jeremiah 11:11, Micah 3:4
will cry out 2× Jeremiah 47:2, Habakkuk 2:11
. . . 1× Isaiah 30:19
and cries out 1× Isaiah 26:17
and rallied 1× Judges 6:34
and when I called 1× Judges 12:2
appealing 1× 2 Samuel 19:28
assembled 1× 1 Samuel 14:20
Calling them 1× Judges 6:35
crying aloud 1× 2 Samuel 13:19
crying out 1× 1 Samuel 7:8
do you cry out 1× Jeremiah 30:15
I will cry out 1× Jeremiah 48:31
Men cry out 1× Job 35:9
mobilized 1× Judges 18:22
or cry out 1× Habakkuk 1:2
she cried out 1× 1 Samuel 28:12
Summon 1× 2 Samuel 20:4
Then [the LORD] summoned 1× Zechariah 6:8
Then he issued a proclamation 1× Jonah 3:7
to summon 1× 2 Samuel 20:5
wailing 1× Esther 4:1
We will cry out 1× 2 Chronicles 20:9
were summoned 1× Joshua 8:16
When they cried out 1× Nehemiah 9:28
When you cry out 1× Isaiah 57:13
you have called out such a company 1× Judges 18:23
you will beg 1× 1 Samuel 8:18
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 2:23 וַיִּזְעָ֑קוּ to and cried out Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Joshua 8:16 וַיִּזָּעֲק֗וּ to were summoned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Judges 3:9 וַיִּזְעֲק֤וּ to cried out Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Judges 3:15 וַיִּזְעֲק֣וּ to cried out Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Judges 4:10 וַיַּזְעֵ֨ק to summoned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Judges 4:13 וַיַּזְעֵ֨ק to summoned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Judges 6:6 וַיִּזְעֲק֥וּ to cried out Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Judges 6:7 זָעֲק֥וּ to cried out Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Judges 6:34 וַיִזָּעֵ֥ק to and rallied Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Judges 6:35 וַיִזָּעֵ֥ק to Calling them Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 2:23
Aligned rows 73
Books represented 22
Exodus 1 Joshua 1 Judges 13 1 Samuel 10 2 Samuel 5 1 Kings 1 1 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 3 Nehemiah 2 Esther 1 Job 2 Psalms 5 Isaiah 6 Jeremiah 8 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 4 Hosea 2 Joel 1 Jonah 2 Micah 1 Habakkuk 2 Zechariah 1
Source forms
וַיִּזְעֲק֤וּ 3x way·yiz·‘ă·qū Judges 3:9, 1 Samuel 12:8, 1 Samuel 12:10
וַיִּזְעֲק֣וּ 3x way·yiz·‘ă·qū Judges 3:15, Psalms 107:13, Psalms 107:19
אֶזְעָ֑ק 2x ’ez·‘āq Psalms 142:1, Jeremiah 48:31
וָאֶזְעַ֣ק 2x wā·’ez·‘aq Judges 12:2, Ezekiel 11:13
וְזָֽעֲקוּ֙ 2x wə·zā·‘ă·qū Jeremiah 11:12, Jeremiah 47:2
וַיִזָּעֵ֥ק 2x wa·yiz·zå̄·ʿēq Judges 6:34, Judges 6:35
וַיִּזְעַ֥ק 2x way·yiz·‘aq 1 Samuel 15:11, 2 Samuel 19:4
וַיַּזְעֵ֨ק 2x way·yaz·‘êq Judges 4:10, Judges 4:13
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 13x Exodus 2:23, Judges 3:9, Judges 3:15, Judges 6:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 6x 1 Samuel 7:9, 1 Samuel 15:11, 2 Samuel 19:4, 1 Kings 22:32
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular 5x Psalms 142:1, Jeremiah 20:8, Jeremiah 48:31, Lamentations 3:8
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 4x Judges 4:10, Judges 4:13, Jonah 3:7, Zechariah 6:8
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural 4x Judges 10:14, Jeremiah 25:34, Jeremiah 48:20, Joel 1:14
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 4x Judges 6:7, 1 Chronicles 5:20, Psalms 22:5, Hosea 7:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 3x Judges 6:34, Judges 6:35, 1 Samuel 14:20
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 3x Jeremiah 11:11, Jeremiah 11:12, Jeremiah 47:2
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Urgent vocalization that bridges personal distress and public proclamation; cry of desperation or authoritative summons
Strong's H2199
Lexical occurrences 73 verses Word forms 3 forms 23 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Hosea 7:8-16 Source Gloss
to shriek (from anguish or danger); by analogy, (as a herald) to announce or convene publicly
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Urgent vocalization that bridges personal distress and public proclamation; cry of desperation or authoritative summons
to shriek (from anguish or danger); by analogy, (as a herald) to announce or convene publicly BDB: cry Usage: assemble, call (together), (make a) cry (out), come with such a company, gather (together), cause to be proclaimed.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 23
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 19×
Imperfect Hab 1:2 · Jer 20:8 · Jer 48:31 · Lam 3:8 · Ps 142:2 · Hab 2:11 · Isa 26:17 · Job 31:38 · Hos 8:2 · Mic 3:4 · Isa 15:5 · Jer 30:15 12×
Perfect 1Chr 5:20 · Hos 7:14 · Judg 6:7 · Ps 22:6 · Ps 142:6 5×
Sequential imperfect Ezek 21:17 · Isa 14:31 2×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 2×
Sequential imperfect 2Sam 20:4 1×
Imperfect Job 35:9 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 2×
Perfect Judg 18:22 · Judg 18:23 2×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to cry out
Showing 1 selected witness from 73 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
זָעַק is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Distinguishes emotional distress from true repentance. Hosea 7:8-16
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain