What does יָלַל (yālal) mean in the Bible?
יָלַל (yālal): Vocal expression of extreme distress: howling grief or boisterous clamor, often collective lament
Hebrew · H3213
יָלַל
To howl (with a wailing tone) or yell (with a boisterous one)
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יָלַל H3213
Pronunciation yālal
What does יָלַל (yālal) mean in the Bible?
יָלַל (yālal): Vocal expression of extreme distress: howling grief or boisterous clamor, often collective lament
Full entry for יָלַל (H3213) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3213?
The BSB source-word alignment has 30 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Wail (18), and wail (4), How they wail (1), I will wail (1), let them wail (1).
Where does יָלַל (yālal) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Isaiah 13:6. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (11), Jeremiah (8), Joel (3), Ezekiel (2).
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 Wail 18× Isaiah 13:6, Isaiah 14:31, Isaiah 15:3, Isaiah 16:7
and wail 4× Isaiah 65:14, Jeremiah 4:8, Ezekiel 21:12, Micah 1:8
How they wail 1× Jeremiah 48:39
I will wail 1× Jeremiah 48:31
let them wail 1× Isaiah 16:7
taunt 1× Isaiah 52:5
they wail 1× Hosea 7:14
wails 1× Isaiah 15:2
will turn to wailing 1× Amos 8:3
will wail 1× Jeremiah 47:2
Show sample aligned rows
Isaiah 13:6 הֵילִ֕ילוּ to Wail Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural Isaiah 14:31 הֵילִ֤ילִֽי to Wail Verb - Hifil - Imperative - feminine singular Isaiah 15:2 יְיֵלִ֔יל to wails Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Isaiah 15:3 יְיֵלִ֖יל to wail Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Isaiah 16:7 יְיֵלִ֥יל to wail Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Isaiah 16:7 יְיֵלִ֑יל to let them wail Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Isaiah 23:1 הֵילִ֣ילוּ׀ to Wail Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural Isaiah 23:6 הֵילִ֖ילוּ to wail Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural Isaiah 23:14 הֵילִ֖ילוּ to Wail Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural Isaiah 52:5 יְהֵילִ֙ילוּ֙ to taunt Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Isaiah 13:6
Aligned rows 30
Books represented 9
Isaiah 11 Jeremiah 8 Ezekiel 2 Hosea 1 Joel 3 Amos 1 Micah 1 Zephaniah 1 Zechariah 2
Source forms
הֵילִ֖ילוּ 4x hê·lî·lū Isaiah 23:6, Isaiah 23:14, Ezekiel 30:2, Zephaniah 1:11
הֵילִ֙ילוּ֙ 3x hê·lî·lū Joel 1:11, Joel 1:13, Zechariah 11:2
אֲיֵלִ֔יל 1x ’ă·yê·lîl Jeremiah 48:31
הֵילִ֕ילוּ 1x hê·lî·lū Isaiah 13:6
הֵילִ֨ילוּ 1x hê·lî·lū Jeremiah 25:34
הֵילִ֔ילוּ 1x hê·lî·lū Jeremiah 48:39
הֵילִ֣ילוּ 1x hê·lî·lū Jeremiah 51:8
הֵילִ֣ילוּ׀ 1x hê·lî·lū Isaiah 23:1
Parsing patterns
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural 12x Isaiah 13:6, Isaiah 23:1, Isaiah 23:6, Isaiah 23:14
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 4x Isaiah 15:2, Isaiah 15:3, Isaiah 16:7
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural 2x Jeremiah 4:8, Joel 1:5
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - feminine singular 2x Isaiah 14:31, Jeremiah 49:3
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 2x Isaiah 52:5, Hosea 7:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular 1x Micah 1:8
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 1x Amos 8:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 1x Jeremiah 47:2
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Vocal expression of extreme distress: howling grief or boisterous clamor, often collective lament
Strong's H3213
Lexical occurrences 31 verses Word forms 1 form 25 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Isaiah 23:1-7 Source Gloss
to howl (with a wailing tone) or yell (with a boisterous one)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Vocal expression of extreme distress: howling grief or boisterous clamor, often collective lament
to howl (with a wailing tone) or yell (with a boisterous one) BDB: howl Usage: (make to) howl, be howling.
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 1 Aligned forms 25
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 25×
Sequential imperfect Ezek 30:2 · Isa 13:6 · Isa 23:1 · Isa 23:6 · Isa 23:14 · Jer 25:34 · Jer 48:20 · Jer 51:8 · Joel 1:11 · Joel 1:13 · Zech 11:2 · Zeph 1:11 · Isa 14:31 · Jer 49:3 16×
Imperfect Isa 15:2 · Isa 15:3 · Isa 16:7 · Hos 7:14 · Isa 52:5 · Isa 65:14 · Jer 48:31 8×
Perfect Jer 48:39 1×
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 in lament.
Showing 1 selected witness from 31 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
יָלַל is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
The repeated call to wail underscores the magnitude of Tyre’s loss. Isaiah 23:1-7
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