Hebrew · H56, G3996 · unreviewed

Abal

To bewail · to grieve (the feeling or the act)

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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant

אָבַל H56 to bewail
Pronunciation aval
Emotional expression of grief through vocal lamentation; deep mourning that manifests in audible, bodily acts of sorrow
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πενθέω G3996 to grieve (the feeling or the act)
Pronunciation penthéō
Deep sorrow expressed through outward lamentation; grief that manifests in visible mourning behavior.
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What does abal (abal) mean in the Bible?

אָבַל · πενθέω is a Hebrew word meaning "to mourn, lament, grieve".

Full entry for abal (H56, G3996) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to mourn, lament, grieve
Grammatical Forms

How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.

Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 10×
Participle active 1Sam 16:1 · 2Chr 35:24 · 2Sam 14:2 · Dan 10:2 · Ezra 10:6
Jussive Ezek 7:12 · Neh 8:9
Perfect 1Sam 15:35
Sequential imperfect 2Sam 14:2
Imperfect Ezek 7:27
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 13×
Perfect Isa 24:4 · Jer 12:11 · Jer 14:2 · Jer 23:10 · Joel 1:10 · Hos 10:5 · Isa 24:7 · Isa 33:9 · Joel 1:9
Imperfect Hos 4:3 · Jer 4:28 · Jer 12:4 · Job 14:22
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action
Perfect Ezek 31:15
Hebrew Verb Forms

How this verb appears across 24 occurrences in the Hebrew OT (OSHB Leningrad Codex).

Aspect / Form
Perfect 11 Imperfect 7 Participle 5 Imperative 1
Stem
Qal 13 Hithpael 10 Hiphil 1
Mood
Indicative 11 Indicative/jussive 5 Jussive 2 Imperative 1

Aspect in Hebrew reflects grammatical form, not tense. "Perfect" (Perfective) typically denotes completed action; "Imperfect" (Imperfective) denotes incomplete or ongoing action. Stem modifies the action type (Qal=simple, Niphal=passive, Piel=intensive, etc.).

Morphology: OSHB WLC (Open Scriptures, CC BY 4.0) · STEPBible TEHMC (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0)

Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources