What does אָבַל (aval) mean in the Bible?
אָבַל (aval): Emotional expression of grief through vocal lamentation; deep mourning that manifests in audible, bodily acts of sorrow
Hebrew · H56
אָבַל
To bewail
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אָבַל H56
Pronunciation aval
What does אָבַל (aval) mean in the Bible?
אָבַל (aval): Emotional expression of grief through vocal lamentation; deep mourning that manifests in audible, bodily acts of sorrow
Full entry for אָבַל (H56) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H56?
The BSB source-word alignment has 39 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include mourn (6), mourns (6), mourned (4), will mourn (3), and mourn (1).
Where does אָבַל (aval) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 37:34. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (6), Jeremiah (5), 2 Samuel (4), 1 Samuel (3).
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 mourn 6× Nehemiah 8:9, Jeremiah 12:4, Ezekiel 7:12, Amos 1:2
mourns 6× Isaiah 24:4, Isaiah 33:9, Jeremiah 14:2, Jeremiah 23:10
mourned 4× Numbers 14:39, 1 Samuel 15:35, 1 Chronicles 7:22, 2 Chronicles 35:24
will mourn 3× Jeremiah 4:28, Ezekiel 7:27, Hosea 10:5
and mourn 1× Isaiah 3:26
and mourned 1× Genesis 37:34
and mourning 1× 2 Samuel 19:1
and mourns 1× Job 14:22
and the people mourned 1× 1 Samuel 6:19
are in mourning 1× Joel 1:9
But David mourned 1× 2 Samuel 13:37
dries up 1× Isaiah 24:7
going to mourn 1× 1 Samuel 16:1
he was mourning 1× Ezra 10:6
I caused mourning 1× Ezekiel 31:15
I mourned 1× Nehemiah 1:4
it mourns 1× Jeremiah 12:11
lament 1× Lamentations 2:8
mourning 1× Daniel 10:2
pretend to be a mourner 1× 2 Samuel 14:2
they went into mourning 1× Exodus 33:4
who has mourned 1× 2 Samuel 14:2
who mourn 1× Isaiah 66:10
will lament 1× Isaiah 19:8
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 37:34 וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֥ל to and mourned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 33:4 וַיִּתְאַבָּ֑לוּ to they went into mourning Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Numbers 14:39 וַיִּֽתְאַבְּל֥וּ to mourned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1 Samuel 6:19 וַיִּֽתְאַבְּל֣וּ to and the people mourned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1 Samuel 15:35 הִתְאַבֵּ֥ל to mourned Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 16:1 מִתְאַבֵּ֣ל to going to mourn Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular 2 Samuel 13:37 וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֥ל to But David mourned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2 Samuel 14:2 הִֽתְאַבְּלִי־ to pretend to be a mourner Verb - Hitpael - Imperative - feminine singular 2 Samuel 14:2 מִתְאַבֶּ֖לֶת to who has mourned Verb - Hitpael - Participle - feminine singular 2 Samuel 19:1 וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֖ל to and mourning Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 37:34
Aligned rows 39
Books represented 18
Genesis 1 Exodus 1 Numbers 1 1 Samuel 3 2 Samuel 4 1 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 1 Ezra 1 Nehemiah 2 Job 1 Isaiah 6 Jeremiah 5 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 3 Daniel 1 Hosea 2 Joel 2 Amos 3
Source forms
תֶּאֱבַ֣ל 3x te·’ĕ·ḇal Jeremiah 4:28, Jeremiah 12:4, Hosea 4:3
אָבְלָ֣ה 2x ’ā·ḇə·lāh Jeremiah 14:2, Jeremiah 23:10
וְאָבְל֖וּ 2x wə·’ā·ḇə·lū Isaiah 3:26, Amos 9:5
וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֥ל 2x way·yiṯ·’ab·bêl Genesis 37:34, 2 Samuel 13:37
אָבַ֥ל 1x ’ā·ḇal Isaiah 24:7
אָבַ֤ל 1x ’ā·ḇal Isaiah 33:9
אָבַ֨ל 1x ’ā·ḇal Hosea 10:5
אָבְלָ֤ה 1x ’ā·ḇə·lāh Isaiah 24:4
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular 5x Isaiah 24:4, Jeremiah 12:11, Jeremiah 14:2, Jeremiah 23:10
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 4x Genesis 37:34, 2 Samuel 13:37, 2 Samuel 19:1, 1 Chronicles 7:22
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 4x Isaiah 3:26, Isaiah 19:8, Amos 1:2, Amos 9:5
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular 4x Job 14:22, Jeremiah 4:28, Jeremiah 12:4, Hosea 4:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 3x Exodus 33:4, Numbers 14:39, 1 Samuel 6:19
Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular 3x 1 Samuel 16:1, Ezra 10:6, Daniel 10:2
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 3x Isaiah 24:7, Isaiah 33:9, Hosea 10:5
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Ezekiel 7:12, Ezekiel 7:27
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Emotional expression of grief through vocal lamentation; deep mourning that manifests in audible, bodily acts of sorrow
Strong's H56
Lexical occurrences 39 verses Word forms 3 forms 24 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Hosea 4:1-3 Source Gloss
to bewail
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Emotional expression of grief through vocal lamentation; deep mourning that manifests in audible, bodily acts of sorrow
to bewail BDB: mourn Usage: lament, mourn.
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 24
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 5×
Jussive Ezek 7:12 · Neh 8:9 2×
Perfect 1Sam 15:35 1×
Sequential imperfect 2Sam 14:2 1×
Imperfect Ezek 7:27 1×
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 9×
Imperfect Hos 4:3 · Jer 4:28 · Jer 12:4 · Job 14:22 4×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 1×
Perfect Ezek 31:15 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to mourn
Showing 1 selected witness from 39 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
אָבַל is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Land personified under covenant curse. Hosea 4:1-3
Canonical Themes
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