What does אָבֵל (ʾābēl) mean in the Bible?
אָבֵל (ʾābēl): Mourning characterized by audible, expressive lamentation—often ritualized grief involving vocal wailing and bodily gestures signifying acute loss.
Hebrew · H57
אָבֵל
Lamenting
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אָבֵלH57
Pronunciationʾābēl
What does אָבֵל (ʾābēl) mean in the Bible?
אָבֵל (ʾābēl): Mourning characterized by audible, expressive lamentation—often ritualized grief involving vocal wailing and bodily gestures signifying acute loss.
Full entry for אָבֵל (H57) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H57?
The BSB source-word alignment has 8 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and his mourners (1), in grief (1), like one mourning (1), mourn (1), mourning (1).
Where does אָבֵל (ʾābēl) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 37:35. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (3), Esther (1), Genesis (1), Job (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itand his mourners1×Isaiah 57:18
in grief1×Esther 6:12
like one mourning1×Psalms 35:14
mourn1×Lamentations 1:4
mourning1×Genesis 37:35
of the mourners1×Job 29:25
the mourners1×Isaiah 61:3
who mourn1×Isaiah 61:2
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 37:35אָבֵ֖לtomourningAdjective - masculine singularEsther 6:12אָבֵ֖לtoin griefAdjective - masculine singularJob 29:25אֲבֵלִ֣יםtoof the mournersAdjective - masculine pluralPsalms 35:14כַּאֲבֶל־tolike one mourningPreposition-k | Adjective - masculine singular constructIsaiah 57:18וְלַאֲבֵלָֽיו׃toand his mournersConjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singularIsaiah 61:2אֲבֵלִֽים׃towho mournAdjective - masculine pluralIsaiah 61:3לַאֲבֵלֵ֣יtothe mournersPreposition-l | Adjective - masculine plural constructLamentations 1:4אֲבֵל֗וֹתtomournAdjective - feminine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 37:35
Aligned rows8
Books represented6
Genesis1Esther1Job1Psalms1Isaiah3Lamentations1
Source forms
אָבֵ֖ל2x’ā·ḇêlGenesis 37:35, Esther 6:12
אֲבֵל֗וֹת1x’ă·ḇê·lō·wṯLamentations 1:4
אֲבֵלִ֣ים1x’ă·ḇê·lîmJob 29:25
אֲבֵלִֽים׃1x’ă·ḇê·lîmIsaiah 61:2
וְלַאֲבֵלָֽיו׃1xwə·la·’ă·ḇê·lāwIsaiah 57:18
כַּאֲבֶל־1xka·’ă·ḇel-Psalms 35:14
לַאֲבֵלֵ֣י1xla·’ă·ḇê·lêIsaiah 61:3
Parsing patterns
Adjective - masculine plural2xJob 29:25, Isaiah 61:2
Adjective - masculine singular2xGenesis 37:35, Esther 6:12
Adjective - feminine plural1xLamentations 1:4
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular1xIsaiah 57:18
Preposition-k | Adjective - masculine singular construct1xPsalms 35:14
Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine plural construct1xIsaiah 61:3
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Mourning characterized by audible, expressive lamentation—often ritualized grief involving vocal wailing and bodily gestures signifying acute loss.
Source Gloss
lamenting
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Mourning characterized by audible, expressive lamentation—often ritualized grief involving vocal wailing and bodily gestures signifying acute loss.
lamenting BDB: mourning Usage: mourn(-er, -ing).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
אָבֵל is built from this root: