הוֹ (ho)
ho
Ah!
H:IntjQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:Intj
Word Overview
The Hebrew interjection ho is a brief, sharp exclamation meaning "Ah!" or "Alas!" It functions as an immediate vocal reaction to sudden grief, shock, or distress. Because it is so short and emotive, it rarely carries complex theological argument; instead, it serves as the raw sound of pain breaking through speech.
This word appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Amos 5:16. The prophet uses it to describe the scene that will engulf Jerusalem during coming judgment: "Wail in the streets!" The context suggests a communal cry of mourning, where citizens would let out this sharp sound as they lamented the destruction of their city. It captures the visceral, unfiltered response to catastrophe.
Its rarity highlights its intensity. When a word is used only once, it often marks a specific, dramatic moment rather than a routine expression. Here, ho is not a prayer or a petition but a cry of despair. It reminds readers that biblical lament includes raw, guttural sounds that precede more structured words of complaint or hope.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word ho is a sharp cry of grief that breaks through speech when words fail. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Amos 5:16, where it captures the raw pain of a community facing sudden disaster. This single exclamation reminds us that honest lament is part of our faith journey. God hears not just polished prayers but also these guttural sounds of distress.
When life brings unexpected loss or shock, we do not need to hide our pain. Scripture shows that even prophets cried out in despair before finding hope. This word invites you to bring your unfiltered emotions to God. He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- alas!2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הוֹ\־1×
- ה֑וֹ1×
Key Verses
-
Amos 5:16
Therefore Yahweh, the God of Armies, the Lord, says: “Wailing will be in all the wide ways. They will say in all the streets, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They will call the farmer to mourning, and those who are skillful in lamentation to wailing.
This verse uses ho as a communal cry of mourning, showing how raw grief precedes structured lament in the face of coming judgment.