The meaning of Ah; Aha in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
a, a-ha': Interjections of frequent occurrence in the Old Testament, representing different Hebrew words and different states of feeling. (1) 'ahah, expressing complaint and found in the phrase "Ah, Lord Yahweh" (Jeremiah 1:6; Jeremiah 4:10 etc.; Ezekiel 4:14 etc.). Elsewhere the word is translated "alas!" (Joel 1:15). (2) 'ach, occurs once (Ezekiel 21:15), expressing grief in contemplating Israel's destruction. (3) he'ach, usually expresses malicious joy over the reverses of an enemy, and is introduced by the verb "to say" (Brown-Driver-Briggs' Lexicon); so in Psalms 35:21, Psalms 35:25; Ezekiel 25:3; Ezekiel 26:2; Ezekiel 36:2; in the repeated Psalm Psalms 40:15; Psalms 70:3. It expresses satiety in Isaiah 44:16; and represents the neighing of a horse in Job 39:25. (4) hoy, expresses grief or pain, (Isaiah 1:4; Jeremiah 22:18). In I Kings 13:30 it is translated "alas!" More frequently it is used to indicate that a threat of judgment is to follow (Isaiah 10:5; Isaiah 29:1; or to direct attention to some important announcement (Isaiah 55:1), where the Hebrew word is translated "Ho." (5) Greek oua, in Mark 15:29, used by those who mocked Jesus, as He hung upon the cross. All of these words are evidently imitative of the natural sounds, which spontaneously give expression to these emotions of complaint, grief, pain, exultation, etc.
Edward Mack
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