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Hebrew verb · H3213

יָלַל

yalalyaw-lal'

to wail

30 uses in the Hebrew text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key

Concordance spelling: yâlal

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H3213is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 9 of 39
    Old Testament books
  • 24
    spellings

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · H3213

to howl (with a wailing tone) or yell (with a boisterous one)

The King James renders it: (make to) howl, be howling.

James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.

Summary

yalal is rendered "to wail". It stands 30 times in the Hebrew text, across nine books.

  • Eleven of the uses stand in Isaiah, more than in any other book.
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Isaiah 13:6Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
  • The Greek text spells it twenty-four different ways.

The first use

Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

Isaiah 13:6הֵילִ֕ילוּ

The first use, in the order of the Old Testament's books.

Where the word stands

Eleven of the word's thirty uses are in Isaiah.

The other 30 Old Testament books never use the word.

What the word means

Each meaning, and the words it is translated by

How the Greek text is glossed, word by word

  • wail15
  • and wail3
  • it is wailing2
  • it will wail2
  • they wail2
  • and he will wail1
  • and I will wail1
  • and they will wail1
  • I will wail1
  • they will wail1
  • you will wail1

The words built on the same word-part

Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.

יָלַדyaladto begetUses496
יָלַעyalato blurtUses1
יָלַךְyalakto walkUsesnot recorded

All 30, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

24 spellings and their grammar

STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.

How it is spelled

  • הֵילִ֖ילוּ4
  • הֵילִ֙ילוּ֙3
  • הֵילִ֣ילוּ2
  • אֲיֵלִ֔יל1
  • הֵילִ֕ילוּ1
  • הֵילִ֨ילוּ1
  • הֵילִ֔ילוּ1
  • הֵילִ֣ילוּ׀1
  • הֵילִ֤ילִֽי1
  • הֵילִ֨ילִי1
  • הֵילֵ֤ל1
  • וְאֵילִ֔ילָה1

and 12 more spellings in the ledger below.

The grammar of each form

  • verb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine plural11HVhv2mp
  • verb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singular4HVhi3ms
  • conjunction (“and”) + verb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine plural2HC/Vhv2mp
  • verb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine plural2HVhi3mp
  • verb · causative (hiphil), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common plural2HVhp3cp
  • verb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person feminine singular2HVhv2fs
  • conjunction (“and”) + verb · causative (hiphil), infinitive (“to…”) · 1st person common singular1HC/Vhc1cs
  • Hc/Vhq3cp1Hc/Vhq3cp
  • Hc/Vhq3ms1Hc/Vhq3ms
  • conjunction (“and”) + verb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine singular1HC/Vhv2ms
  • verb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singular1HVhi1cs
  • verb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 2nd person masculine plural1HVhi2mp

Isaiah

eleven uses
  • Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

    Isaiah 13:6

    • הֵילִ֕ילוּheililuverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: wail
  • Wail, O gate! Cry out, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! For a cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there are no stragglers in its ranks.

    Isaiah 14:31

    • הֵילִ֤ילִֽיheililiverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person feminine singulartagged: wail
  • Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off.

    Isaiah 15:2

    • יְיֵלִ֔ילyeyelilverb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it is wailing
  • In its streets they wear sackcloth; on the rooftops and in the public squares they all wail, falling down weeping.

    Isaiah 15:3

    • יְיֵלִ֖ילyeyelilverb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it is wailing
  • Therefore let Moab wail; let them wail together for Moab. Moan for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth, you who are utterly stricken.

    Isaiah 16:7

    • יְיֵלִ֥ילyeyelilverb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it will wail
    • יְיֵלִ֑ילyeyelilverb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it will wail
  • This is the burden against Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor. Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus.

    Isaiah 23:1

    • הֵילִ֣ילוּ׀heililuverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: wail
  • Cross over to Tarshish; wail, O inhabitants of the coastland!

    Isaiah 23:6

    • הֵילִ֖ילוּheililuverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: wail
  • Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your harbor has been destroyed!

    Isaiah 23:14

    • הֵילִ֖ילוּheililuverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: wail
  • And now what have I here? declares the LORD. For My people have been taken without cause; those who rule them taunt, declares the LORD, and My name is blasphemed continually all day long.

    Isaiah 52:5

    • יְהֵילִ֙ילוּ֙yeheililuverb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: they wail
  • My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart, but you will cry out with a heavy heart and wail with a broken spirit.

    Isaiah 65:14

    • תְּיֵלִֽילוּ׃teyeliluverb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: you will wail

Jeremiah

eight uses
  • So put on sackcloth, mourn and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned away from us.”

    Jeremiah 4:8

    • וְהֵילִ֑ילוּveheililuconjunction (“and”) + verb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: and wail
  • Wail, you shepherds, and cry out; roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. For the days of your slaughter have come; you will fall and be shattered like fine pottery.

    Jeremiah 25:34

    • הֵילִ֨ילוּheililuverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: wail
  • This is what the LORD says: “See how the waters are rising from the north and becoming an overflowing torrent. They will overflow the land and its fullness, the cities and their inhabitants. The people will cry out, and all who dwell in the land will wail

    Jeremiah 47:2

    • וְהֵילִ֕לveheililHc/Vhq3mstagged: and he will wail
  • Moab is put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.

    Jeremiah 48:20

    • הֵילִ֣ילוּheililiverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: wail
  • Therefore I will wail for Moab; I will cry out for all of Moab; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres.

    Jeremiah 48:31

    • אֲיֵלִ֔ילʾayelilverb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I will wail
  • “How shattered it is! How they wail! How Moab has turned his back in shame! Moab has become an object of ridicule and horror to all those around him.”

    Jeremiah 48:39

    • הֵילִ֔ילוּheililuverb · causative (hiphil), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they will wail
  • Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed; cry out, O daughters of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; run back and forth within your walls, for Milcom will go into exile together with his priests and officials.

    Jeremiah 49:3

    • הֵילִ֨ילִיheililiverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person feminine singulartagged: wail
  • Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been shattered. Wail for her; get her balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed.

    Jeremiah 51:8

    • הֵילִ֣ילוּheililuverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: wail

Ezekiel

two uses
  • Cry out and wail, O son of man, for the sword is wielded against My people; it is against all the princes of Israel! They are tossed to the sword with My people; therefore strike your thigh.

    Ezekiel 21:12

    • וְהֵילֵל֙veheilelconjunction (“and”) + verb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: and wail
  • “Son of man, prophesy and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Wail, ‘Alas for that day!’

    Ezekiel 30:2

    • הֵילִ֖ילוּheililuverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: wail

Hosea

one use
  • They do not cry out to Me from their hearts when they wail upon their beds. They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but turn away from Me.

    Hosea 7:14

    • יְיֵלִ֖ילוּyeyeliluverb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: they wail

Joel

three uses
  • Wake up, you drunkards, and weep; wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth.

    Joel 1:5

    • וְהֵילִ֖לוּveheililuconjunction (“and”) + verb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: and wail
  • Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.

    Joel 1:11

    • הֵילִ֙ילוּ֙heililuverb · causative (hiphil), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: wail
  • Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God, because the grain and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.

    Joel 1:13

    • הֵילִ֙ילוּ֙heililuverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: wail

Amos

one use
  • “In that day,” declares the Lord GOD, “the songs of the temple will turn to wailing. Many will be the corpses, strewn in silence everywhere!”

    Amos 8:3

    • וְהֵילִ֜ילוּveheililuHc/Vhq3cptagged: and they will wail

Micah

one use
  • Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and mourn like an ostrich.

    Micah 1:8

    • וְאֵילִ֔ילָהveeililahconjunction (“and”) + verb · causative (hiphil), infinitive (“to…”) · 1st person common singulartagged: and I will wail

Zephaniah

one use
  • Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow, for all your merchants will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off.

    Zephaniah 1:11

    • הֵילִ֖ילוּheililuverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: wail

Zechariah

two uses
  • Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen; the majestic trees are ruined! Wail, O oaks of Bashan, for the dense forest has been cut down!

    Zechariah 11:2

    • הֵילֵ֤לheilelverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: wail
    • הֵילִ֙ילוּ֙heililuverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: wail

The letters

Where it leads

How the numbers are counted

Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.

Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.

The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.

The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.

Hebrew and Greek text, word tagging and grammar: STEP Bible (www.STEPBible.org), Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0. Their grammar codes are written out in English here and shown as tagged beside each one.

Meaning and senses: STEP Bible TBESH gloss (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary key: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890, public domain). English verse text: Berean Standard Bible (public domain, 2023).

Revised 2026-09-05. Every cited work, the sources registry →