Woe (alas) (3759) ouai by Greek Word Studies

Woe (How dreadful!) (3750 - click and select "Phonetics" to hear "ouai" pronounced) (ouai pronounced "oo-ah'ee," an eerie, ominous foreboding sound some say is like the cry of an eagle) is an onomatopoeic word (an imitation of the sound) which serves as an interjection expressing a cry of intense distress, displeasure or horror. It may convey a warning of impending disaster to the hearers. Jesus used "Woe" frequently in the Gospels (see below) often in an eschatological context (Mt 24:19; Mk 13:17). Most NT uses of ouai are in the context of warning about inevitable, impending judgment, often intermingled with a feeling of pity (Mt 11:21-22, Lk 22:22 = Judas' betrayal). Rev 8:13-note has woe in triplicate which seems to provide the greatest possible emphasis on God's coming judgment on the world, much as the cry of "holy" in triplicate emphasizes His holiness. Indeed, His perfect holiness demands His perfect judgment! In the Lxx a double woe is addressed to unfaithful Jerusalem because of her idolatry and immorality (Ezek 16:23). Ouai does not depict sorrow on the part of those who have sinned (as some have mistakenly taught). Ouai in used in the Septuagint (Lxx) to translate two Hebrew interjections, Oy (0188) and Hoy (01945 Hoy = [1] 8x = funeral lament [2] 4x = cry to get attention [3] 41x =announcement of doom). Hoy and oy are usually a cry of despair and/or a call for one's attention because of impending divine judgment (cf Isa 5:8, Amos 6:1, Hab 2:9). Ouai is a NT "Semitism" (hoy, oy) and also a Latinism (Latin - vae). Ouai is an interjection of grief, pain, lament, threat, doom or indignation. Ouai is an an expression of pain and pity for the misfortune that awaits someone in a certain condition. Ouai is often an announcement of disaster to come. Woe warns of danger and the nearness of judgment. In a sense "to bless" or "blessing" stands in opposition to woe. "Ouai is an interjection or emotional cry that is essentially like exclaiming, "Alas, how horrible it will be!"" (MacArthur's comment on Jude 1:11) In 1Cor 9:16 Paul use ouai to express his personal pain and sorrow were he not to fulfill his ministry (his stewardship) and preach the Gospel. Do we feel that deeply about the stewardship God has granted us? Woe is an interjection denoting pain, discomfort, and unhappiness. It is a distinctive form of prophetic speech, and is found both in the OT and in the NT. Barclay comments twice on Jesus' use of ouai in Matthew: (First in Mt 11:21) - We must be careful to catch the accent in Jesus' voice as he said this..."Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!" The Greek word for woe which we have translated "alas" is ouai; and ouai expresses sorrowful pity at least as much as it does anger. This is not the accent of one who is in a temper because his self-esteem has been touched; it is not the accent of one who is blazingly angry because he has been insulted. It is the accent of sorrow, the accent of one who offered men the most precious thing in the world and saw it disregarded. Jesus' condemnation of sin is holy anger, but the anger comes, not from outraged pride, but from a broken heart. (Ref) (Second in Mt 23:13) - "Woe to you!" The Greek word for woe is ouai - it is hard to translate for it includes not only wrath, but also sorrow. There is righteous anger here, but it is the anger of the heart of love, broken by the stubborn blindness of men. There is not only an air of savage denunciation; there is also an atmosphere of poignant tragedy. (Ref) (Bolding added) Friberg - 1) expressing extreme displeasure and calling for retributive pain on someone or something woe! alas! (Mt 11.21); doubled or tripled for emphasis (Rev 8.13; 18.10); (2) woe, disaster, calamity (Rev 9.12) BDAG (summarized) - 1. interjection denoting pain or displeasure, woe, alas 2. a state of intense hardship or distress, woe Ouai - 46x in 35v Most often used by Jesus the prophet Moses had predicted Dt 18:15 - Matt 11:21; 18:7; 23.13" class="scriptRef">23:13, 16" class="scriptRef">15-16, 23, 25, 27, 29; 19" class="scriptRef">24:19; 26:24; Mark 13:17; 14:21; Luke 6:24, 25, 26 (Woe to...rich...well-fed...laugh...speak well of you); Lk 10:13; 11:42-44, Lk 11:46, 47, 52; 17:1; 21:23; 22:22; 1 Cor 9:16; Jude 1:11; Rev 8:13-note; Rev 9:12-note; Rev 11:14-note; Rev 12:12-note; Rev 18:10, 16, 19-note Ouai - 45v in non-apocryphal Septuagint (Lxx) Most often used by OT prophets and usually for the Hebrew interjections Oy (0188) and Hoy (01945 ). Note that Hoy "is used to express grief (Pr. 23:29), despair (1Sa 4:7), lamentation (1Ki 13:30), dissatisfaction (Isa 1:4), pain (Jer 10:19)." (NIDNTT)- 21.29" class="scriptRef">Nu 21:29; 1Sa 4:7-8, 21; 12.24" class="scriptRef">1Kgs 12:24; 1Ki 13:30; Pr 23:29; Eccl 4:10; 10:16; Isa 1:4, 24; 3:9, 5.11" class="scriptRef">11" class="scriptRef">11; 5:8, 11, 18" class="scriptRef">18" class="scriptRef">18, Isa 5:20-22; Isa 10:1, 5; 17:12; 18:1; 24:16; 28:1; 29:1, 15; 30:1; 31:1; 33:1; Jer 4:13; 6:4; 19" class="scriptRef">10:19; 13:27; 22:18; 46:19; 48:1; 50:27; 51:2; Lam 5:16; Ezek 2:10; 7:26; 13:3, 18; Hos 7:13; 9:12; Amos 5:16, 18; 6:1; Mic 7:4; Nah 3:17; Hab 2:6, 12, 19; Zeph 2:5; 3:18. For - Always be alert for "for" (especially at the beginning of a verse or clause), because it is a very often a strategically placed term of explanation, which warrants at least a momentary pause to ponder "What is the writer explaining?" (See interrogation with the 5W/H questions) Some uses are easy to discern and will yield great insights into the meaning of the respective passage or paragraph. Other cases (especially some of Paul's uses, which are frequent) are more difficult to "decipher" but are still always worth pausing to prayerfully seek the Spirit's illumination (cf 1Cor 2:10-16, 1Jn 2:20, 27 - "anointing" ~ indwelling Spirit) -- God promises to richly bless all who take time to meditate on His Word (Ps 1:1-3, note v1; note v2; note v3) Cain (Ge 4:5-8)...Balaam (Nu 22:5-7; 2Pe 2:15)...Korah (Nu 16:1-3, 31-35) - Each of these names begs the question - "What is Jude teaching his readers through these OT characters?" As an aside, Jude's use of these examples suggests that they were well versed in the Old Testament Scriptures, because Jude does not elaborate on the sins of these three men. Soapbox time - One of my "pet peeves" is that many in the modern church are "functionally illiterate" regarding the Old Testament, largely because few pastors preaching expositional sermons from the OT. In 30 years as a believer, I have never heard a sermon series on Ezekiel, and yet C H Spurgeon preached 57 sermons from this great book (Ref) and Charles Simeon preached 25 (Ref)! Paul wrote "Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For (term of explanation!) I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole (Gk = pas = all without exception) purpose of God." (Acts 20:26-27) One wonders how many modern believers could even name the OT books where these stories are mentioned? Okay, I will cease and desist, but you get my point! All three of these OT men had Scriptural light. All three refused to obey the light of God's revealed truth. All three perished. Similarly these apostates in Jude rebelled against light and would receive the severe judgment described in Hebrews... For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth (Cain, Balaam, Korah, the apostates in Jude, cf 2Pe 2:20-22-note), there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. (Heb 10:26-27-note) THE WAY OF CAIN They have gone the way of Cain (21x in Scripture = Ge 4:1-6, Ge 4:8-9, 13, 15-17, 24-25; Lk 3:36-37; Heb 11:4-see commentary; 1Jn 3:12; Jude 1:11) - Greed, covetousness, envy, failure to believe God as shown by withholding his best. Cain refused to submit to the authority of God and His word. Abel was a prophet according to Jesus (Lk 11:49-51), so Cain must have surely heard the truth, but he refused to submit to the truth. Ultimately it was an issue of faith, remembering that our faith is shown to be genuine by obedience. While faith is the "root," obedience (or works - Jas 2:14-22) is always the "fruit." (See study of meaning of the phrase - Obedience of faith) In a sense, Cain was a professor of "religion" (brought his offering) but his deeds were evil (1Jn 3:12) proving he did not possess saving faith and ultimately demonstrating in whose family he belonged (1Jn 3:12). Ryrie on the way of Cain - Cain's rejection of God's provision for acceptance with Himself (Ge 4:1-12). Today, it is the rejection of God's offer of forgiveness through Christ. W A Criswell - Cain represents the heart of a murderer (cf. Ge 4:1-15). Hiebert - In the light of Hebrews 11:4 and 1 John 3:11-12 Cain may well be viewed as the type of the faithless man consumed by jealous hate and self-centered desires. (Second Peter and Jude An Expositional Commentary) Henry Morris - way of Cain. Like Cain (Ge 4:2-5; Heb 11:4), they reject the doctrine of redemption through the shed blood of a sinless substitute, the Lamb of God. (Defender's Study Bible Notes Online) C H Mackintosh - God's remedy to cleanse is rejected, and man's effort to improve it put in its place. This is the 'way of Cain.'" William Barclay - Balaam stands for two things. (a) He stands for the covetous man, who was prepared to sin in order to gain reward. (b) He stands for the evil man, who was guilty of the greatest of all sins—the sin of teaching others to sin. So Jude is declaring of the wicked men of his own day that they are ready to leave the way of righteousness to make gain; and that they are teaching others to sin. (Jude - Barclay's Daily Study Bible) Wiersbe - Cain rebelled against God’s way of salvation (Ge 4; 1Jn 3:11-12). By clothing Adam and Eve with the skins of slain animals (Ge 3:21), God made it clear that the only way of forgiveness is through the shedding of blood. This is the way of faith, not the way of good works (Eph 2:8-10). But Cain rejected this divinely authorized way and came to the altar with the fruits of his own labor. God rejected Cain’s offering because God rejected Cain: his heart was not right before God. It was by faith that Abel’s sacrifice was offered, and that was why God accepted it (Heb 11:4). The “way of Cain” is the way of religion without faith, righteousness based on character and good works. The “way of Cain” is the way of pride, a man establishing his own righteousness and rejecting the righteousness of God that comes through faith in Christ (Ro 10:1-4; Php 3:3-12). Cain became a fugitive and tried to overcome his wretchedness by building a city and developing a civilization (Ge 4:9ff). He ended up with everything a man could desire everything except God (Ed: And I call that "perishing" even while one is still alive on earth! To have everything and miss Jesus is to end up with nothing now and forever!). (Bible Exposition Commentary) See also: Why did God accept Abel’s offering but reject Cain’s offering? Here is an aside for all you Bereans (Acts 17:11-note) - Like many other early Christian commentators, the respected theologian, Augustine treated Cain as symbolic of the envious “Jews by whom Christ was slain,” while Christ himself, “the shepherd of the flock of men, [is] prefigured in Abel, the shepherd of the flock of sheep.” In short, Augustine interpreted the text allegorically. rather than the "safe" way which is always to interpret it Literally. One needs to be very discerning when reading commentaries (including mine) no matter how well-known the writer is. See the impact of Augustine's "interpretation" - Augustine’s exposition of the Cain and Abel story - Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel. BALAAM'S ERROR For pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam - This explains why these apostates did what they did - greedy for gain! (cf 1Sa 2:12-17, Isa 56:11, Jer 6:13, 8:10, Ezek 34:3, Micah 3:11, Php 3:2, Php 3:19, 2Pe 2:3) If Balaam had printed a "business card" it would have read "Prophet for hire." Using "religion" to get rich! (cf Balak's offer Balaam could not refuse = Nu 22:17) Peter's parallel passage... forsaking the right way they (the false teachers -2Pe 2:1) have gone astray (planao), having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved (agapao) the wages of unrighteousness, (2Pe 2:15-note) "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://preceptaustin.org/jude_commentary.htm#w

Be the first to react on this!

Woe (alas) (3759) ouai

Greek Word Studies

Greek Word Studies ( - )

Group of Brands