οὐαί
ouai
woe!
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word οὐαί (ouai) is a powerful expression that conveys a sense of sorrow, dismay, or woe. Its short definition, "woe!", gives a glimpse into its emotional intensity. This word is used 47 times in the Bible, indicating its significance in conveying a range of negative emotions and reactions. The frequency of its usage suggests that οὐαί is a versatile word that can be applied to various situations, from personal misfortunes to societal injustices. Its range of usage is not limited to one specific context, but rather it is used to express a general sense of dismay or sorrow. This versatility makes οὐαί a valuable tool for conveying strong emotions in the biblical narrative. The significance of οὐαί lies in its ability to convey a sense of urgency and importance. When used in the Bible, οὐαί often serves as a warning or a call to attention, highlighting the gravity of a situation or the consequences of a particular action. Its emotional intensity and versatility make it a powerful tool for conveying complex emotions and ideas in the biblical narrative.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
47 total occurrences across the text
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
Matthew 11:21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
Matthew 11:21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
Matthew 18:7“Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes!
Matthew 18:7“Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes!
Matthew 23:13“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
Matthew 23:14“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
Matthew 23:15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves.
Matthew 23:16“Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’
Matthew 23:23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
Matthew 23:25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
Matthew 23:27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
Matthew 24:19But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!
Matthew 26:24The Son of Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”
Mark 13:17But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babies in those days!
Mark 14:21For the Son of Man goes, even as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”
Luke 6:24“But woe to you who are rich! For you have received your consolation.
Luke 6:25Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
Luke 6:25Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
Luke 6:26Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.
Luke 10:13“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
Luke 10:13“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
Luke 11:42But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and God’s love. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
Luke 11:43Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces.
Luke 11:44Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them don’t know it.”
Luke 11:46He said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won’t even lift one finger to help carry those burdens.
Luke 11:47Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
Luke 11:52Woe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn’t enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered.”
Luke 17:1He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no occasions of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come!
Luke 21:23Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people.
Luke 22:22The Son of Man indeed goes, as it has been determined, but woe to that man through whom he is betrayed!”
1 Corinthians 9:16For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about; for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me if I don’t preach the Good News.
Jude 1:11Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in Korah’s rebellion.
Revelation 8:13I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe for those who dwell on the earth, because of the other voices of the trumpets of the three angels, who are yet to sound!”
Revelation 8:13I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe for those who dwell on the earth, because of the other voices of the trumpets of the three angels, who are yet to sound!”
Revelation 8:13I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe for those who dwell on the earth, because of the other voices of the trumpets of the three angels, who are yet to sound!”
Revelation 9:12The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this.
Revelation 9:12The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this.
Revelation 11:14The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe comes quickly.
Revelation 11:14The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe comes quickly.
Revelation 12:12Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”
Revelation 18:10standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For your judgment has come in one hour.’
Revelation 18:10standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For your judgment has come in one hour.’
Revelation 18:16saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls!
Revelation 18:16saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls!
Revelation 18:19They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!’ For she is made desolate in one hour.
Revelation 18:19They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!’ For she is made desolate in one hour.