zaak · cry out

What it means

zaak (זָעַק) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “cry out”.

Shout for help; also call together.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To shout for help, above all to YHWH.
2. To call together.
3. To announce aloud.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

To cry out, shout for help; in other forms, to summon, call people together. It is a close relative of צָעַק (H6817), with the same sense.

• Crying out to YHWH under oppression Judges 10:101 Samuel 12:8Psalms 107:13
• YHWH does not hear those who cry out too late Jeremiah 11:111 Samuel 8:18
• A cry of pain or mourning Esther 4:12 Samuel 13:19
• Summoning to war Judges 6:34Judges 4:10
• The prophet who cries out and sees no answer Habakkuk 1:2

Historical and cultural background

In Judges the cycle repeats: the sons of Israel cried out to YHWH under oppression and he raised up a deliverer for them (Judges 10:10; 1 Samuel 12:8-10).

How we translate it

“Cried out” 28 times, “cry out” 27, “cries out” 4 in almost every case. When the passive or causative form means gathering people, “summoned” 7 (“Abiezer was summoned after him”, Judges 6:34).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• cried out ×28
• cry out ×27
• summoned ×7
• cries out ×4
• Call out ×2
• crying out ×1
• he called out ×1
• he had it proclaimed ×1
• were called out ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Exodus×1
• Joshua×1
• Judges×13
• 1 Samuel×10
• 2 Samuel×5
• 1 Kings×1
• 1 Chronicles×1
• 2 Chronicles×3
• Nehemiah×2
• Esther×1
• Job×2
• Psalms×5
• Isaiah×5
• Jeremiah×8
• Lamentations×1
• Ezekiel×4
• Hosea×2
• Joel×1
• Jonah×2
• Micah×1
• Habakkuk×2
• Zechariah×1

• Exodus 2:23

  During those many days the king of Egypt died. The sons of Israel groaned because of the bondage and cried out, and their cry for help went up to Elohim because of the bondage.

• Joshua 8:16

  All the people who were in Ai were called out to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city.

• Judges 3:9

  The sons of Israel cried out to YHWH, and YHWH raised up a savior for the sons of Israel, who saved them: Othniel son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, younger than he.

• Judges 3:15

  The sons of Israel cried out to YHWH, and YHWH raised up for them a savior, Ehud son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a man left-handed. The sons of Israel sent by his hand tribute to Eglon king of Moab.

• Judges 4:10

  Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and there went up following him ten thousand men, and Deborah went up with him.

• Judges 4:13

  Sisera summoned all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the brook Kishon.

• Judges 6:6

  Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried out to YHWH.

• Judges 6:7

  When the sons of Israel cried out to YHWH because of Midian,

• Judges 6:34

  The spirit of YHWH clothed Gideon, and he blew the horn, and Abiezer was summoned after him.

• Judges 6:35

  He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and it too was summoned after him; and he sent messengers to Asher, to Zebulun, and to Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

• Judges 10:10

  The sons of Israel cried out to YHWH, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have abandoned our Elohim and served the Baals.”

• Judges 10:14

  Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”

• Judges 12:2

  Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were in a great quarrel with the sons of Ammon, and I cried out to you, but you did not save me from their hand.

• Judges 18:22

  They had gone some distance from the house of Micah, when the men who were in the houses that were near the house of Micah were summoned and overtook the sons of Dan.

• Judges 18:23

  And they called out to the sons of Dan; and they turned their faces and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have been summoned?”

• 1 Samuel 4:13

  He came, and there was Eli sitting on the seat beside the road, watching, for his heart was trembling for the ark of Elohim. And the man came to tell in the city, and all the city cried out.

• 1 Samuel 5:10

  So they sent the ark of Elohim to Ekron. And it happened, as the ark of Elohim came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have moved the ark of the Elohim of Israel around to me to put me to death and my people!”

• 1 Samuel 7:8

  And the sons of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not keep silent from us by ceasing to cry out to YHWH our Elohim, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

• 1 Samuel 7:9

  So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it up as a burnt offering, whole, to YHWH; and Samuel cried out to YHWH for Israel, and YHWH answered him.

• 1 Samuel 8:18

  And you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but YHWH will not answer you on that day.”

• 1 Samuel 12:8

  When Jacob came to Egypt, your fathers cried out to YHWH, and YHWH sent Moses and Aaron, and they brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

• 1 Samuel 12:10

  They cried out to YHWH and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken YHWH and have served the Baals and the Astartes. And now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’

• 1 Samuel 14:20

  Saul and all the people who were with him were summoned and came to the war, and look, the sword of each man was against his companion: a very great confusion.

• 1 Samuel 15:11

  “I am sorry that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not carried out my words.” Samuel was incensed, and he cried out to YHWH all night.

• 1 Samuel 28:12

  When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman said to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”

• 2 Samuel 13:19

  Tamar took ashes and put them on her head, and the long robe that she had on she tore; she put her hand on her head and went away, crying out as she went.

• 2 Samuel 19:4

  The king had covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”

• 2 Samuel 19:28

  For all my father’s house were nothing but men deserving death before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What right do I still have to cry out any more to the king?”

• 2 Samuel 20:4

  The king said to Amasa, “Call out for me the men of Judah within three days, and you be present here.”

• 2 Samuel 20:5

  Amasa went to call out Judah, but he delayed beyond the appointed time that he had appointed him.

• 1 Kings 22:32

  And it happened, when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “Surely he is the king of Israel.” And they turned against him to fight; and Jehoshaphat cried out.

• 1 Chronicles 5:20

  And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand, for they cried out to Elohim in the battle, and he granted their plea, because they trusted in him.

• 2 Chronicles 18:31

  And it happened, when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “He is the king of Israel.” And they surrounded him to fight; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and YHWH helped him, and Elohim incited them to turn away from him.

• 2 Chronicles 20:9

  ‘If evil comes upon us —sword, judgment, or pestilence or famine— we will stand before this house and before you, for your name is in this house, and we will cry out to you from our distress, and you will hear and save.’

• 2 Chronicles 32:20

  Hezekiah the king and Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, prayed about this and cried out to the heavens.

• Nehemiah 9:4

  And there stood up on the step of the Levites Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and they cried out with a loud voice to YHWH their Elohim.

• Nehemiah 9:28

  But when they had rest they would again do evil before you; and you would abandon them into the hand of their enemies, who dominated them; and they would turn again and cry out to you, and you from the heavens would hear and deliver them according to your mercies many times.

• Esther 4:1

  And Mordecai knew all that had been done, and Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried out with a great and bitter cry;

• Job 31:38

  If against me my ground cries out, and together its furrows weep,

• Job 35:9

  Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; they cry for help because of the arm of the great.

And 32 more times.