---
title: אָבַל — mourn · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אָבַל (56), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 32 times: mourn. BDB 1906: vb. mourn mourn. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אָבַל

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«אָבַל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **mourn** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 32 times · **Key:** 56 · **BDB:** אָבַל

### Glosses

he.mourned (5); they.mourned (3); he.will.mourn (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

mourn [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/56/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. mourn mourn [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/56/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. mourn (Assyrian \[abâlu\] v. DlW)— Pf. אָבַל Is 24:7 + 2 times etc. Impf. 3 fs. תֶּאֱבַל Ho 4:3 + 3 times—mourn, lament (poet. \& higher style); abs., human subj. Jo 1:9 Am 8:8; 9:5 Is 19:8 (‖ אנה) cf. Jb 14:22 (subj. נַפְשׁוֹ); sq. על Ho 10:5; more often fig., inanim. subj., gates Is 3:26; land 24:4; 33:9 Ho 4:3 Jo 1:10 Je 4:28 (sq. על) 12:4; 23:10 cf. 12:11 (sq. על), יְהוּדָה 14:2; pastures Am 1:2. —Pf. הִתְאַבֵּל 1 S 15:35; Impf. יִתְאַבָּ֑ל Ez 7:12, 27; וַיִּתְאַבֵּל Gn 37:34 + 3 times etc.; Imv. fs. הִתְאַבְּלִי 2 S 14:2; Pt. מִתְאַבֵּל 1 S 16:1 + 2 times etc.;—mourn (mostly prose) especially for dead, sq. על Gn 37:34 2 S 13:37; 14:2; 19:2 (‖ בכה) 2 Ch 35:24, cf. also Is 66:10 (over Jerusalem); abs. 1 Ch 7:22; cf. 2 S 14:2 play the mourner (where indic. by dress); over unworthy Saul sq. אֶל 1 S 15:35; 16:1; over sin sq. על Ezr 10:6 cf. (abs.) Ne 8:9; judgment of י׳ Ex 33:4 abs. (indic. by dress), Nu 14:39 Ez 7:27 (del. B Co); sq. כִּי 1 S 6:19; calamity Ne 1:4 Ez 7:12 cf. Dn 10:2. Pf. הֶאֱבַלְתִּי Ez 31:15; Impf. וַיַּאֲבֶל־ La 2:8;—cause to mourn; Ez 31:15 abs. MT, but A B Co obj. תהום sq. על, caused the deep to mourn over; La 2:8 obj. wall etc.; (both these fig.; cf. Qal).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 31 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (10 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (8 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «אָבַל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/56/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[2 Samuel 19:2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/2SA.19.2/)

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וַיֻּגַּ֖ד לְיוֹאָ֑ב הִנֵּ֨ה הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ בֹּכֶ֛ה וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֖ל עַל־אַבְשָׁלֹֽם׃

*Word for word:* and it.was.told to Joab here! the king \[is\].weeping and he.mourned on Absalom

*JPS 1917:* And it was told Joab: 'Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.'

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[Job 14:22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.14.22/)

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אַךְ־בְּ֭שָׂרוֹ עָלָ֣יו יִכְאָ֑ב וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ עָלָ֥יו תֶּאֱבָֽל׃פ

*Word for word:* only flesh his.own on himself it.is.in.pain and self his on himself it.mourns

*JPS 1917:* But his flesh grieveth for him, and his soul mourneth over him.

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