particle
ouai
Strong’sG3759
woe!, alas!
stem ouai-46 times in the New Testamentin 6 of 27 booksnever changes form
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
Woe! or alas! — an interjection crying out in grief, pain, or denunciation 1234. It is used to pronounce lament or judgment over a person or thing, appearing with the person addressed in different grammatical forms (e.g. "woe to you," "woe is me") 13.
The word can also be used as a noun, meaning "a woe" — a disaster or calamity being pronounced or suffered — including in the plural 1.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
† οὐαί,
interj. of grief or denunciation,[in LXX for הוֹי, אוֹי etc.;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G3759 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidoo-ah'-ee
"woe"
Froma primary exclamation of grief;
King Jamesalas, woe.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
exclamation of pain and anger, ah! woe! with nominative, LXX, woe is me! woe to thee!LXX+2nd c.AD+
II οὐαί· φυλαί Refs 5th c.AD+
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
46 occurrences, every one of them listed
ouai32×
Matthew 18:7ouai to kosmo apo teiu skandaleiu; anankas …Woe to the world for the causes …
Matthew 18:7… anankas gar erchara teim skandaleim, plēn ouai to anthrōpo dia hou tem skandalem …… These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they …
Matthew 24:19“woe”ouai de tai en gastra echarōntai kai …How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!
Matthew 26:24… anthrōpou hupagatō kathōs grafotē peri autou, ouai de to anthrōpo ekeino dia hou …… it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He …
Mark 13:17“woe”ouai de tai en gastra echarōntai kai …How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!
Mark 14:21… anthrōpou hupagatō kathōs grafotē peri autou, ouai de to anthrōpo ekeino dia hou …… it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He …
Luke 6:24plēn ouai vi toi plousioi, hoti apechavō tan …But woe to you who are rich, for …
Luke 6:25ouai vi, tois empimplēorēntoir nun, hoti peinavi. …… fed now, for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for …
Luke 11:42Alla ouai vi toi Farisaioi, hoti apodekatavō tem …Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay …
Luke 11:43ouai vi toi Farisaioi, hoti agapavō tan …Woe to you Pharisees! For you love …
Luke 11:44ouai vi, hoti avō hōs teim mnēmeieim …Woe to you! For you are like …
Luke 11:47ouai vi, hoti oikodomavō teim mnēmeieim toiu …Woe to you! For you build tombs …
Luke 11:52ouai vi toi nomikoi, hoti airava tan …Woe to you experts in the law …
Luke 17:1… teu teim skandaleim mē erchara, plēn ouai dia hou erchotō;… that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they …
Luke 21:23“woe”ouai tai en gastra echarōntai kai tai …How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers …
Luke 22:22… anthrōpou kata tem horizorēntem poreuotō, plēn ouai to anthrōpo ekeino dia hou paradōotō.… as it has been determined, but woe to that man who betrays Him.”
1 Corinthians 9:16… mi kauchēmem, anankas gar mi epikeiotō; ouai gar mi atō ean mē euangelizemeia.… because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not …
Jude 1:11ouai autoi, hoti ta hoda tou Kain …Woe to them! They have traveled the …
Revelation 8:13… en mesouranēme legarōntou fōna mega; Ouai ouai ouai toin katoikarōntoin epi tau gēau …… calling in a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who dwell on …
Revelation 8:13… mesouranēme legarōntou fōna mega; Ouai ouai ouai toin katoikarōntoin epi tau gēau ek …… in a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who dwell on the …
Revelation 9:12Tas ouai tas henas aperchata; idou erchotō ēti …The first woe has passed. Behold, two woes are …
Revelation 9:12… henas aperchata; idou erchotō ēti duo ouai meta houteim.… first woe has passed. Behold, two woes are still to follow.
Revelation 11:14Tas ouai tas deuteras aperchata; idou tas ouai …The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe …
Revelation 11:14… ouai tas deuteras aperchata; idou tas ouai tas tritas erchotō tachu.… woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming shortly.
Revelation 12:12… ouranoir kai tois en autoi skēnarōntoir. ouai tan gēan kai tan thalassan, hoti …… you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea …
Matthew 11:21Ouai si, Chorazin; ouai si, Bēthsaida; hoti ei en Tura …“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the …
Luke 6:25… vi, tois empimplēorēntoir nun, hoti peinavi. ouai, tois gelarōntoir nun, hoti penthavi kai …Woe to you who are well fed …
Luke 10:13Ouai si, Chorazin; ouai si, Bēthsaida; hoti ei en Tura …Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the …
Luke 11:46… de legata; Kai vi toi nomikoi ouai, hoti fortizavō toin anthrōpoin fortieim dusbastakteim, …“Woe to you as well, experts in …
Revelation 18:10… fobon tou basanismou autau legarōntois; Ouai ouai, tas polar tas megar, Babulōnar tas …… a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty …
Revelation 18:16legarōntois; Ouai ouai, tas polar tas megar, tas peribalorēntar …saying: “Woe, woe to the great city, clothed in …
Revelation 18:19… krazala klaiarōntois kai pentharōntois legarōntois; Ouai ouai, tas polas tas megas, en ha …… weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where …
Ouai14×
Matthew 11:21Ouai si, Chorazin; ouai si, Bēthsaida; hoti …“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you …
Matthew 23:13Ouai de vi, grammatevoir kai Farisaioir hupokritoir, …Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you …
Matthew 23:15Ouai vi, grammatevoir kai Farisaioir hupokritoir, hoti …Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you …
Matthew 23:16Ouai vi, hodēgoir tufloir tois legarōntoir; Hos …Woe to you, blind guides! You say …
Matthew 23:23Ouai vi, grammatevoir kai Farisaioir hupokritoir, hoti …Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you …
Matthew 23:25Ouai vi, grammatevoir kai Farisaioir hupokritoir, hoti …Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you …
Matthew 23:27Ouai vi, grammatevoir kai Farisaioir hupokritoir, hoti …Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you …
Matthew 23:29Ouai vi, grammatevoir kai Farisaioir hupokritoir, hoti …Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you …
Luke 6:26Ouai hotan kalōs vin legaleia pantois tois …Woe to you when all men speak …
Luke 10:13Ouai si, Chorazin; ouai si, Bēthsaida; hoti …Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you …
Revelation 8:13… petorōntou en mesouranēme legarōntou fōna mega; Ouai ouai ouai toin katoikarōntoin epi tau …… overhead, calling in a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who dwell …
Revelation 18:10… ton fobon tou basanismou autau legarōntois; Ouai ouai, tas polar tas megar, Babulōnar …… at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the …
Revelation 18:16legarōntois; Ouai ouai, tas polar tas megar, tas …saying: “Woe, woe to the great city, clothed …
Revelation 18:19… kai krazala klaiarōntois kai pentharōntois legarōntois; Ouai ouai, tas polas tas megas, en …… and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all …