Strong’s Greek 2444, ἱνατί, is an interrogative adverb meaning “why?” or “for what reason?”. Though not found as a distinct form in the Greek New Testament, the word is well-attested in the Septuagint and underlies many familiar English renderings of Old Testament laments and prophetic appeals. It functions as a concise cry for explanation, assuming that God is sovereign, purposeful, and responsive to His people.

Semantic Role in Biblical Discourse

1. Appeal for divine explanation – The speaker seeks to understand God’s actions or apparent inaction (Psalms 10:1; Psalms 22:1).
2. Protest against injustice – It often introduces questions about evil flourishing or the righteous suffering (Job 3:12; Jeremiah 12:1).
3. Spur to repentance – Prophets employ ἱνατί to expose sin, urging Israel to consider the cause of calamity (Isaiah 1:5; Ezekiel 18:31).
4. Didactic dialogue – Wisdom literature uses it to provoke reflection on life’s enigmas (Ecclesiastes 7:10).

Representative Septuagint Passages

• Psalms 2:1: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?”
• Psalms 22:1: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?”
• Isaiah 55:2: “Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?”
• Jeremiah 30:17: “Because they called you an outcast, saying, ‘It is Zion; no one cares for her,’ why do you cry out over your wound?”

In each case ἱνατί introduces an urgent question that drives the narrative toward either divine assurance or a call to action.

Relationship to Hebrew Laments

ἱνατί regularly translates the Hebrew לָמָה (lamah) and מַדּוּעַ (maddûaʿ). These Hebrew adverbs likewise combine inquiry with pathos. By preserving the interrogative force, the Septuagint allows Greek-speaking communities—and later the Church—to enter the emotional landscape of Israel’s prayers without loss of intensity.

Eschatological and Messianic Overtones

• Psalms 22, opened by ἱνατί, is recognized as a Messianic Psalm fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
• Psalms 2, also beginning with ἱνατί, anticipates the ultimate victory of God’s Anointed over rebellious nations.

Thus the word frames questions that God Himself answers definitively in the person and work of the Messiah, turning lament into triumphant hope.

Pastoral and Devotional Applications

1. Encouraging honest prayer – Believers may voice perplexity without fear, knowing Scripture sanctifies the question “Why?”.
2. Guiding lament toward trust – Biblical ἱνατί is never terminal; it leads to renewed confidence (Psalms 42:11).
3. Teaching apologetics – The presence of ἱνατί across inspired texts demonstrates that intellectual and emotional struggles are addressed within divine revelation rather than outside it.

Historical Usage in Worship and Liturgy

From early Christian liturgies to contemporary hymnody, passages containing ἱνατί have shaped confessions of faith. The ancient Greek Psalmody, the Good Friday readings, and many English hymns (“O sacred Head, now wounded... Why, O why hast thou forsaken?”) preserve the cadence of the word, ensuring that the Church continues to lament and hope biblically.

Summary

ἱνατί articulates humanity’s deepest question—“Why?”—while anchoring it to the certainty of God’s character and purposes. Though absent as a distinct form in the Greek New Testament, its rich Old Testament presence supplies language for reverent inquiry, prophetic challenge, and Christ-centered hope, equipping believers to face suffering and mystery with scriptural faithfulness.