Original Word: אֲבוֹי
Part of Speech: Interjection
Transliteration: abowy
Pronunciation: ah-VOY
Phonetic Spelling: (ab-o'ee)
KJV: sorrow
NASB: sorrow
Word Origin: [from H14 (אָבָה - willing) (in the sense of desiring)]

1. want

sorrow

From 'abah (in the sense of desiring); want -- sorrow.

see HEBREW 'abah

Word Origin
a prim. interj.
Definition
Oh!
NASB Translation
sorrow (1).

אֲבוֺי interjection exclamation of pain, Oh! Proverbs 23:29 ("" אוֺי woe!). Probably akin to Syriac alas . . . ! PS⁵³ (AW Ges less probably as a substantive need from אָבָה, compare אֶבְיוֺן).

אבח (Dl^{BD Ez. x; Prov 75} compare Assyrian [abâµu], torment, but dubious)

Meaning and Background

The cry אֲבוֹי belongs to a family of Hebrew interjections used to voice grief, anguish, or dread. It surfaces once in the Old Testament, yet it encapsulates an enduring biblical theme: the sober acknowledgment of human folly and its painful consequences. The term stands beside the more common הוֹי (“woe”) but conveys a slightly softer, almost mournful tone, as though whispered by someone seeing hurt unfold before their eyes.

Occurrence in Scripture

Proverbs 23:29 supplies the single canonical appearance:

“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?” (Berean Standard Bible).

Here אֲבוֹי opens a cascading series of six rhetorical questions that expose the hidden cost of persistent drunkenness.

Literary Function in Proverbs

1. Intensifier of Contrast: The sage sets the sharp pain of אֲבוֹי against the seductive allure described in verses 30–35. The sudden lament jolts the reader from complacency, underscoring the gulf between promised pleasure and actual misery.
2. Structural Marker: By beginning the unit with this lament, the proverb forms a chiastic frame: lament (verse 29), enticement (verses 30–31), ensnarement (verses 32–34), and return to lament (verse 35). The lonely shout of אֲבוֹי bookends the cycle of addiction.
3. Vocabulary of Compassion: Unlike prophetic denunciations (“Woe to you!”) aimed at the guilty, אֲבוֹי in Proverbs sounds almost compassionate, as though the wise father grieves over his son’s self-inflicted harm.

Theology of Lament and Warning

Scripture never condemns lament itself; instead, it sanctifies it as an honest response to the fracture sin introduces (Genesis 6:6; John 11:35). In this light, אֲבוֹי emerges as:
• A witness that pain is real and acknowledged by God’s word.
• A pastoral invitation to turn—from drink, from folly, from self-destructive paths—before devastation hardens into judgment.
• A precursor to the prophetic woes that call a nation to repentance (Isaiah 5:8–23; Habakkuk 2:6–19).

Historical Usage in Hebrew Culture

Ancient Near-Eastern laments often began with an anguished interjection. While הוֹי became the standard prophetic formula, אֲבוֹי likely surfaced in everyday speech, the sigh of a mother who lost a child or of a farmer watching blight ruin his crop. Its placement in a wisdom text reflects Proverbs’ grounding in ordinary life, where spiritual truths meet family tables and village streets.

Foreshadowing the Gospel

Every legitimate human lament anticipates the greater cry from the cross: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). Christ stands in the place of the drinker, the brawler, the sorrow-laden sinner of Proverbs 23:29, absorbing the ultimate אֲבוֹי so that “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The lonely interjection in Proverbs hints at the solitary suffering of the Redeemer.

Connection with New Testament Teaching

• Jesus’ “woes” against Chorazin and Bethsaida (Matthew 11:21) mirror Proverbs 23:29 by coupling lament with warning.
• Paul echoes the theme in Ephesians 5:18: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion.” The apostle’s counsel stands as the Spirit-filled antidote to the woes listed by Solomon.
• Revelation 18:10–19 pronounces “Woe! Woe to the great city!” over Babylon’s intoxicating culture, showing that the pattern of אֲבוֹי stretches from personal temptation to corporate collapse.

Practical and Pastoral Applications

1. Sobriety and Self-control: Proverbs 23:29–35 remains a foundational text in teaching temperance. The single cry of אֲבוֹי convicts more powerfully than a page of statistics.
2. Compassionate Confrontation: The term invites believers to address addictive behavior with both truth and tears.
3. Liturgy of Lament: Churches may recover biblical lament in prayer meetings and services, allowing space for cries of אֲבוֹי that trust God’s sovereignty while grieving present pain (Psalm 13).

Homiletical Insights

• Title suggestion: “The First Word of Regret.” Begin with Proverbs 23:29’s initial question and trace the spiral downward, then point upward to the cross.
• Illustration: Contrast a bright advertising poster for alcohol with the stark monosyllable אֲבוֹי, showing how Scripture pierces marketing’s veneer.
• Application: Invite congregants to name their own hidden “woes” and bring them before Christ, exchanging אֲבוֹי for “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).

Summary

Though it surfaces only once, אֲבוֹי functions as a holy sigh. It captures the ache of fallen humanity, exposes the slavery of sin, and heralds the Savior who turns every genuine “Woe” into everlasting joy.

אֲב֡וֹי אבוי ’ă·ḇō·w ’ăḇōw aVoInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts