οὐαί

οὐαί (LXX; cp. הוֹי, אוֹי and Lat. vae; En; TestAbr B 9, 16 [Stone p. 74]; TestJob 22:2; 53:2; ParJer 9:8; ApcEsdr. But also Epict. 3, 19, 1; ibid. and 3, 22, 32 οὐαί μοι; Vi. Aesopi W 37 οὐαὶ τῇ ἀτυχίᾳ; POxy 413, 184f οὐαί σοι, ταλαίπωρε … οὐαί σοι• οὐαί μοι. Schwyzer II 143; B-D-F §4, 2a; ALowe, The Origin of οὐαί: Hermathena 105, ’67, 34–39. Loanw. in rabb.).

① interjection denoting pain or displeasure, woe, alas

ⓐ w. dat. of pers. or thing concerning whom (which) pain is expressed (s. above; oft. LXX; cp. Jos., Bell. 6, 306 αἰαὶ Ἱεροσολύμοις) οὐαί σοι Χοραζίν, οὐαί σοι Βηθσαϊδά(ν) Mt 11:21; Lk 10:13 (cp. Jer 13:27).—Mt 18:7b; 23:13–16, 23, 25, 27, 29 (on the severe tone in these pass. s. ASaldarini, Understanding Matthew’s Vitriol, BRev 13/2, ’97, 32–39, 45); 24:19; 26:24; Mk 13:17; 14:21; Lk 21:23; 22:22; 1 Cl 46:8 (Mt 26:24); Hv 4, 2, 6; D 1:5; GPt 7:25; GJs 20:1 (codd.).—Doubled for emphasis (Am 5:16.—Procop. Soph., Ep. 36 and 62 ἰοὺ ἰού=alas, alas!): three times w. dat. foll. Rv 8:13 v.l.—οὐαὶ διʼ οὗ ἔρχεται (=τούτῳ διʼ οὗ ἐρχ.) Lk 17:1; cp. 2 Cl 13:2; ITr 8:2.—W. ὅτι foll. to give the reason Lk 6:24f; 11:42–44, 47, 52; also vs. 46, only w. the difference that here οὐαί follows: ὑμῖν τοῖς νομικοῖς οὐαί, ὅτι. Cp. Jd 11; 2 Cl 17:5; B 6:2, 7 (Is 3:9).—W. the prep. ἀπό foll., also to give the reason: οὐαὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων Mt 18:7a; w. ὅταν foll. Lk 6:26.—The transition to the next group is marked by οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, οἱ ἐμπεπλησμένοι vs. 25a.

ⓑ w. the nom. and article as a voc.: οὐαὶ οἱ γελῶντες νῦν Lk 6:25b (cp. Am 5:18; Hab 2:6, 12; Zeph 2:5). οὐαὶ οὐαὶ ἡ πόλις ἡ μεγάλη Rv 18:10, 16, 19 (to Greeks such interjection would suggest nemesis, cp. Hes., Op. 200f). οὐαὶ οἱ συνετοί 4:11 (Is 5:21). Also without the art. οὐαὶ τυφλοὶ μὴ ὁρῶντες Ox 840, 31f (Unknown Sayings 36–49).

ⓒ w. acc. of pers. (B-D-F §190, 2; Rob. 1193; cp. Lat. vae me) Rv 12:12. οὐαί repeated three times 8:13 (the reason for the ‘woe’ is introduced by ἐκ).

② a state of intense hardship or distress, woe, subst. (Ezk 2:10; 7:26; Kephal. I 105, 3) indecl. (B-D-F §58; Rob. 302) οὐαί μοί ἐστιν 1 Cor 9:16 (cp. Hos 9:12). As a fem. ἡ οὐαί woe, calamity Rv 9:12a; 11:14ab. Pl. ἔρχεται ἔτι δύο οὐαί 9:12b (the lack of agreement in number [B-D-F §136, 5] as Hes., Theog. 321 τῆς δʼ [of the Chimaera] ἦν τρεῖς κεφαλαί. The schol. on Hes. explains this characteristic as Doric; for critique of B-D-F s. PKatz, TLZ 82, ’57, 112).—DELG. M-M. EDNT. Spicq.