זָעַק

“To cry out” in Hebrew is Za'ak (זָעַק), pronounced “za-AK.” Za'ak comes from the root ז-ע-ק (zayin-ayin-qof), meaning 'to cry out, to call for help.' A related word, tsa'ak (צ-ע-ק), carries the same meaning. The za'akah (cry) is always associated with distress, injustice, or urgent need — it is never casual or routine.

Za'ak (זָעַק) means “To cry out, to call for help” in Biblical Hebrew. Za'ak appears approximately 73 times in the Hebrew Bible. It is the cry that initiates the Exodus (Exodus 2:23), the recurring cry in Judges that triggers deliverance, the cry of blood from the ground (Genesis 4:10), and the cry of the oppressed that reaches God's ears (Psalm 34:17).

Za'ak is pronounced “za-AK.” The word comes from the Hebrew root ז-ע-ק.

Tefillah (prayer) is structured, deliberate communion with God — self-examination in His presence. Za'ak (crying out) is raw, desperate, often unstructured — the scream of someone in crisis. Both reach God's ears, but za'ak comes from a place of acute need. The Psalms contain both: composed tefillah and raw za'akah, showing that God welcomes every form of human address.

Exodus 2:24 says, 'God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant.' Israel's za'akah activated God's covenant commitment. He didn't deliver them because they were righteous but because they were His people and they cried out. This reveals that God's response to our cries is rooted in His character and covenant, not in our worthiness.

Genesis 4:10 says Abel's blood za'ak-ed (cried out) from the ground. Hebrews 12:24 says Jesus' blood 'speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.' Abel's blood cried for justice; Jesus' blood cries for mercy. Both use the same concept: shed blood has a voice that reaches God's throne. The za'akah of the innocent is never ignored by God.