WG: Crying / Shouting¶
Overview¶
The NT vocabulary for crying and shouting involves a cluster of Greek words that overlap in KJV translation ("cry," "cried," "crying") but carry distinct nuances of volume, emotion, context, and articulation. These words share Hebrew antecedents through the LXX, where zaaq, tsaaq, and qol were rendered by various members of this group.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G994 | βοάω | boaō | verb | 11 | Loud vocal cry — proclamation or urgent appeal | G994-boao.md |
| G2896 | κράζω | krazō | verb | 58 | General-purpose cry — raw, guttural shouting | G2896-krazo.md |
| G2905 | κραυγάζω | kraugazō | verb | 7 | Clamorous group outcry — tumult, mob scenes | TODO(need G2905 study) |
| G2906 | κραυγή | kraugē | noun | 6 | The outcry itself — the event/sound of crying | TODO(need G2906 study) |
| G5456 | φωνή | phōnē | noun | 129 | Voice — the medium through which crying occurs | TODO(need G5456 study) |
| G1916 | ἐπιβοάω | epiboaō | verb | 1 | Cry out against — hostile accusatory cry (hapax) | TODO(need G1916 study) |
Relationships¶
Word Family (Cognates)¶
- boaō (G994) → boē (G995, noun "cry"), epiboaō (G1916, compound "cry against"), anaboaō (G310, compound "cry out")
- krazō (G2896) → kraugē (G2906, noun "outcry"), kraugazō (G2905, denominative "clamor")
- phōnē (G5456) — separate root; not cognate to the cry verbs but structurally paired with them
Co-occurrence (Appear in Same Verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| krazō (G2896) | phōnē (G5456) | 14 | "cried with a loud voice" — volume-qualified cries |
| boaō (G994) | phōnē (G5456) | 6 | "the voice of one crying" — Isaiah 40:3 herald formula |
| kraugazō (G2905) | phōnē (G5456) | 2 | "nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice" (Matt 12:19) |
| boaō (G994) | krazō (G2896) | 0 | Never co-occur — used in distinct narrative contexts |
| kraugazō (G2905) | krazō (G2896) | 0 | Never co-occur — distinct mob-cry vs. individual-cry |
The crying verbs (boaō, krazō, kraugazō) never appear together in the same verse. They are near-synonyms that the NT writers select individually based on the type of cry. However, phōnē ("voice") frequently co-occurs with all three, serving as the paired noun ("with a loud voice," "the voice of one crying").
LXX Overlaps (Shared Hebrew Sources)¶
| Hebrew Word | Strong's | Greek Members Sharing It |
|---|---|---|
| זָעַק (zaaq) | H2199 | boaō (27×), krazō (30×) |
| צָעַק (tsaaq) | H6817 | boaō (20×), krazō (18×) |
| קוֹל (qol) | H6963 | phōnē (388×), kraugē (20×), boaō (21×), krazō (14×) |
| שָׁוַע (shava) | H7768 | krazō (14×), boaō (6×) |
| קָרָא (qara) | H7121 | boaō (36×), krazō (29×) |
The LXX treated boaō and krazō as partially interchangeable translations for the Hebrew "cry/shriek" verbs zaaq and tsaaq. The Hebrew qol ("voice/sound") overwhelmingly maps to phōnē, confirming phōnē's role as the acoustic medium rather than the emotional act.
Roles in the Concept¶
- Articulate proclamation: boaō (G994) — the herald's cry, the cross cry, the prayer cry; implies vocal projection with meaningful content
- Raw vocalization: krazō (G2896) — the most frequent and least specific; covers everything from demonic shrieks to messianic acclamation; etymologically "to croak"
- Group tumult: kraugazō (G2905) — specifically mob or crowd clamor; Pilate trial scenes (John 18:40, 19:6, 19:12, 19:15)
- The outcry event: kraugē (G2906) — noun form marking the cry as a reported event ("there was a cry," "their cry came up")
- Voice/medium: phōnē (G5456) — not a cry-word itself but the instrument; "with a loud phōnē" is the standard volume qualifier for all cry verbs
- Hostile accusation: epiboaō (G1916) — compound of boaō with ἐπί; "to cry out against someone" (Acts 25:24 only)
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Matt 27:46, 50 — Jesus "cried" [boaō, v.46] with a loud voice [phōnē], then "cried" [krazō, v.50] again with a loud voice [phōnē] and yielded up the ghost. Both cry verbs used in the same crucifixion narrative, with boaō for the articulate Psalm 22 quotation and krazō for the final wordless cry.
- Matt 3:3 / Mark 1:3 / Luke 3:4 / John 1:23 — "The voice [phōnē] of one crying [boaō]" — the boaō + phōnē pairing defines the prophetic herald.
- Matt 12:19 — "He shall not strive, nor cry [kraugazō]; neither shall any man hear his voice [phōnē] in the streets" — kraugazō + phōnē in a quotation about the Servant's quiet manner.
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py, lxx-map Last updated: 2026-05-03