Woe — Meaning in the Bible
A cry of grief or warning: "Alas!" Prophets and Jesus used "woe" to announce coming trouble on injustice and hypocrisy.
Scripture in WEBWorld English Bible — Protestant Edition
What it means
Isaiah pronounces woes on those who join house to house and call evil good. When he sees God's holiness he says "Woe is me!" Isaiah 5:8Isaiah 5:20Isaiah 6:5
Jesus spoke woes on unrepentant towns and on hypocrisy among scribes and Pharisees, and Luke pairs woes with blessings. Matthew 11:21Matthew 23:13–29Luke 6:24–26
Key passages
- Isaiah 5:8–23 — Prophetic woes.
- Isaiah 6:5 — Woe is me!
- Luke 6:24–26 — Woes after the blessings.
- Matthew 23:13–36 — Jesus' woes.