Greek word - (ouai G3759)
Quiz - Choose the answer that is closest to what you think WOE is.
A - what a tragedy!
B - stop!
C - oh!
D - help!
Problem - Outdated
KJV Example - "Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" (Matthew 18:7)
Explanation
Woe is an exclamation of grief, distress, or lament which can be traced back to many different languages, including Latin, Greek, German, and Dutch.
Look at something and say the word, "Woe." What do you feel?
Nothing? Think sadness and disappointment.
Now look at that thing again and say, "What a tragedy".
Again, think sadness and disappointment. This is the meaning of woe.
People from many cultures have used this same two sound expression, w and oh, w-oh. The word, wow, is similar to this (but it has a different meaning).
Woe as an expression is not used today except in the old phrase, "Woe is me!"
Don't confuse this word with whoa, w-h-o-a, (what is said to a horse to get it to stop). They are pronounced the same, but they are different.
In Revelation 8:13 an angel flying through heaven exclaims woe three times. These three woes become the last three trumpets.
In Revelation 9:12 and 11:14 woe is used as a noun to refer to the last three trumpets.
I translate these nouns as tragedy and the exclamations or interjections as "what a tragedy!"
The King James Version translates the Greek word for woe, ouai, consistently except for three verses in Revelation 18 (verses 10, 16, and 19) where it translates it as alas. Why alas in Revelation 18 and woe everywhere else? I don't know.
In the Bible, woe is what a tragedy.
Modern Synonym - what a tragedy!
Bible Version Tally (how other versions translate this word) - woe (35 of 52), how terrible (7 of 52), how horrible (2 of 52)
Breakthrough Version - "What a tragedy it is to the world from the obstacles! You see, there is an obligation for the obstacles to come. More importantly, what a tragedy it is to the person through whom the obstacle comes!" (Matthew 18:7)