to cry
tsa.aq denotes raising a cry, especially an appeal for help in distress, but also cries of grief, alarm, or public summons.
The predominant use is an urgent cry directed to the LORD, a king, or another figure for help amid danger, oppression, need, or complaint. Other verses show cries of grief or alarm, while several Niphal and Hiphil forms occur where people are summoned or called together.
Senses in use
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Appeal for help in distress · dominant
Qal forms commonly mark an urgent appeal to a hearer who may act: in Exodus 14:10 the Israelites cry to the LORD as the Egyptians approach, and in 2 Kings 6:26 a woman cries to the king, "Help me, my lord the king!" The same pattern appears when Moses seeks help in Exodus 17:4 and when those in distress cry to the LORD in Psalm 107:6.
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Loud cry of grief, alarm, or protest · common
The verb also describes an audible outcry prompted by loss, fear, pain, or perceived wrong. In Genesis 27:34 the APB renders Esau's response to his father's words as an exceedingly great and bitter cry; in 2 Kings 4:40 the eaters cry out after finding "Death is in the pot," and in Job 19:7 the speaker cries out "violence" without receiving an answer.
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Call or summons that gathers people · occasional
In several Hiphil or Niphal forms, the clause concerns calling people together rather than an appeal for aid. In 1 Samuel 10:17 the APB renders the Hiphil form as Samuel having "summoned the people," while in 2 Kings 3:21 and Judges 7:24 Niphal forms occur where groups are called together for a military response.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB most often presents the verb with "cried out" or "cry," particularly in appeals directed to the LORD or a ruler. It also uses "summoned," "called together," and "appealed" in gathering or petition contexts; These renderings show the clauses' presentation rather than fixed English equivalents.