The Hebrew zaaq means to cry aloud, to call for help, or to summon. It is used for both human cries of distress and God's summons to His people. The related noun ze'aqah refers to an outcry of suffering.
Zaaq appears throughout the Exodus narrative when Israel cried to God in their bondage (Exodus 2:23). It is the characteristic cry of the oppressed reaching the ears of a God who hears and responds. The word undergirds the biblical theology of lament — honest, urgent prayer rooted in confidence that God answers. It contrasts with polite petition; this is the desperate cry of the afflicted.