The Hebrew allay is an exclamation of grief, distress, or lamentation — equivalent to "woe is me!" or "alas!" It appears only once in the Old Testament (Psalm 120:5), expressing the psalmist's anguish at dwelling among hostile, peace-rejecting peoples.
The rarity of allay makes its single appearance powerful. The psalmist cries out while dwelling in Meshech (a distant northern people) and Kedar (a hostile desert tribe) — among those who hate peace. This lament resonates with all believers who feel the alienation of living as pilgrims in a world that rejects shalom. The cry is not despair but a prayer — grief poured out before God who hears the afflicted. It anticipates the New Testament longing: "Come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).