The Hebrew verb nahaq means to bray, to cry out, or to groan. It is used of the loud, inarticulate cry of a donkey and figuratively of human cries of distress or complaint. The word vividly captures a sound of deep need or suffering.
This word appears in wisdom literature to describe the raw, uncontrollable cries of those in distress. Job uses it to defend the legitimacy of his complaints, comparing his suffering to the instinctive cries of animals who lack what they need. The imagery underscores that genuine suffering produces genuine outcry, and God does not condemn the honest expression of pain.