אָוָה
ʼâvâh · H183 · Hebrew · 26 occurrences
Meanings
-
to crave, to desire
State in which humans sense a physical craving for food or alcoholic drinks; this desire is associated with one's נֶפֶשׁ and can be both good and evil
ExamplesNumbers 11:4 Now the rabble who were among them had greedy cravings; and the sons of Israel also wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat?
Numbers 11:34 So that place was named Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had been greedy.
Deuteronomy 12:20 “When the LORD your God extends your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because you desire to eat meat, then you may eat meat, whatever you desire.
-
to desire, to long for, to covet
State in which humans and deities experience a desire to possess something, to live somewhere, or to associate with someone; this desire is associated with one's נֶפֶשׁ; and can be both good and evil
ExamplesDeuteronomy 5:21 ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male slave or his female slave, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’
2 Samuel 3:21 Abner said to David, “Let me set out and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may be king over all that your soul desires.” So David let Abner go, and he went in peace.
1 Kings 11:37 ‘However I will take you, and you shall reign over all that you desire, and you shall be king over Israel.
-
to desire, to long
To experience a desire to see something happen or to do something oneself; this desire is associated with one's נֶפֶשׁ and can be both good and evil
ExamplesJob 23:13 “But He is unique, and who can make Him turn? Whatever His soul desires, He does it.
Psalm 45:11 Then the King will crave your beauty. Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him.
Proverbs 21:10 The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor is shown no compassion in his eyes.
How it’s used In 5 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
25 occurrences in 9 groups
- נֶפֶשׁsoul, life 8
- Not stated: you (one person) 4
- Not stated: I 3
- Not stated: he, she or it 3
- Other words · 5 groups that occur once or twice (7) 7
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
9 occurrences in 7 groups
- יוֹםday, time 2
- הָher 2
- בִּכּוּרָהearly fig 1
- יֳפִיbeauty 1
- כֹּלall, every, whole 1
- רַעevil, bad 1
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
7 occurrences in 6 groups
- לto/for+ מַטְעַםtasty food 2
- בin/on/with+ לַיִלnight 1
- בin/on/with+ מִדְבָּרwilderness, desert 1
- לto/for+ הָיָהto be, to become 1
- לto/for+ אָכַלto eat, to devour 1
- לto/for+ מוֹשָׁבdwelling, seat 1
With adverbsAdverbs
5 occurrences in 2 groups
- אַלnot, do not 3
- לֹאnot 2
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- כlike/as 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Near synonyms 6 words
- חָמַד châmad · H2530 · to desire, to want to have, desirable
- Both denote strong internal appetitive states—coveting, desiring, or longing—and could substitute for one another in contexts of intense wanting.
- שָׁאַף shâʼaph · H7602 · to gasp, to pant, to sniff the air
- Both belong to the semantic field of desiring or longing; שָׁאַף (shâʼaph, H7602) also carries several physical-action senses (to pant, snuff up, swallow up, devour), suggesting its "desire" sense is somewhat more specific or metaphorical, but the core overlap with אָוָה (ʼâvâh, H183) is real.
- חָשַׁק châshaq · H2836 · to connect with a rod, to love, to desire
- Both denote strong desire or longing; חָשַׁק (châshaq, H2836) adds nuances of love and attachment, while אָוָה (ʼâvâh, H183) emphasizes coveting or lusting, but both share the core sense of intense wanting.
- כָּמַהּ kâmahh · H3642 · to pine (for someone)
- Both express intense desire or longing for something.
- כָּסַף kâçaph · H3700 · to desire, to long for, to be eager
- Both denote intense desire or longing, overlapping directly in sense rather than merely sharing a category.
- בָּקַשׁ bâqash · H1245 · to search, to seek, to look for
- Both can denote desiring or wishing as part of their range, functioning as near-synonyms in contexts of wanting or seeking something.
In the other Testament 1 word
- ἐπιθυμέω epithyméō · G1937 · to long for, to desire very much, to covet
- Greek ἐπιθυμέω renders Hebrew אָוָה as its standard translation equivalent for the semantic field of intense desire/longing, whether rightful or illicit (both cover coveting in the Decalogue sense as well as neutral/positive longing).
Semantic domains 3 entries
- Desire002004001001001
- אָוָה describes strong desire or craving, as the rabble's greedy craving for meat in the wilderness (Numbers 11:4).
- Wish002004002001001
- The word can express a wish directed toward something not one's own, as the command not to covet a neighbor's house or field (Deuteronomy 5:21).
- Know002004002007
- אָוָה can also shade toward a mental fixation on the desired object, as David's craving for water from the well of Bethlehem (2 Samuel 23:15).
Word family 7 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H183. avah [אָוָה] verb incline, desire (compare Stem 2). Pi`el Perfect אִוָּה Psa…
[אָוָה] verb incline, desire (compare Stem 2).
Pi`el Perfect אִוָּה Psa 132:13; אִוְּתָה Mic 7:1 +, etc.; Imperfect3feminine singular תְּאַוֶּה Deu 12:20 Deu 12:4t. — desire subject usually נֶפֶשׁ, object fruit Mic 7:1 (in metaphor); flesh (to eat) 1Sa 2:16, compare Deu 12:20 (followed by infinitive בָּשָׂר לֶאֱכֹל); food & drink Deu 14:26; of king desiring rule, נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁרתְּֿאַוֶּה בְּכֹל וּמָלַכְתָּ 2Sa 3:21; 1Ki 11:37; object evil (רַע) Pro 21:10; once object ׳י Isa 26:9 בַּלַּיְלָה אִוִּיתִךָ נַפְשִׁי; of God וַיַּעַשׂ אִוְּתָה וְנַפְשׁוֺ Job 23:13; as desiring Zion for dwelling-place (late, only cases without נפשׁ) Psa 132:13; Psa 132:14;
Hithpa`el Perfect הִתְאַוָּת Pro 21:26; הִתְאַוֵּיתִי Jer 17:16; הִתְאַוּוּ Num 11:4; וְהִתְאַוִּיתֶם Num 34:10; Imperfect יִתְאַוֶּה Ecc 6:2; וַיִּתְאַוֶּה 2Sa 23:15; with apocope וְיִתְאַו Psa 45:12, וַיִּתְאַו 1Ch 11:17, etc. — Participle feminine singular מִתְאַוָּה Pro 13:4; masculine plural מִתְאַוִּים Amo 5:18; Num 11:34 — desire, long for, lust after, of bodily appetites; for dainty food Num 11:4 (E; followed by accusative of cognate meaning) = Psa 106:14; Num 11:34 (E); followed by ל Pro 23:3, Pro 23:6 compare Ecc 6:2 (followed by accusative), see also Pro 13:4 (absolute, subject נֶפֶשׁ); absolute of extreme thirst 2Sa 23:15 = 1Ch 11:17; of king desiring the beauty (יֳפִי) of princess Psa 45:12 (followed by accusative); of covetous man Pro 21:26 (followed by accusative of cognate meaning); object רֵעֲךָ בֵּית Deu 5:18 (|| חמד); followed by infinitive Pro 24:1 (of desiring evil companionship); object י ׳יוֺם Amo 5:18 (accusative; of presumptuous, reckless longing) compare Jer 17:16. (Num 34:7-8, for תְּתָאוּ — Pi`el of תאה — Di proposes תִּתְאַוֻּ, & queries whether this & הִתְאַוִּיתֶם Num 34:10 are not from אוה, = desire for yourselves.)
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 3 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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