StrongerBible

ahav

אָהֵב

HebrewH0157“love, friend”

Appears 211 times · tap a cell to see the verses

Gen 22:2Gen 24:67Gen 25:28Gen 27:4Gen 27:9Gen 27:14Gen 29:18Gen 29:30Gen 34:3Gen 37:3Gen 37:4Gen 44:20Exo 20:6Exo 21:5Deu 4:37Deu 5:10Deu 7:9Deu 10:12Deu 10:15Deu 10:18Deu 11:13Deu 11:22Deu 15:16Deu 19:9Deu 23:5(6)Deu 30:6Deu 30:16Deu 30:20Jos 22:5Jos 23:11Jdg 5:31Jdg 14:16Jdg 16:4Jdg 16:151Sa 1:51Sa 16:211Sa 18:11Sa 18:161Sa 18:221Sa 20:172Sa 12:242Sa 13:12Sa 13:42Sa 13:152Sa 19:6(7) (2×)1Ki 3:31Ki 5:1(15)1Ki 10:91Ki 11:12Ch 9:8
Root family
Word studyah-HEVverb

What ahav means

to love: to feel and act on deep emotional attachment, loyal commitment, or strong desire, toward a person, God, or an object

TranslatabilityApproximateCertaintySettled

This is the primary Hebrew verb for love across the full breadth of the concept. It covers:

  • the bond between husband and wife
  • the fierce attachment of a parent for a child
  • the loyal commitment of covenant friendship
  • the commanded love of Israel for God
  • the desire a person feels for things they prize

The one Hebrew verb does what English parcels out to "love," "cherish," "be devoted to," and "be fond of."

The form meaning "one who loves" functions as a noun meaning "lover" or "friend" and carries its own sub-range:

  • sometimes a trusted ally or intimate companion
  • sometimes a sexual partner (especially in prophetic imagery of Israel's spiritual infidelity)
  • sometimes an abstract personification of wisdom or righteousness calling her adherents

The prophets, especially Hosea and Ezekiel, exploited the full weight of this verb by casting Israel's pursuit of foreign gods as love given to the wrong partners, the shock of the metaphor depends on the reader knowing how absolute and exclusive the real bond ought to be. Deuteronomy's repeated command to love God ("you shall love the LORD your God") likewise extends what was a natural relational term into the language of covenant obligation.

Nuances

1ato love a person: family affection or spousal bond
Gen 22:2Gen 24:67Gen 25:28Gen 29:18Gen 29:30Gen 37:3Gen 37:4Gen 44:20Deu 21:15Rut 4:151Sa 1:52Sa 12:24
1bromantic or sexual love
Gen 29:32Gen 34:3Jdg 16:4Jdg 16:152Sa 13:1Sng 1:3Sng 1:4Sng 1:7Sng 3:1Sng 3:2Sng 3:3Sng 3:4
1cloyal or covenant love: devotion within a bond of commitment, including friendship and alliance
1Sa 16:211Sa 18:11Sa 18:161Sa 18:201Sa 18:221Sa 20:172Sa 1:231Ki 5:1(15)2Ch 20:7Pro 17:17Pro 18:24Isa 41:8
1dGod's love for his people: divine election and covenantal favor
Deu 4:37Deu 7:13Deu 10:18Deu 23:5(6)Psa 47:4(5)Psa 78:68Isa 43:4Isa 48:14Jer 31:3Hos 11:1Hos 14:4Mal 1:2 (2×)
1ethe commanded love of God: the human response of wholehearted devotion to God as covenant obligation
Deu 6:5Deu 10:12Deu 11:1Deu 11:13Deu 11:22Deu 30:6Deu 30:16Deu 30:20Jos 22:5Jos 23:11Psa 31:23Psa 116:1
1fto love things, qualities, or actions: strong preference or desire for something abstract or concrete
Psa 11:5Psa 11:7Psa 33:5Psa 37:28Psa 45:7(8)Psa 52:3(5)Psa 52:4(6)Psa 97:10Psa 119:47Psa 119:48Psa 119:97Psa 119:127
1glover or friend (the word for "one who loves" used as a noun): an intimate companion, sexual partner, or political ally
TranslatabilityPartial
Exo 20:6Deu 5:10Deu 7:9Psa 38:11(12)Psa 88:18(19)Jer 22:20Jer 22:22Jer 30:14Lam 1:2Ezk 16:33Ezk 16:36Ezk 16:37

Uncategorized

Awaiting AI sense categorization.

12 verses
Deu 10:19Deu 13:32Ch 19:2Neh 13:26Psa 4:2Psa 119:167Pro 1:22Pro 3:12Pro 4:6Pro 9:8Pro 13:24Pro 15:9

What scholars say about ahav

Scholars broadly treat אָהֵב as a single root covering relational love in its widest sense. HALOT (s.v. אהב) lists affective love between persons, love for God, and love of things as subdivisions of one entry without positing homonymy. BDB (p. 12) similarly presents one verb. William Moran's landmark 1963 article in CBQ ("The Ancient Near Eastern Background of the Love of God in Deuteronomy") established that the command to "love" God in Deuteronomy is covenantal treaty language, not merely emotional exhortation, a finding that reshaped subsequent interpretation. TDOT (vol. 1, "אהב") traces the full semantic range and notes the verb's use in describing God's elective love as foundational to Israel's identity. NIDOTTE (vol. 1, "אהב") explores the word's connection to loyalty, election, and desire across its occurrences.

Sources

  • HALOT, s.v. אהבlexicon
  • BDB, s.v. אהב, p. 12lexicon
  • TDOT, vol. 1, 'אהב'theological-dictionary
  • NIDOTTE, vol. 1, 'אהב'theological-dictionary
  • TWOT, 'אהב' (§29)theological-dictionary
  • W. L. Moran, 'The Ancient Near Eastern Background of the Love of God in Deuteronomy,' CBQ 25 (1963): 77-87journal-article

AI-generated word study · claude-opus-4-8

All attested forms of אָהֵב

qal participle m p construct

אֹהֲבֵי, אֹהֲבָי, אֹהֲבֶי, אֹהֲבַ, אֹהֲבָיִ

Psa 5:11, Psa 40:16, Psa 69:36, Psa 70:4, Psa 97:10, Psa 119:132, Psa 119:165, Pro 14:20

qal participle m s absolute

אֹהֵב, אוֹהֵב

Deu 10:18, 1Sa 18:16, 2Sa 13:4, 1Ki 5:1, 2Ch 26:10, Psa 33:5, Psa 34:12, Psa 37:28

qal perfect 3ms

אָהֵב, אֲהֵב, אָהַב, אֲהֵבְ, אֲהֵבָ

Gen 27:9, Gen 27:14, 1Sa 1:5, Psa 11:7, Psa 47:4, Psa 78:68, Psa 99:4, Hos 12:7

qal perfect 1cs

אָהַבְתִּי, אָהָבְתִּי, אֲהַבְתִּי

Gen 27:4, Exo 21:5, Job 19:19, Psa 26:8, Psa 116:1, Psa 119:97, Psa 119:119, Psa 119:127

qal infinitive-construct construct

אַהֲבָה, אַהֲבַת, אֱהֹב, אָהֳבָ

Deu 10:12, Deu 10:15, Deu 11:13, Deu 11:22, Deu 19:9, Deu 30:6, Deu 30:16, Deu 30:20

piel participle m p construct

מְאַהֲבֶי, מְאַהֲבַיִ, מְאַהֲבַ, מְאַהֲבָ, מְאַהֲבָיִ

Ezk 23:5, Ezk 23:9, Hos 2:7, Hos 2:10, Hos 2:13, Jer 22:22, Jer 30:14, Ezk 16:33

qal consecutive-imperfect 3ms

וַיֶּאֱהַב, וַיֶּאֱהָבֵ, וַיֶּאֱהָבֶ

Gen 25:28, Gen 29:18, Gen 29:30, Gen 34:3, Jdg 16:4, 1Ki 3:3, 2Ch 11:21, Est 2:17

qal perfect 2ms

אָהַבְתָּ, אֲהַבְתָּ

Gen 22:2, Psa 45:7, Psa 52:3, Psa 52:4, Ecc 9:9, Hos 9:1, Jdg 14:16, Mal 1:2

qal perfect 3cp

אֲהֵבוּ, אָהֲבוּ

1Sa 18:22, Sng 1:3, Sng 1:4, Jer 8:2, Pro 8:36, Jer 5:31, Jer 14:10, Hos 4:18

qal perfect 3fs

אָהֲבָה, אֲהֵבַתְ, אֲהֵבַתֶ

Sng 1:7, Sng 3:1, Sng 3:2, Sng 3:3, Sng 3:4, 1Sa 18:28, Rut 4:15

qal imperfect 3ms

יֶאֱהַב, יֶאֱהָב, יֶאֱהָבַ

Pro 3:12, Pro 15:12, Pro 15:9, Pro 16:13, Gen 29:32

qal consecutive-perfect 2ms

וְאָהַבְתָּ

Lev 19:18, Lev 19:34, Deu 6:5, Deu 11:1

qal imperative 2mp

אֶהֱבוּ, אֱהָבוּ, הֵבוּ

Psa 31:23, Amo 5:15, Zec 8:19, Hos 4:18

qal participle m s construct

אֹהֲב, אֹהֲבִ, אֹהֵב, אֹהַבְ

Pro 13:24, Isa 41:8, Psa 11:5, 2Ch 20:7

qal consecutive-imperfect 1cs

וָאֹהֲבֵ, וָאֹהַב

Psa 119:167, Hos 11:1, Mal 1:2

qal passive-participle f s absolute

אֲהוּבָה

Deu 21:15, Deu 21:15, Deu 21:16

qal imperative 2ms

אֱהַב, אֱהָבֶ

Hos 3:1, Pro 4:6

qal imperfect 1cs

אֵהָב, אֹהֲבֵ

Pro 8:17, Hos 14:4

qal imperfect 2mp

תְּאֵהֲבוּ, תֶּאֱהָבוּ

Pro 1:22, Psa 4:2

qal perfect 2fs

אָהַבְתְּ

Isa 57:8, Ezk 16:37

niphal participle m p absolute

נֶּאֱהָבִים

2Sa 1:23

qal conjunctive-imperfect 3ms

וְיֶאֱהָבֶ

Pro 9:8

qal consecutive-imperfect 3fs

וַתֶּאֱהַב

1Sa 18:20

qal consecutive-perfect 2mp

וַאֲהַבְתֶּם

Deu 10:19

qal consecutive-perfect 3ms

וַאֲהֵבְ

Deu 7:13

qal imperfect 2ms

תֶּאֱהָב

2Ch 19:2

qal jussive 2mp

תֶּאֱהָבוּ

Zec 8:17

qal jussive 2ms

תֶּאֱהַב

Pro 20:13

qal participle f s absolute

אֹהֶבֶת

Gen 25:28

qal participle f s construct

אֹהַבְתִּי

Hos 10:11

qal participle m p absolute

אֹהֲבִים

Deu 13:3

qal passive-participle f s construct

אֲהֻבַת

Hos 3:1

qal passive-participle m s absolute

אָהוּב

Neh 13:26

qal perfect 2mp

אֲהַבְתֶּם

Amo 4:5