אָהַב
𐤀𐤄𐤁
ʼâhab
H157 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To feel or express love, affection, or attachment toward a person, group, object, or concept. The term encompasses emotional attachment, desire, friendship, familial love, loyalty, and even preference or willful choice, depending on context. In interpersonal usage, expresses affection or positive regard (between individuals, within families, or between a subject and deity); in non-personal or figurative contexts, refers to attachment to practices, actions, wisdom, or material things.
Semantic Range
to love (romantically, sexually, platonically), to have familial affection, to show friendship, to be loyal (in covenantal or political senses), to prefer, to be attached to (objects, practices, qualities), to cherish, to choose
Root / Etymology
Root: אהב. The root conveys the idea of love, affection, emotional or volitional attachment. While etymology is somewhat uncertain and no clear cognates are attested in other Semitic languages, the basic sense relates to emotional attachment or desire. The verb developed in Hebrew to express a wide range of affectionate and loyal relationships.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, אָהַב (ʼâhab) is used for a broad spectrum of love, covering: affection between human beings (romantic, familial, friendly); covenantal loyalty, especially between YHWH and Israel; love of objects, wisdom, or actions; and even preference or selection. It predates Greek philosophical distinctions (such as eros, philia, agape), so context is essential. In patriarchal and monarchic periods, its usage emphasizes emotional attachment and covenantal faithfulness (e.g., Jacob’s love for Rachel; YHWH’s love for Israel). Later, especially in Deuteronomistic and prophetic literature, it reflects covenantal obligation as well as emotion. It contrasts with related words such as חֶסֶד (ḥesed, loyal love/steadfast kindness) or רֵעַ (re'a, friend, companion), which emphasize specific aspects of relationship. English translations typically render the word as 'love,' but the nuances of affection, friendship, or covenantal loyalty are sometimes lost. The term is not restricted to sexual or romantic love; it includes parental, filial, and even abstract or theological contexts. In some periods, 'to love' becomes synonymous with loyalty, especially in covenant language (e.g., Deut. 6:5). Later traditions, including Greek and English translations, sometimes narrow or alter the semantic range, using 'love' where broader meanings (such as loyalty or preference) may be intended in Hebrew.
Translation Consistency
"Love" is the most natural, common, and flexible base verb that captures the full semantic range of אָהַב — emotional affection, familial/platonic/romantic attachment, loyalty, preference, and choice. Corpus counts ("loved"/"love") show this sense dominates. Using the infinitive base "love" allows consistent inflection across persons/tenses while still permitting context-specific renderings (e.g., "cherish," "prefer") when needed in translation notes or idiomatic phrasing.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or אָהֵב ; a primitive root; to have affection for (sexually or otherwise); (be-) love(-d, -ly, -r), like, friend.
Bantu Hebrew
| Language | Bantu Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ewe (Gbe) | hɔ̃ | to love, to want, to desire |
Root Family
אהב (ʼâhab) — to love, to have affection, to desire
Word Forms
79 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H157-51 |
אֹהֵ֗ב | ohev | HVqrmsa |
loves | one who loves | one who loves | 26 |
H157-07 |
אָהַ֨בְתִּי֙ | ahaveti | HVqp1cs |
I love | I have loved | I have loved | 15 |
H157-32 |
לְ/אַֽהֲבָה֙ | leahavah | HR/Vqc |
to love | to love | to love | 10 |
H157-11 |
אָהֵ֔ב | ahev | HVqp3ms |
he loved | he loved | he loved | 9 |
H157-65 |
וַ/יֶּאֱהַ֤ב | vayeehav | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he loved | and he loved | and he loved | 9 |
H157-02 |
אָהַ֗בְתָּ | ahaveta | HVqp2ms |
you have loved | you loved | you loved | 6 |
H157-38 |
מְאַֽהֲבַ֔יִ/ךְ | meahavayikhe | HVprmpc/Sp2fs |
your lovers | your loving-ones | your lovers | 6 |
H157-39 |
מְאַהֲבֶ֔י/הָ | meahaveyha | HVprmpc/Sp3fs |
her lovers | her loving-ones | her lovers | 5 |
H157-46 |
אֹהֲבֵ֖י | ohavey | HVqrmpc |
lovers | lovers of | lovers of | 5 |
H157-53 |
שֶׁ֤/אָהֲבָה֙ | sheahavah | HTr/Vqp3fs |
whom I love | that she loved | that my soul loved | 5 |
Occurrences in Scripture
211 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H157-02 |
Genesis 22:2 | אָהַ֨בְתָּ֙ | ahaveta | HVqp2ms |
you love | you loved | you love |
H157-66 |
Genesis 24:67 | וַ/יֶּאֱהָבֶ֑/הָ | vayeehaveha | HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3fs |
and he loved her | and he loved her | and he loved her |
H157-65 |
Genesis 25:28 | וַ/יֶּאֱהַ֥ב | vayeehav | HC/Vqw3ms |
loved | and he loved | and he loved |
H157-52 |
Genesis 25:28 | אֹהֶ֥בֶת | ohevet | HVqrfsa |
loved | she who loves | she who loves |
H157-07 |
Genesis 27:4 | אָהַ֛בְתִּי | ahaveti | HVqp1cs |
I love | I have loved | I love |
H157-11 |
Genesis 27:9 | אָהֵֽב | ahev | HVqp3ms |
he loves | he loved | he loved |
H157-11 |
Genesis 27:14 | אָהֵ֥ב | ahev | HVqp3ms |
loved | he loved | he loved |
H157-65 |
Genesis 29:18 | וַ/יֶּאֱהַ֥ב | vayeehav | HC/Vqw3ms |
and loved | and he loved | and he loved |
H157-21 |
Genesis 29:20 | בְּ/אַהֲבָת֖/וֹ | beahavato | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms |
because of his love | in his love | in his love |
H157-65 |
Genesis 29:30 | וַ/יֶּאֱהַ֥ב | vayeehav | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he loved | and he loved | and he loved |
H157-79 |
Genesis 29:32 | יֶאֱהָבַ֥/נִי | yeehavani | HVqi3ms/Sp1cs |
will love me | he will love me | he will love me |
H157-65 |
Genesis 34:3 | וַ/יֶּֽאֱהַב֙ | vayeehav | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he loved | and he loved | and he loved |
H157-01 |
Genesis 37:3 | אָהַ֤ב | ahav | HVqp3ms |
loved | he loved | he loved |
H157-01 |
Genesis 37:4 | אָהַ֤ב | ahav | HVqp3ms |
loved | he loved | he loved |
H157-16 |
Genesis 44:20 | אֲהֵבֽ/וֹ | ahevo | HVqp3ms/Sp3ms |
loves him | he loved him | he loved him |
H157-34 |
Exodus 20:6 | לְ/אֹהֲבַ֖/י | leohavay | HR/Vqrmpc/Sp1cs |
of those who love me | to my loving-ones | to my loving-ones |
H157-07 |
Exodus 21:5 | אָהַ֨בְתִּי֙ | ahaveti | HVqp1cs |
I-have-loved | I have loved | I have loved |
H157-68 |
Leviticus 19:18 | וְ/אָֽהַבְתָּ֥ | veahaveta | HC/Vqq2ms |
and you shall love | and you will love | and you will love |
H157-68 |
Leviticus 19:34 | וְ/אָהַבְתָּ֥ | veahaveta | HC/Vqq2ms |
and you shall love | and you will love | and you will love |
H157-01 |
Deuteronomy 4:37 | אָהַב֙ | ahav | HVqp3ms |
he loved | he loved | he loved |
H157-34 |
Deuteronomy 5:10 | לְ/אֹהֲבַ֖/י | leohavay | HR/Vqrmpc/Sp1cs |
those who love me | to my loving-ones | to my loving-ones |
H157-68 |
Deuteronomy 6:5 | וְ/אָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ | veahaveta | HC/Vqq2ms |
and you shall love | and you will love | and you will love |
H157-35 |
Deuteronomy 7:9 | לְ/אֹהֲבָ֛י/ו | leohavayv | HR/Vqrmpc/Sp3ms |
to-lovers-his | to his loving-ones | to his loving-ones |
H157-60 |
Deuteronomy 7:13 | וַ/אֲהֵ֣בְ/ךָ֔ | vaahevekha | HC/Vqq3ms/Sp2ms |
and he will love you | and he loved you | and he will love you |
H157-57 |
Deuteronomy 10:12 | וּ/לְ/אַהֲבָ֣ה | uleahavah | HC/R/Vqc |
and to love | and to love | and to love |
H157-32 |
Deuteronomy 10:15 | לְ/אַהֲבָ֣ה | leahavah | HR/Vqc |
to love | to love | to love |
H157-75 |
Deuteronomy 10:18 | וְ/אֹהֵ֣ב | veohev | HC/Vqrmsa |
and loves | and one who loves | and one who loves |
H157-59 |
Deuteronomy 10:19 | וַ/אֲהַבְתֶּ֖ם | vaahavetem | HC/Vqq2mp |
you shall love | and you loved | and you shall love |
H157-68 |
Deuteronomy 11:1 | וְ/אָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ | veahaveta | HC/Vqq2ms |
and-you-shall-love | and you will love | and you will love |
H157-32 |
Deuteronomy 11:13 | לְ/אַהֲבָ֞ה | leahavah | HR/Vqc |
to love | to love | to love |
H157-32 |
Deuteronomy 11:22 | לְ/אַהֲבָ֞ה | leahavah | HR/Vqc |
to-love | to love | to love |
H157-50 |
Deuteronomy 13:4 | אֹֽהֲבִים֙ | ohavim | HVqrmpa |
loving | those who love | those who love |
H157-15 |
Deuteronomy 15:16 | אֲהֵֽבְ/ךָ֙ | ahevekha | HVqp3ms/Sp2ms |
he loves you | he loved you | he loves you |
H157-32 |
Deuteronomy 19:9 | לְ/אַהֲבָ֞ה | leahavah | HR/Vqc |
to love | to love | to love |
H157-19 |
Deuteronomy 21:15 | אֲהוּבָה֙ | ahuvah | HVqsfsa |
beloved | loved woman | beloved |
H157-26 |
Deuteronomy 21:15 | הָ/אֲהוּבָ֖ה | haahuvah | HTd/Vqsfsa |
the beloved | the loved one | the loved one |
H157-26 |
Deuteronomy 21:16 | הָ֣/אֲהוּבָ֔ה | haahuvah | HTd/Vqsfsa |
of the beloved | the loved one | the loved one |
H157-15 |
Deuteronomy 23:6 | אֲהֵֽבְ/ךָ֖ | ahevekha | HVqp3ms/Sp2ms |
loves you | he loved you | he loved you |
H157-32 |
Deuteronomy 30:6 | לְ/אַהֲבָ֞ה | leahavah | HR/Vqc |
to love | to love | to love |
H157-32 |
Deuteronomy 30:16 | לְ/אַהֲבָ֞ה | leahavah | HR/Vqc |
to love | to love | to love |
H157-32 |
Deuteronomy 30:20 | לְ/אַֽהֲבָה֙ | leahavah | HR/Vqc |
to love | to love | to love |
H157-32 |
Joshua 22:5 | לְ֠/אַהֲבָה | leahavah | HR/Vqc |
to love | to love | to love |
H157-32 |
Joshua 23:11 | לְ/אַהֲבָ֖ה | leahavah | HR/Vqc |
to love | to love | to love |
H157-71 |
Judges 5:31 | וְ/אֹ֣הֲבָ֔י/ו | veohavayv | HC/Vqrmpc/Sp3ms |
and those who love Him | and his lovers | and those who love him |
H157-03 |
Judges 14:16 | אֲהַבְתָּ֔/נִי | ahavetani | HVqp2ms/Sp1cs |
you love me | you loved me | you love me |
H157-65 |
Judges 16:4 | וַ/יֶּאֱהַ֥ב | vayeehav | HC/Vqw3ms |
he loved | and he loved | and he loved |
H157-09 |
Judges 16:15 | אֲהַבְתִּ֔י/ךְ | ahavetikhe | HVqp1cs/Sp2fs |
I love you | I have loved you (feminine) | I have loved you (feminine) |
H157-11 |
1 Samuel 1:5 | אָהֵ֔ב | ahev | HVqp3ms |
he loved | he loved | he loved |
H157-67 |
1 Samuel 16:21 | וַ/יֶּאֱהָבֵ֣/הֽוּ | vayeehavehu | HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3ms |
and he loved him | and he loved him | and he loved him |
H157-77 |
1 Samuel 18:1 | ו/יאהבו | vyhvv | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he loved him | and he loved | and he loved him |