עֶגֶב
𐤏𐤂𐤁
ʻegeb
H5690 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A strong or intense desire, typically with sensual or erotic overtones; refers to passionate love, longing, or lust. In biblical usage it carries a concrete sense of passionate inclination rather than abstract affection. Attested usage is rare and always associated with sensual or erotic desire, distinguishing it from broader terms for love or kindness.
Semantic Range
passionate desire, erotic longing, amative or sexual love, lust
Root / Etymology
Root: עגב. The root ע-ג-ב primarily denotes 'to lust after,' 'to desire passionately,' or 'to crave (especially in an erotic sense).' עֶגֶב is a noun formation from this root, signifying the product or expression of such passionate desire. The concrete noun form emphasizes the substantive, palpable nature of the feeling.
Historical & Contextual Notes
עֶגֶב appears only once in the Hebrew Bible (Ezekiel 23:11), in a passage depicting intense, illicit desire as part of an extended allegory. The term designates sexual or sensually charged love, in contrast to more common and neutral terms for love such as אַהֲבָה (ahavah, general love) or חֶסֶד (chesed, loyal kindness). In Ezekiel, its context is negative, associated with lustful behavior. Later translation traditions (such as LXX, Vulgate) render the word with terms indicating passionate or erotic desire. The English word 'love' in this context, as used in some translations, may obscure the specifically amative or sensual connotation intended by the Hebrew. In post-biblical Hebrew, derivatives of the root preserve this association with sensual longing or lust. The word is not used outside this narrow biblical context and does not indicate covenant loyalty, friendship, or familial affection. The translation 'very lovely' (KJV) does not accurately reflect the strong erotic undertones of the original.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from עֲגַב; love (concretely), i.e. amative words; much love, very lovely.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עגב (ʿ-g-b) — lust, passionate desire, sexual craving
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5689 | עֲגַב | she lusted after |
| H5691 | עֲגָבָה | her lustful desire |
| H5748 | עוּגָב | breath-pipe |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5690-01 |
עֲגָבִ֤ים | agavim | HNcmpa |
delights/loves | erotic lusts | erotic lusts | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5690-01 |
Ezekiel 33:31 | עֲגָבִ֤ים | agavim | HNcmpa |
delights/loves | erotic lusts | erotic lusts |
H5690-01 |
Ezekiel 33:32 | עֲגָבִ֔ים | agavim | HNcmpa |
of-loves | erotic lusts | of erotic lusts |