ahabah: Love
Original Word: אַהֲבָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: ahabah
Pronunciation: ah-hah-VAH
Phonetic Spelling: (a-hab-aw)
NASB: love, lovingly
Word Origin: [feminine of H158 (אַהַב – lovers) and meaning the same]
- love
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
Love
Feminine of ‘ahab and meaning the same — love.
see HEBREW ‘ahab
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin; from aheb
Definition; love (noun)
NASB Translation
love (28), lovesick* (2), lovingly (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
אַהֲבָה noun feminine love (= Infinitive of אהב q. v.) — absolute ׳א Proverbs 10:12 18t.; construct אַהֲבַת Jeremiah 2:2 3t.; suffix אַהֲבָתִי Psalm 109:4; Psalm 109:5; אַהֲבָֽתְךָ 2 Samuel 1:26; אַהֲבָתוֺ Isaiah 63:9; Zephaniah 3:17; אַהֲבָתָהּ Proverbs 5:19; אַהֲבָתָם Ecclesiastes 9:6 — love, especially Wisdom Literature & late.
1 human (to human object) absolute Ecclesiastes 9:1,6 (both “” שִׂנְאָה) so Proverbs 10:12; Proverbs 15:17; compare Proverbs 27:5; see also Proverbs 17:9; of man toward man Psalm 109:4; Psalm 109:5; love for one’s self (נַפְשׁוֺ) 1 Samuel 20:17; between man & woman Songs 2:4,5; Songs 5:8; Songs 8:6,7 (twice in verse); Proverbs 5:19 compare also 2 Samuel 1:26 (נָשִׁים ׳א); personified Songs 2:7; Songs 3:5; Songs 7:7; Songs 8:4; compare figurative use Songs 3:10; of mere sexual desire 2 Samuel 13:15; figurative of Jerusalem’s love to ׳י Jeremiah 2:2 (כְּלוּלֹתַיִח ׳א), & of love of adulter. Jesus. Jeremiah 2:33.
2 God’s love to his people Hosea 11:4 (׳עֲבֹתוֺת א) Jeremiah 31:3; Isaiah 63:9; Zephaniah 3:17.
אהד (= אחד ? see Thes.)
Topical Lexicon
Overview
The noun אַהֲבָה (ʼahavah) appears roughly forty times in the Old Testament and gathers within itself the full range of “love” in human experience—romantic attraction, covenant loyalty, family affection, devotion to God, and even misplaced or illicit desire. The term bridges Genesis to post-exilic writings, demonstrating that love is neither a late development nor a merely human sentiment but a reality rooted in God’s own character and purposes.
Divine Covenant Love
ʼAhavah most often reveals the gracious initiative of the LORD toward His people. Moses reminds Israel that “it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers” that He redeemed them from Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:8). The prophets echo this theme after centuries of rebellion: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion” (Jeremiah 31:3). Hosea dramatizes the same covenant love when the LORD commands the prophet to “love a woman beloved of her companion yet an adulteress, just as the LORD loves the children of Israel” (Hosea 3:1). ʼAhavah, then, discloses divine faithfulness that neither Israel’s sin nor exile can finally annul.
Human Love for God
Though the verb “to love” dominates calls to love God, the noun also portrays genuine devotion flowing back to Him. Ezra records that out of God’s “steadfast love” (Ezra 7:28) the writer found courage to reform worship. The mutuality of covenant emerges: God loves His people, and they love Him by obedience (Deuteronomy 10:12-13) and worship (Psalm 116:1, where the noun underlies the personal declaration, “I love the LORD”).
Marriage and Romantic Affection
The first occurrence of ʼahavah concerns Jacob’s seven years of labor for Rachel: they “seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her” (Genesis 29:20). Song of Solomon elevates marital love to poetic celebration: “Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away” (Song of Solomon 8:7). While the book honors physical delight, it frames it within covenant commitment, foreshadowing the New Testament union of Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:25-32).
Family and Kinship
Proper family affection enriches daily life: “Better a dish of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred” (Proverbs 15:17). Parental love motivates discipline (Proverbs 13:24) and undergirds generational blessing (1 Kings 3:3 records Solomon’s early love for the LORD learned from David).
Friendship and Loyal Commitment
David’s lament for Jonathan employs ʼahavah to describe covenant friendship: “Your love to me was more wonderful than the love of women” (2 Samuel 1:26). Such passages portray self-giving camaraderie that strengthens leaders, preserves kingdoms, and models Christ’s own statement, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
National and Royal Contexts
Queen Sheba credits Israel’s stability to divine affection: “Because of the LORD’s everlasting love for Israel, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness” (1 Kings 10:9). Royal ʼahavah thus carries ethical demands—kings are to reflect God’s love by safeguarding equity and covenant law.
