Ahavah אַהֲבָה

Ahavah (Hebrew אַהֲבָה, Strong's H160) is a Hebrew feminine noun meaning “love”. It occurs 38 times in 35 verses of the Old Testament.

Definition

From the STEPBible Brief Lexicon of Hebrew (based on the abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs), STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.

Translated as

Topics

• Love
• Love of God

Verses

Every verse with Ahavah, with the English words that translate it highlighted (KJV or BSB; other translations show the KJV here).

Genesis

• Genesis 29:20
  And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.

Deuteronomy

• Deuteronomy 7:8
  But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

1 Samuel

• 1 Samuel 18:3
  Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
• 1 Samuel 20:17
  And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

2 Samuel

• 2 Samuel 1:26
  I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother. You were delightful to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women.
• 2 Samuel 13:15
  Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.Then Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that his hatred was greater than the love he previously had. “Get up!” he said to her. “Be gone!”

1 Kings

• 1 Kings 11:2
  Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love.

2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 2:11
  Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the Lord hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.Then Hiram king of Tyre wrote a letter in reply to Solomon: “Because the LORD loves His people, He has set you over them as king.”

Psalms

• Psalm 109:4
  For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
• Psalm 109:5
  And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

Proverbs

• Proverbs 5:19
  Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.A loving doe, a graceful fawn— may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.
• Proverbs 10:12
  Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.
• Proverbs 15:17
  Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.Better a dish of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred.
• Proverbs 17:9
  He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.
• Proverbs 27:5
  Open rebuke is better than secret love.Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed.

Ecclesiastes

• Ecclesiastes 9:1
  For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.
• Ecclesiastes 9:6
  Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun.

Song of Solomon

• Song of Solomon 2:4
  He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.He has brought me to the house of wine, and his banner over me is love.
• Song of Solomon 2:5
  Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.
• Song of Solomon 2:7
  I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
• Song of Solomon 3:5
  I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
• Song of Solomon 3:10
  He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.He has made its posts of silver, its base of gold, its seat of purple fabric. Its interior is inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem.
• Song of Solomon 5:8
  I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you, if you find my beloved, tell him I am sick with love.
• Song of Solomon 7:6
  How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!How fair and pleasant you are, O love, with your delights!
• Song of Solomon 8:4
  I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
• Song of Solomon 8:6
  Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.Set me as a seal over your heart, as a seal upon your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as unrelenting as Sheol. Its sparks are fiery flames, the fiercest blaze of all.
• Song of Solomon 8:7
  Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.Mighty waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love, his offer would be utterly scorned.

Isaiah

• Isaiah 63:9
  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 2:2
  Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.
• Jeremiah 2:33
  Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.How skillfully you pursue love! Even the most immoral of women could learn from your ways.
• Jeremiah 31:3
  The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion.

Hosea

• Hosea 3:1
  Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.Then the LORD said to me, “Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and offer raisin cakes to idols.”
• Hosea 9:15
  All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.All their evil appears at Gilgal, for there I hated them. I will drive them from My house for the wickedness of their deeds. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious.
• Hosea 11:4
  I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.I led them with cords of kindness, with ropes of love; I lifted the yoke from their necks and bent down to feed them.

Zephaniah

• Zephaniah 3:17
  The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Notes

1. Definition and verse list from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament (TAHOT) and Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Brief Lexicons, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
2. English renderings from the public-domain KJV with Strong's numbers (eBible.org) and the Berean Standard Bible interlinear (public domain).