Avah אָוָה

Avah (Hebrew אָוָה, Strong's H183) is a Hebrew verb meaning “to desire”. It occurs 26 times in 26 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

Verses

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

Numbers

• Numbers 11:4
  And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, “Who will feed us meat?
• Numbers 11:34
  And he called the name of that place Kibroth–hattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.So they called that place Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food.

Deuteronomy

• Deuteronomy 5:21
  Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house or field, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
• Deuteronomy 12:20
  When the Lord thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.When the LORD your God expands your territory as He has promised, and you crave meat and say, “I want to eat meat,” you may eat it whenever you want.
• Deuteronomy 14:26
  And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,Then you may spend the money on anything you desire: cattle, sheep, wine, strong drink, or anything you wish. You are to feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice with your household.

1 Samuel

• 1 Samuel 2:16
  And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.And if any man said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you may take whatever you want,” the servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me right now. If you refuse, I will take it by force!”

2 Samuel

• 2 Samuel 3:21
  And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a league with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.
• 2 Samuel 23:15
  And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth–lehem, which is by the gate!David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

1 Kings

• 1 Kings 11:37
  And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.But as for you, I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your heart desires, and you will be king over Israel.

1 Chronicles

• 1 Chronicles 11:17
  And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth–lehem, that is at the gate!David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

Job

• Job 23:13
  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.But He is unchangeable, and who can oppose Him? He does what He desires.

Psalms

• Psalm 45:11
  So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.and the king will desire your beauty; bow to him, for he is your lord.
• Psalm 106:14
  But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.They craved intensely in the wilderness and tested God in the desert.
• Psalm 132:13
  For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His home:
• Psalm 132:14
  This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.“This is My resting place forever and ever; here I will dwell, for I have desired this home.

Proverbs

• Proverbs 13:4
  The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.
• Proverbs 21:10
  The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.The soul of the wicked man craves evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.
• Proverbs 21:26
  He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.All day long he covets more, but the righteous give without restraint.
• Proverbs 23:3
  Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.
• Proverbs 23:6
  Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:Do not eat the bread of a stingy man, and do not crave his delicacies;
• Proverbs 24:1
  Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;

Ecclesiastes

• Ecclesiastes 6:2
  A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a grievous affliction.

Isaiah

• Isaiah 26:9
  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.My soul longs for You in the night; indeed, my spirit seeks You at dawn. For when Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.

Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 17:16
  As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.But I have not run away from being Your shepherd; I have not desired the day of despair. You know that the utterance of my lips was spoken in Your presence.

Amos

• Amos 5:18
  Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light.

Micah

• Micah 7:1
  Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.Woe is me! For I am like one gathering summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster to eat, no early fig that I crave.

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).