What does אַהֲבָה (ahavah) mean in the Bible?
".
Hebrew · H160
אַהֲבָה
Love.
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אַהֲבָה H160
Pronunciation ahavah
What does אַהֲבָה (ahavah) mean in the Bible?
אַהֲבָה (ahavah) is a Hebrew word meaning "love.".
Full entry for אַהֲבָה (H160) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H160?
The BSB source-word alignment has 38 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include love (10), with love (3), my love (2), your love (2), as he loved (1).
Where does אַהֲבָה (ahavah) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 29:20. Its strongest book concentrations include Song Of Solomon (11), Proverbs (5), 1 Samuel (3), 2 Samuel (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It love 10× Proverbs 17:9, Ecclesiastes 9:1, Song Of Solomon 2:4, Song Of Solomon 2:7
with love 3× Song Of Solomon 2:5, Song Of Solomon 3:10, Song Of Solomon 5:8
my love 2× Psalms 109:4, Psalms 109:5
your love 2× 2 Samuel 1:26, Jeremiah 2:2
as he loved 1× 1 Samuel 20:17
because he loved 1× 1 Samuel 18:3
because of his love 1× Genesis 29:20
but love 1× Proverbs 10:12
by her love 1× Proverbs 5:19
for love 1× Song Of Solomon 8:7
In His love 1× Isaiah 63:9
in love 1× 1 Kings 11:2
Love her 1× Hosea 3:1
love them 1× Hosea 9:15
loved 1× Deuteronomy 7:8
loves 1× 2 Chronicles 2:11
O love 1× Song Of Solomon 7:6
of love 1× Hosea 11:4
out of love 1× 1 Samuel 20:17
surpassing the love 1× 2 Samuel 1:26
than love 1× Proverbs 27:5
the love 1× 2 Samuel 13:15
Their love 1× Ecclesiastes 9:6
there is love 1× Proverbs 15:17
with His love 1× Zephaniah 3:17
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 29:20 בְּאַהֲבָת֖וֹ to because of his love Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 7:8 מֵֽאַהֲבַ֨ת to loved Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct 1 Samuel 18:3 בְּאַהֲבָת֥וֹ to because he loved Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 20:17 בְּאַהֲבָת֖וֹ to out of love Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 20:17 אַהֲבַ֥ת to as he loved Noun - feminine singular construct 2 Samuel 1:26 אַהֲבָֽתְךָ֙ to your love Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular 2 Samuel 1:26 מֵאַהֲבַ֖ת to surpassing the love Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct 2 Samuel 13:15 מֵאַהֲבָ֖ה to the love Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular 1 Kings 11:2 לְאַהֲבָֽה׃ to in love Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular 2 Chronicles 2:11 בְּאַהֲבַ֤ת to loves Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 29:20
Aligned rows 38
Books represented 14
Genesis 1 Deuteronomy 1 1 Samuel 3 2 Samuel 3 1 Kings 1 2 Chronicles 1 Psalms 2 Proverbs 5 Ecclesiastes 2 Song Of Solomon 11 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 3 Hosea 3 Zephaniah 1
Source forms
אַהֲבָ֖ה 3x ’a·hă·ḇāh Song Of Solomon 2:5, Song Of Solomon 5:8, Song Of Solomon 7:6
אַהֲבָ֔ה 3x ’a·hă·ḇāh Song Of Solomon 3:10, Song Of Solomon 8:6, Hosea 11:4
הָאַהֲבָ֖ה 3x hā·’a·hă·ḇāh Song Of Solomon 2:7, Song Of Solomon 3:5, Song Of Solomon 8:4
אַהֲבָ֑ה 2x ’a·hă·ḇāh Proverbs 17:9, Jeremiah 2:33
אַהֲבָֽה׃ 2x ’a·hă·ḇāh Proverbs 10:12, Song Of Solomon 2:4
בְּאַהֲבָת֖וֹ 2x bə·’a·hă·ḇā·ṯōw Genesis 29:20, 1 Samuel 20:17
בְּאַהֲבָת֥וֹ 2x bə·’a·hă·ḇā·ṯōw 1 Samuel 18:3, Isaiah 63:9
אַהֲבָ֣ה 1x ’a·hă·ḇāh Ecclesiastes 9:1
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular 11x Proverbs 10:12, Proverbs 17:9, Ecclesiastes 9:1, Song Of Solomon 2:4
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 5x Genesis 29:20, 1 Samuel 18:3, 1 Samuel 20:17, Isaiah 63:9
Article | Noun - feminine singular 4x Song Of Solomon 2:7, Song Of Solomon 3:5, Song Of Solomon 8:4, Song Of Solomon 8:7
Noun - feminine singular construct 2x 1 Samuel 20:17, Jeremiah 2:2
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular 2x Psalms 109:4, Psalms 109:5
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular 2x 2 Samuel 13:15, Proverbs 27:5
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct 2x Deuteronomy 7:8, 2 Samuel 1:26
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular 1x Proverbs 15:17
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. love.
Source Gloss
love.
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
BDB: love Usage: love.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
affection, covenant loyalty, and goodwill toward another
Showing 1 selected witness from 40 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
אַהֲבָה is built from this root:
אַהַב H158
Why This Word Matters
Love seeks restoration rather than retaliation. Proverbs 10:12
Canonical Themes
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain