What does אָוָה · נֶפֶשׁ mean in the Bible?
אָוָה · נֶפֶשׁ is a Hebrew phrase meaning "desire, craving, appetite, life-person longing".
Hebrew · H183, H5315
אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ
To wish for · properly, a breathing creature , i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality ; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
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Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
אָוָהH183to wish for
Pronunciationta’ăwaṯ
Intense, often illicit desire that bends the will toward forbidden objects; covetousness
Open lexicon entry →נֶפֶשׁH5315properly, a breathing creature , i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality ; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
Pronunciationnafsho
Vitality or lifeforce of a creature; ranges from physical breath to desire, appetite, and personal identity or selfhood.
Open lexicon entry →What does אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ (avvat nafshkha) mean in the Bible?
אָוָה · נֶפֶשׁ is a Hebrew phrase meaning "desire, craving, appetite, life-person longing".
Full entry for אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ (H183, H5315) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for H183, H5315?
H183, H5315 is connected to 785 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew phrase. desire, craving, appetite, life-person longing
Source Gloss
desire, craving, appetite, life-person longing
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups2Aligned forms18
Hithpaelreflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others11×
JussiveProv 23:3 · Prov 23:6 · Prov 24:15×
PerfectJer 17:16 · Num 11:4 · Prov 21:263×
ImperfectDeut 5:21 · Eccl 6:22×
Participle activeProv 13:41×
Pielintensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action7×
Imperfect1Kgs 11:37 · 2Sam 3:21 · Deut 12:20 · Deut 14:264×
PerfectJob 23:13 · Mic 7:1 · Prov 21:103×
Word Origins
אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Cross-Language Connections
Greek words that correspond to or develop the meaning of this Hebrew word in the New Testament.