What does אָוָה (ta’ăwaṯ) mean in the Bible?
אָוָה (ta’ăwaṯ): Intense, often illicit desire that bends the will toward forbidden objects; covetousness
Hebrew · H183
אָוָה
To wish for
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אָוָה H183
Pronunciation ta’ăwaṯ
What does אָוָה (ta’ăwaṯ) mean in the Bible?
אָוָה (ta’ăwaṯ): Intense, often illicit desire that bends the will toward forbidden objects; covetousness
Full entry for אָוָה (H183) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H183?
The BSB source-word alignment has 25 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include desires (4), crave (2), craves (2), desire (1), desired (1).
Where does אָוָה (ta’ăwaṯ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Numbers 11:4. Its strongest book concentrations include Proverbs (4), Psalms (4), Deuteronomy (3), Numbers (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 desires 4× 2 Samuel 3:21, 1 Kings 11:37, Job 23:13, Ecclesiastes 6:2
crave 2× Deuteronomy 12:20, Micah 7:1
craves 2× Proverbs 13:4, Proverbs 21:10
desire 1× Deuteronomy 14:26
desired 1× Jeremiah 17:16
had a strong craving for other food 1× Numbers 11:4
he covets 1× Proverbs 21:26
He has desired 1× Psalms 132:13
I have desired [this home] 1× Psalms 132:14
longed [for water] 1× 2 Samuel 23:15
longed for water 1× 1 Chronicles 11:17
longs [for You] 1× Isaiah 26:9
or desire 1× Proverbs 24:1
They craved 1× Psalms 106:14
to you who long for 1× Amos 5:18
want 1× 1 Samuel 2:16
who had craved other food 1× Numbers 11:34
will desire 1× Psalms 45:11
will run straight 1× Numbers 34:10
You shall not covet 1× Deuteronomy 5:21
Show sample aligned rows
Numbers 11:4 הִתְאַוּ֖וּ to had a strong craving for other food Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person common plural Numbers 11:34 הַמִּתְאַוִּֽים׃ to who had craved other food Article | Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine plural Numbers 34:10 וְהִתְאַוִּיתֶ֥ם to will run straight Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural Deuteronomy 5:21 תִתְאַוֶּ֜ה to You shall not covet Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Deuteronomy 12:20 תְאַוֶּ֥ה to crave Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Deuteronomy 14:26 תְּאַוֶּ֨ה to desire Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular 1 Samuel 2:16 תְּאַוֶּ֖ה to want Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular 2 Samuel 3:21 תְּאַוֶּ֖ה to desires Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular 2 Samuel 23:15 וַיִּתְאַוֶּ֥ה to longed [for water] Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1 Kings 11:37 תְּאַוֶּ֖ה to desires Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Numbers 11:4
Aligned rows 25
Books represented 14
Numbers 3 Deuteronomy 3 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 2 1 Kings 1 1 Chronicles 1 Job 1 Psalms 4 Proverbs 4 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 1 Amos 1 Micah 1
Source forms
תְּאַוֶּ֖ה 3x tə·’aw·weh 1 Samuel 2:16, 2 Samuel 3:21, 1 Kings 11:37
אִ֝וָּ֗הּ 1x ’iw·wāh Psalms 132:13
אִוִּיתִ֙יךָ֙ 1x ’iw·wî·ṯî·ḵā Isaiah 26:9
אִוְּתָ֣ה 1x ’iw·wə·ṯāh Job 23:13
אִוְּתָ֥ה 1x ’iw·wə·ṯāh Micah 7:1
אִוְּתָה־ 1x ’iw·wə·ṯāh- Proverbs 21:10
אִוִּתִֽיהָ׃ 1x ’iw·wi·ṯî·hā Psalms 132:14
הַמִּתְאַוִּ֖ים 1x ham·miṯ·’aw·wîm Amos 5:18
Parsing patterns
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular 5x Deuteronomy 12:20, Deuteronomy 14:26, 1 Samuel 2:16, 2 Samuel 3:21
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singular 3x Job 23:13, Proverbs 21:10, Micah 7:1
Article | Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine plural 2x Numbers 11:34, Amos 5:18
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x 2 Samuel 23:15, 1 Chronicles 11:17
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular 1x Psalms 45:11
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural 1x Numbers 34:10
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Psalms 106:14
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 1x Deuteronomy 5:21
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Intense, often illicit desire that bends the will toward forbidden objects; covetousness
Strong's H183
Lexical occurrences 28 verses Word forms 2 forms 18 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Psalms 21:1–7 Source Gloss
to wish for
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Intense, often illicit desire that bends the will toward forbidden objects; covetousness
to wish for BDB: incline Usage: covet, (greatly) desire, be desirous, long, lust (after).
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 groups 2 Aligned forms 18
Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 11×
Jussive Prov 23:3 · Prov 23:6 · Prov 24:1 5×
Perfect Jer 17:16 · Num 11:4 · Prov 21:26 3×
Imperfect Deut 5:21 · Eccl 6:2 2×
Participle active Prov 13:4 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 7×
Imperfect 1Kgs 11:37 · 2Sam 3:21 · Deut 12:20 · Deut 14:26 4×
Perfect Job 23:13 · Mic 7:1 · Prov 21:10 3×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Desire; longing; that which the heart specifically craves or seeks after
Showing 1 selected witness from 28 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
אָוָה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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