Hebrew noun (feminine) · H160
אַהֲבָה
ahabaha-hab-aw
love
38 uses in the Hebrew text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key
Concordance spelling: ʼahăbâh
Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H160is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.
- 14 of 39Old Testament books
- 28spellings
The definition in full
Strong's key (1890) · H160
{affection (in a good or a bad sense)}
The King James renders it: love.
James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.
Summary
ahabah is rendered "love". It stands 38 times in the Hebrew text, across fourteen books.
- Eleven of the uses stand in Song of Solomon, more than in any other book.
- Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Genesis 29:20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.
- The Greek text spells it twenty-eight different ways.
The first use
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.
Genesis 29:20בְּאַהֲבָת֖וֹ
The first use, in the order of the Old Testament's books.
Where the word stands
Eleven of the word's thirty-eight uses are in Song of Solomon.
What the word means
Each meaning, and the words it is translated by
How the Greek text is glossed, word by word
- love9
- in love his5
- the love4
- love my2
- love of2
- more than love2
- and a love of1
- and love1
- as loves1
- because loves1
- by love her1
- for the love1
and 8 more, 38 uses in all
The words built on the same word-part
Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.
The words it stands beside
All 38, in canonical order
Every use, in order
Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.
28 spellings and their grammar
STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.
How it is spelled
- אַהֲבָ֖ה3
- אַהֲבָ֔ה3
- הָאַהֲבָ֖ה3
- אַהֲבָ֑ה2
- אַהֲבָֽה׃2
- בְּאַהֲבָת֖וֹ2
- בְּאַהֲבָת֥וֹ2
- אַהֲבָ֣ה1
- אַהֲבַ֥ת1
- אַהֲבַ֖ת1
- אַהֲבָתִ֥י1
- אַהֲבָתִֽי׃1
and 16 more spellings in the ledger below.
The grammar of each form
- noun · feminine singular11HNcfsa
- preposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singular5HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms
- the definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singular4HTd/Ncfsa
- preposition + noun · feminine singular3HR/Ncfsa
- preposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)3HR/Ncfsc
- noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)2HNcfsc
- noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singular2HNcfsc/Sp1bs
- conjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular1HC/Ncfsa
- conjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)1HC/Ncfsc
- noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singular1HNcfsc/Sp2ms
- noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine plural1HNcfsc/Sp3mp
- preposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person feminine singular1HR/Ncfsc/Sp3fs
Genesis
one use
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.
- בְּאַהֲבָת֖וֹbeahavatopreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: in love his
Deuteronomy
one use
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.
- מֵֽאַהֲבַ֨תmeahavatpreposition + verb · simple (qal), infinitive (“to…”)tagged: from love of
1 Samuel
three uses
Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
- בְּאַהֲבָת֥וֹbeahavatopreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: in love his
And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.
- בְּאַהֲבָת֖וֹbeahavatopreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: in love his
- אַהֲבַ֥תʾahavatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: love of
2 Samuel
three uses
I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother. You were delightful to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women.
- אַהֲבָֽתְךָ֙ʾahavatekhanoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: love your
- מֵאַהֲבַ֖תmeahavatpreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: more than love of
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!”
- מֵאַהֲבָ֖הmeahavahpreposition + noun · feminine singulartagged: more than love
1 Kings
one use
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.
- לְאַהֲבָֽה׃leahavahpreposition + noun · feminine singulartagged: to love
2 Chronicles
one use
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.”
- בְּאַהֲבַ֤תbeahavatpreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: because loves
Psalms
two uses
In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
- אַהֲבָתִ֥יʾahavatinoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: love my
They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
- אַהֲבָתִֽי׃ʾahavatinoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: love my
Proverbs
five uses
A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.
- בְּ֝אַהֲבָתָ֗הּbeahavatahpreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person feminine singulartagged: by love her
Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.
- אַהֲבָֽה׃ʾahavahnoun · feminine singulartagged: love
Better a dish of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred.
- וְאַהֲבָה־veahavah-conjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: and love
Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.
- אַהֲבָ֑הʾahavahnoun · feminine singulartagged: love
Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed.
- מֵֽאַהֲבָ֥הmeahavahpreposition + noun · feminine singulartagged: more than love
Ecclesiastes
two uses
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.
- אַהֲבָ֣הʾahavahnoun · feminine singulartagged: love
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.
- אַהֲבָתָ֧םʾahavatamnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: love their
Song of Solomon
eleven uses
He has brought me to the house of wine, and his banner over me is love.
- אַהֲבָֽה׃ʾahavahnoun · feminine singulartagged: love
Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.
- אַהֲבָ֖הʾahavahnoun · feminine singulartagged: love
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.
- הָאַהֲבָ֖הhaahavahthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the love
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.
- הָאַהֲבָ֖הhaahavahthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the love
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.
- אַהֲבָ֔הʾahavahnoun · feminine singulartagged: leather
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you, if you find my beloved, tell him I am sick with love.
- אַהֲבָ֖הʾahavahnoun · feminine singulartagged: love
How fair and pleasant you are, O love, with your delights!
- אַהֲבָ֖הʾahavahnoun · feminine singulartagged: O love
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
- הָאַהֲבָ֖הhaahavahthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the love
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.
- אַהֲבָ֔הʾahavahnoun · feminine singulartagged: love
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.
- הָֽאַהֲבָ֔הhaahavahthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the love
- בָּאַהֲבָ֔הbaahavahpreposition with the article + noun · feminine singulartagged: for the love
Isaiah
one use
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.
- בְּאַהֲבָת֥וֹbeahavatopreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: in love his
Jeremiah
three uses
“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.
- אַהֲבַ֖תʾahavatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: love of
How skillfully you pursue love! Even the most immoral of women could learn from your ways.
- אַהֲבָ֑הʾahavahnoun · feminine singulartagged: love
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.
- וְאַהֲבַ֤תveahavatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and a love of
Hosea
three uses
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.”
- כְּאַהֲבַ֤תkeahavatpreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: as loves
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.
- אַהֲבָתָ֔םʾahavatamverb · simple (qal), infinitive (“to…”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: to love 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.
- אַהֲבָ֔הʾahavahnoun · feminine singulartagged: love
Zephaniah
one use
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.”
- בְּאַ֣הֲבָת֔וֹbeahavatopreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: in love his
Where it leads
Studies that open this word2
How the numbers are counted
Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.
Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.
The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.