---
title: אַהֲבָה — love · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אַהֲבָה (160), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 34 times: love. BDB 1906: n.f. love. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אַהֲבָה

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«אַהֲבָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **love** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 34 times · **Key:** 160 · **BDB:** אַהֲבָה

### Glosses

love (19); of.love (3); he (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

love [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/160/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. love [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/160/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. love (= Inf. of אהב q.v.)—abs. א׳ Pr 10:12 + 18 times; cstr. אַהֲבַת Je 2:2 + 3 times; sf. אַהֲבָתִי ψ 109:4, 5; אַהֲבָֽתְךָ 2 S 1:26; אַהֲבָתוֹ Is 63:9 Zp 3:17; אַהֲבָתָהּ Pr 5:19; אַהֲבָתָם Ec 9:6—love, especially WisdLt \& late. human (to human obj.) abs. Ec 9:1, 6 (both ‖ שִׂנְאָה) so Pr 10:12; 15:17 cf. 27:5; v. also 17:9; of man toward man ψ 109:4, 5; love for one’s self (נַפְשׁוֹ) 1 S 20:17; between man \& woman Ct 2:4, 5; 5:8; 8:6, 7(×2); Pr 5:19 cf. also 2 S 1:26 (א׳ נָשִׁים); personif. Ct 2:7; 3:5; 7:7; 8:4; cf. fig. use 3:10; of mere sexual desire 2 S 13:15; fig. of Jerusalem’s love to י׳ Je 2:2 (א׳ כַּלוּלֹתַיִךְ), \& of love of adulter. Jerus. v 33. God’s love to his people Ho 11:4 (עֲבֹתוֹת א׳) Je 31:3 Is 63:9 Zp 3:17.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 28 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (1 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «אַהֲבָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/160/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 27:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.27.5/)

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ט֭וֹבָהתּוֹכַ֣חַת מְגֻלָּ֑ה מֵֽאַהֲבָ֥ה מְסֻתָּֽרֶת׃

*Word for word:* \[is\].good rebuke uncovered more than.love hidden

*JPS 1917:* Better is open rebuke than love that is hidden.

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[Psalms 109:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.109.4/)

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תַּֽחַת־אַהֲבָתִ֥י יִשְׂטְנ֗וּנִי וַאֲנִ֥י תְפִלָּֽה׃

*Word for word:* in.place.of love my they accuse.me and I \[am\].prayer

*JPS 1917:* In return for my love they are my adversaries; but I am all prayer.

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