---
title: הַוָּה — desire · The Tanakh dictionary
description: הַוָּה (lemma:הַוָּה), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 13 times: desire. BDB 1906: n.f. 1.desire chasm destruction. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# הַוָּה

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«הַוָּה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **desire** — 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:** 13 times · **Key:** lemma:הַוָּה · **BDB:** הַוָּה

### Glosses

destruction(s) (5); destruction (3); of.destruction(s) (3)

### Meaning (OSHB)

desire [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1492/lemma_3a_5d4_5b7_5d5_5b8_5bc_5d4/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. 1.desire chasm destruction [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1492/lemma_3a_5d4_5b7_5d5_5b8_5bc_5d4/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. 1.desire; 2. chasm, fig. destruction (cf. هَوًى desire, هَوَاءٌ atmosphere, emptiness, هَاوِيَةٌ a deep pit, hell (cf. sub הָוָה); Aramaic ܗܰܘܬܴܐ gulf, chasm (Lu 16:26 𝔖)) cstr. הַוַּת Mi 7:3 +, sf. הַוָּתִי Jb 6:2 +, pl. הַוּוֹת ψ 5:10 +;— desire (in bad sense) Mi 7:3 דֹּבֵר הַוַּת נַפְשׁוֹ speaketh the desire of his soul, Pr 10:3 הַוַּת רְשָׁעִים, 11:6 ה׳ בֹּגְדִים, ψ 52:9 יָעֹז בְּהַוָּתוֹ became strong through his (evil) desire (but read rather with 𝔖 𝔗 Lag Gr Bi Che Now בְּהוֹנוֹ: ‖ בְּעָשְׁרוֹ). engulfing ruin, destruction Jb 6:2 Qr 30:13 (cf. Baer’s note) הַוָּתִי of Job’s great calamity; pl. (intens.) הַוּוֹת, especially as wrought, or meditated, by one against another, ψ 5:10 קִרְבָּם הַוּוֹת their inward part is windy chasm (‖ קבר), 38:13 דִּבְּרוּ הַוּוֹת, 52:4 ה׳ תַּחְשֹׁב לְשׁוֹנְךָ (cf. Pr 17:4 לְשׁוֹן הַוּוֹת), 55:12 ה׳ בְּקִרְבָּהּ, 57:2 עַד יַעֲבֹר ה׳ till the storm of ruin (Che) pass by, 91:3 דֶּבֶר ה׳ destructive pestilence, 94:20 כִּסֵּא ה׳ the seat (tribunal) of destruction (i.e. which ruins the innocent by injustice), Pr 19:13 a foolish son is הַוּוֹת לְאָבָיו, Jb 6:30 (cf. v 2 supr.)

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 12 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses (9 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (8 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «הַוָּה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1492/lemma_3a_5d4_5b7_5d5_5b8_5bc_5d4/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 52:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.52.4/)

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הַ֭וּוֹת תַּחְשֹׁ֣ב לְשׁוֹנֶ֑ךָ כְּתַ֥עַר מְ֝לֻטָּ֗שׁ עֹשֵׂ֥ה רְמִיָּֽה׃

*Word for word:* destruction(s) it.plots tongue your like a.razor sharpened O.\[you.who\].do (of).deceit

*JPS 1917:* Thy tongue deviseth destruction; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

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[Psalms 94:20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.94.20/)

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הַֽ֭יְחָבְרְךָ כִּסֵּ֣א הַוּ֑וֹת יֹצֵ֖ר עָמָ֣ל עֲלֵי־חֹֽק׃

*Word for word:* will it be.joined.to.you? a.throne of.destruction(s) \[one.who\].fashions mischief on a.decree

*JPS 1917:* Shall the seat of wickedness have fellowship with Thee, which frameth mischief by statute?

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