הַוָּה
hav.vah (H1942)
desire
AI Word Study
# Haváh: Desire in Biblical Hebrew The Hebrew word *haváh* (Strong's H1942) denotes desire or longing in biblical texts. With sixteen occurrences throughout the Hebrew Bible, this term carries the sense of wanting or craving something, though the lexicon data provided does not specify whether this desire is inherently positive, negative, or morally neutral in its basic meaning. The term appears with sufficient frequency to suggest it was a recognized vocabulary item for expressing the concept of human wanting. Without access to specific contextual examples from the provided data, the precise range of *haváh's* applications—whether it describes physical appetite, emotional yearning, material ambition, or spiritual longing—cannot be determined with certainty. Similarly, the lexicon entry does not clarify whether the word carries particular theological weight or whether it appears predominantly in particular biblical genres or historical periods. The relatively modest number of occurrences (sixteen) indicates this was not among the most frequently used Hebrew terms for desire, suggesting authors may have preferred other vocabulary options depending on nuance or context. The existence and documentation of *haváh* in biblical vocabulary confirms that ancient Hebrew speakers had a distinct lexical resource for expressing the concept of desire, though fuller understanding of its specific connotations and usage patterns would require examination of its individual occurrences within biblical passages.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
“Oh that my anguish were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances!
Is there injustice on my tongue? Can’t my taste discern mischievous things?
They mar my path. They promote my destruction without anyone’s help.
For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their heart is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb. They flatter with their tongue.
They also who seek after my life lay snares. Those who seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and meditate deceits all day long.
Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
“Behold, this is the man who didn’t make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
Destructive forces are within her. Threats and lies don’t depart from her streets.
Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me, for my soul takes refuge in you. Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed.
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence.
Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with you, which brings about mischief by statute?
Yahweh will not allow the soul of the righteous to go hungry, but he thrusts away the desire of the wicked.
The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but the unfaithful will be trapped by evil desires.
An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
A foolish son is the calamity of his father. A wife’s quarrels are a continual dripping.
Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.