תַּאֲוָה
ta.a.vah (H8378)
desire
AI Word Study
# Ta'avah: Desire in Biblical Hebrew The Hebrew word *ta'avah* (תַּאֲוָה) denotes "desire" and appears twenty times throughout the biblical text. This substantive term captures the concept of longing or craving—a fundamental human impulse expressed across diverse contexts in scripture. The word's consistent translation as "desire" across its occurrences suggests a semantic stability, though the specific objects of desire and their moral valences likely vary depending on context. With only twenty occurrences, *ta'avah* represents a relatively specialized vocabulary choice rather than the most common Hebrew term for wanting or wishing. This limited frequency suggests the biblical authors employed it selectively, perhaps to emphasize particular kinds of yearning. The word appears significant enough to warrant its own lexical entry distinct from other desire-related terms, indicating that Hebrew speakers recognized something distinctive about the type of longing *ta'avah* describes—possibly an intensity or particularity of desire that warranted its own linguistic marker. Understanding *ta'avah* requires examining its specific biblical contexts to determine whether the desire it describes is presented as natural human aspiration, sinful craving, or something contextually dependent. The provided data alone establishes only that this word was the biblical writers' chosen term for expressing desire, making it a meaningful window into how ancient Hebrew conceptualized and discussed human longing.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate. Then she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too.
The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly; and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, “Who will give us meat to eat?
For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy and condemns Yahweh.
Yahweh, you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear,
You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips.
So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.
They didn’t turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,
but gave in to craving in the desert, and tested God in the wasteland.
The wicked will see it, and be grieved. He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away. The desire of the wicked will perish.
What the wicked fear, will overtake them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
The desire of the righteous is only good. The expectation of the wicked is wrath.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.
Longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil.
A man who isolates himself pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.
That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness. A poor man is better than a liar.
The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.
There are those who covet greedily all day long; but the righteous give and don’t withhold.
Yes, in the way of your judgments, Yahweh, we have waited for you. Your name and your renown are the desire of our soul.