Lexical Definition

‎אָהַב‎ ʼâhab (aw-hab') to love: lover ^H:V
or אָהֵב ʼâhêb (aw-habe') ; a primitive root

(be-) love(-d, -ly, -r), like, friend.

• to have affection for (sexually or otherwise)

1) to love
1a) (Qal)
1a1) human love for another, includes family, and sexual
1a2) human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom
1a3) human love for or to God
1a4) act of being a friend
1a4a) lover (participle)
1a4b) friend (participle)
1a5) God's love toward man
1a5a) to individual men
1a5b) to people Israel
1a5c) to righteousness
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) lovely (participle)
1b2) loveable (participle)
1c) (Piel)
1c1) friends
1c2) lovers (fig. of adulterers)
2) to like

See Greek: ἀγαπάω · ἀγαπάω · ἀγαπητός · γεωργός · ἐνοικέω · ἔχω · ζητέω · κρατέω · φιλέω · φιλία · φίλος · χαίρω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎אָהֵב‎₂₁₆ verb love —

Qal Perfect ‎אָהֵ֑ב‎ Gen 27:9 + 7 t; ‎אָשֵהבּ‎ Gen 27:14 ‎אָהַב‎ Gen 37:3 + 3 t.; ‎אֲֵ˜הבָךָ‎ Deut 15:16 3 feminine singular ‎אָֽהֲבָה‎ Song 1:7 +, etc.; Imperfect ‎(הָֿ֑ב) יֶאֱהַב‎ Prov 3:12 +; 1 singular ‎אֵהָ֑ב‎ Prov 8:17 (compare Ew^{§ 192 d} Ges^{«GKC:68»§ 68}. 1); ‎וָָֽאֹהַ֖ב‎ Mal 1:2 ‎וָאֹהֲבֵהוּ‎ Hos 11:1 ‎אֹהֲבֵם‎ Hos 14:5* ‎וָאֹהֲבֵם‎ Ps 119:167 2 masculine plural ‎תְּאֵהֲבוּ‎ Prov 1:22 (compare Kö^{I p. 394} Ges^{«GKC:63»§ 63} R 2); ‎תֶּאֱהָ֑בוּ‎ Zech 8:17 ‎תָּאֱהָבוּן‎ Ps 4:3* Imperative ‎אֱהַבֿ‎ Hos 3:1 ‎אֱהָבֶהָ‎ Prov 4:6 ‎אֶהֱבוּ‎ Ps 31:24*; Amos 5:15 ‎אֱהָ֑בוּ‎ Zech 8:19 Infinitive construct ‎אֱהֹב‎ Eccl 3:8 ‎אַהֲבָה‎ Deut 10:12 +; ‎אֲהֲבַת‎ Mic 6:8 + etc.; compare also below
n. ‎אהבה‎ below; Participle ‎אֹהֵב‎ (‎אוֺהֵב‎) Deut 10:18 + 26 t.; feminine construct ‎אֲהֻבַת‎ Hos 3:1 is probably active compare Ba^{NB 174 ff}; suffix ‎אֹהֲבִי‎ Isa 41:8 etc.; feminine ‎אֹהֶ֫בֶת‎ Gen 25:28 ‎אֹהַ֫בְתִּי‎ Hos 10:11 etc.; Passive participle ‎אָהוּב‎ Neh 13:26 ‎אֲהוּבָה‎ Deut 21:15 (twice in verse); Deut 21:16. — love (mostly with accusative, followed by ‎לְ‎ + object Lev 19:18; Lev 19:34; 2Chr 19:2 (late), followed by ‎בְּ‎ Eccl 5:9* absolute Eccl 3:8 & see below), (affection both pure & impure, divine & human); —

1. human love to human object; absolute, opposed to hate ‎שָׂנֵא‎ Eccl 3:8 of love to son Gen 22:2; Gen 25:28; Gen 37:3; Gen 37:4; Gen 44:20 (JE) Prov 13:24 so also 2Sam 13:21 ᵐ5 Ew Th We, compare Dr, of David's loving Amnon; never to parent, but mother-in-law Ruth 4:15 of man's love to woman; wife Gen 24:67; Gen 29:20; Gen 29:30 (compare vGen 29:18):32 (JE), also Deut 21:15 (twice in verse); Deut 21:16; Judg 14:16; 1Sam 1:5; 2Chr 11:21; Esth 2:17; Hos 3:1; Eccl 9:9 but also Gen 34:3 (J) Judg 16:4; Judg 16:15; 2Sam 13:1; 2Sam 13:4; 2Sam 13:15 (where of carnal desire) 1Kgs 11:1 compare v1Kgs 11:2; Hos 3:1 ‎רֵעַ‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ loving a paramour, see Ba^{NB 176}; woman's love to man 1Sam 18:20 (so v1Sam 18:28 ᵑ0, but read ‎וְבִי כָליִֿשְׂרָאֵל אֹהֵב אֹתוֺ‎ ᵐ5 We Dr) Song 1:3; Song 1:4; Song 1:7; Song 3:1; Song 3:2; Song 3:3; Song 3:4 (5 t. subject ‎נַפְשִׁי‎); compare also figurative of adulterous Judah Jer 2:25; Isa 57:8; Ezek 16:37 of love of slave to master Exod 21:5 (JE) Deut 15:16 inferior to superior 1Sam 18:22 compare v1Sam 18:16 love to neighbour Lev 19:18 (‎וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֺ֑ךָ‎), partic to stranger Lev 19:34 (both P), Deut 10:18; Deut 10:19 love of friend to friend 1Sam 16:21; 1Sam 18:1; 1Sam 18:3; 1Sam 20:17 (twice in verse); Job 19:19; Prov 17:1 compare 2Sam 19:7* (twice in verse); 2Chr 19:2 see also Prov 9:8; Prov 16:13 compare Prov 15:12 see especially Participle below

2. less often of appetite, object food, Gen 27:7; Gen 27:9; Gen 27:14 (JE); drink Hos 3:1; Prov 21:17 husbandry 2Chr 26:10 compare figurative of Ephraim Hos 10:11 followed by infinitive; length of life Ps 34:13* of cupidity Hos 9:1; 1Sam 1:23; Eccl 5:9* (twice in verse); of love of sleep Prov 20:13 compare figurative of sluggish watchmen (followed by infinitive) Isa 56:10 also with object abstract wisdom (personified), knowledge, righteousness, etc. Prov 4:6; Prov 8:17; Prov 8:21; Prov 12:1; Prov 22:11; Prov 29:3; Amos 5:15; Mic 6:8 (infinitive || infinitives) Zech 8:19, compare Prov 19:8 ‎קֹנֶה לֵב אֹהֵב נַפְשׁוֺ‎; object folly, evil, etc., Mic 3:2; Mic 4:3; Ps 11:5; Ps 52:5*; Ps 52:6*; Ps 109:17; Prov 1:22; Prov 8:36; Prov 17:19 (twice in verse), compare Prov 18:21; Zech 8:17, compare ‎כֵּן‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ Amos 4:5; Jer 5:3, followed by Infinitive Hos 12:8*; Jer 14:10, especially of idolatry Hos 4:13 (where strike out ‎הֵבוּ‎ compare Kö^{1. p. 395}) Jer 8:2.

3. love to God Exod 20:6 (JE) elsewhere Hexateuch only Deut 5:10; Deut 6:5; Deut 7:9 + 9 t. Deuteronomy + Josh 22:5; Josh 23:11 also Judg 5:31; 1Kgs 3:3; Neh 1:5; Dan 9:4 especially in (late) Ps 31:24*; Ps 116:1; Ps 145:20, but usually followed by name, law, etc. of ‎׳‎‎י‎ Ps 5:12*; Ps 26:8; Ps 40:17*; Ps 69:37*; Ps 70:5*; Ps 97:10; Ps 119:47 + 11 t. Ps 119 compare Isa 56:6 compare also of love to Jerusalem Isa 66:10; Ps 122:6.

4. especially Participle ‎אֹהֵב‎ =
(a) lover, Lam 1:2 (figurative of Jerusalem);
(b) friend Hiram of David 1Kgs 5:15*, compare Jer 20:4; Jer 20:6; Esth 5:10; Esth 5:14; Esth 6:13; Ps 38:12* (|| ‎רֵעַ‎) so Ps 88:19*, Prov 14:20 also Prov 18:24; Prov 27:6 Abraham of God Isa 41:8; 2Chr 20:7.

5. of divine love
(a) to individual men Deut 4:37; 2Sam 12:24; Prov 3:12; Prov 15:9; Ps 146:8; Neh 13:26
(b) to people Israel, etc. Deut 7:8; Deut 7:13; Deut 23:6*; Hos 3:1; Hos 9:15; Hos 11:1; Hos 14:5*; 1Kgs 10:9; 2Chr 2:10*; 2Chr 9:8; 2Chr 48:14; (3 t. in verse); Ps 47:5* to Jerusalem Ps 78:68; Ps 87:2
(c) to righteousness, etc. Ps 11:7; Ps 33:5; Ps 37:28; Ps 45:8*; Ps 99:4; Isa 61:8; Mal 2:11. Niph`al Participle plural ‎הַנֶּאֱהָבִים‎ 2Sam 1:23 lovely, loveable of Saul & Jonath. (|| ‎הַנְּעִימִם‎). Pi`el Participle plural suffix ‎(בָֿ֑י) מְאַהֲבַי‎ Hos 2:7* + 3 t.; ‎(בָֿ֑יִח) מְאַהֲבַיִח‎ Jer 22:20 + 6 t.; ‎מְאַהֲבֶיהָ‎ Hos 2:9* + 4 t.

1. friends Zech 13:6

2. lovers in figure of adulterous Israel Hos 2:7*; Hos 2:9*; Hos 2:12*; Hos 2:14*; Hos 2:15*; Ezek 23:5; Ezek 23:9 Judah Jer 22:20; Jer 22:22; Jer 30:14; Lam 1:19; Ezek 16:33; Ezek 16:36; Ezek 16:37; Ezek 23:22.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References