Job 33:20 — Word Study
WLCוְזִֽהֲמַ֣תּוּ חַיָּת֣וֹ לָ֑חֶם וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מַאֲכַ֥ל תַּאֲוָֽה׃
BSAso that hechay detestszâham△■ [abhorreth, feels strong dislike for] his breadlechem [food, especially grain] and his soulnephesh [the essence of a person, living being] [loathes] his favoritetaʼăvâh [has a strong dislike for, nauseated by] foodmaʼăkâl [dainty meat, desirable dishes]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְזִֽהֲמַ֣תּוּ | and it loathes it | Verb piel sequential perfect third person feminine singular, suffix |
| חַיָּת֣וֹ | life his | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| לָ֑חֶם | bread | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ | and self his | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| מַאֲכַ֥ל | food of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| תַּאֲוָֽה׃ | desire | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food. |
| KJV | So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. |
| ASV | So that his life abhorreth bread, And his soul dainty food. |
| YLT | And his life hath nauseated bread, And his soul desirable food. |
| WEB | so that his life abhors bread, and his soul dainty food. |
| BBE | He has no desire for food, and his soul is turned away from delicate meat; |
Where they part company is זָהַם — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured around a main clause with two subordinate phrases, illustrating the impact of suffering on both bread and the soul.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 6 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 33:20
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Job's Reflection on Sufferinggenerated
Job 33:20 illustrates how physical suffering can lead to a total aversion to food, highlighting the connection between body and soul. The surrounding verses depict the broader context of affliction, where pain affects not just the body but also the spirit, leading to a profound sense of despair and loss of desire for life's essentials.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 107:17–18 | Fools, in their rebellious ways, and through their iniquities, suffered affliction. |
| 2 | Genesis 3:6 | When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 3:19 | Then I said, ‘How I long to make you My sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations!’ I thought you would call Me ‘Father’ and never turn away from following Me. |
| 4 | Amos 5:11 | Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact from him a tax of grain, you will never live in the stone houses you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — זָהַם, zahavgenerated
The verb זָהַם (zahav) means to loathe or feel a strong dislike, particularly in the context of food. It is a Piel form, indicating a causative action of loathing, which emphasizes the negative feelings associated with the act of eating.
This word captures the essence of a person’s reaction to their suffering, where even the most basic sustenance becomes repulsive. The lexicons highlight its strong negative connotation, showing that this loathing is not casual but deeply rooted in the experience of distress.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations generally agree on the meaning of זָהַם, with the BSB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE all conveying the sense of loathing or strong dislike for food.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is זָהַם, to loathe, which governs the subject and object in the sentence. The structure highlights the relationship between the subject's suffering and their reaction to food, emphasizing how suffering alters one's perception of even the most basic needs.
The sentence is constructed to show a cause-and-effect relationship, where the pain leads to a loathing of food, illustrating the depth of despair experienced by the individual.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint uses the Greek word δὲ (de), which serves as a conjunction, indicating a continuation of thought rather than a direct translation of the Hebrew verb. This choice may suggest a broader interpretation of the emotional state rather than a strict translation of the loathing.
The Greek rendering does not capture the specific intensity of the Hebrew verb, indicating a potential widening of the meaning in the context of suffering.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 33:20 describes how a person in pain can lose their appetite, detesting even their favorite foods. This verse illustrates the deep connection between physical suffering and emotional distress, showing how one’s state of being can affect their desire for nourishment.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To loathe food means to have a strong dislike or disgust for it, often as a result of physical or emotional distress, as seen in Job 33:20.
Suffering can lead to a loss of appetite as the body and soul are deeply interconnected, causing even favorite foods to become unappealing.
Yes, it is common for people experiencing distress or pain to lose their desire for food, reflecting the profound impact of emotional and physical states on basic needs.
Other verses, such as Psalm 107:17-18, also discuss how affliction can lead to a dislike for food.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I respond to physical or emotional pain in my own life?
- What are some ways I can support others who are struggling with loss of appetite or similar issues?
- In what ways can I find comfort and nourishment during difficult times?
- How can I better understand the connection between my emotional state and my physical needs?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers, such as Gregory the Dialogist, reference this verse to discuss the nature of suffering and its effects on desire and appetite.
His bread becomes abominable to him in his lips, and to his soul the food which before it desired. As if he were to say in so many words;Early Church Fathers on Job 33 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 33:20 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleSo that his life abhorreth bread,.... Through the force of pain he loses his appetite for food, and even a nausea of it takes place; he loathes it as the most abominable and filthy thing that can be
Read John Gill on Job 33 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentarySo that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. Life - i:e., the appetite, which ordinarily sustains, "life" (Job 38:39, margin; see Psalms 107:18, "Their soul abhorreth all manner of
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 33 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHis life, i.e. his soul, as the next clause explains it; or his appetite, which is a sign and an act of life. Bread, i.e. common and necessary food. Dainty meat; such as others do, and he formerly did, much desire and prize.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 33 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 33:20 So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.Ver. 20. So that his life abhorreth bread] Which is the staff of man’ s life, and by the Latins called panis, of the Greek ðáí, as if it were all in all. This the sick man velut sordidum abominatur, abhorreth as some filthy thing, so the original word here signifieth; he nauseateth and cannot away with it, though made of the kidneys of wheat, as Moses phraseth it; he brooks it no better than if it were made of sawdust, or mixed with gravel, or made with man’ s dung, as that in Ezekiel. And his soul dainty meat] Heb. Meats of desire. Those dainties which he once sought so passionately, and fed upon so eagerly, he finds no…
Read John Trapp on Job 33 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 20. His life abhorreth bread] These expressions strongly and naturally point out that general nausea, or loathing which sick persons feel in almost every species of disorder.
Read AdamClarke on Job 33 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges20. his life] Or, desire (appetite, ch. Job 38:39). The words mean lit. his desire maketh him abhor.
Read Cambridge on Job 33 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleSo that his life abhorreth bread - It is a common effect of sickness to take away the appetite. Elihu here regards it as a part of the wholesome discipline of the sufferer. He has no relish for the comforts of life.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 33 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible20. His life abhorreth bread — A marked feature of the elephantiasis, to which Elihu alludes — the life, hhayyah, and the soul, nephesh, loathe that which is palatable in a condition of health.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 33 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food.
so that his life abhors bread, and his soul dainty food.
so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food.
so that his life loathes food, and his soul rejects appetizing fare.
Tyndale line
So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.
So that his life abhorreth bread, And his soul dainty food.
So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.
So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty food.
So that his life causeth him to abhorre bread, and his soule daintie meate.
Strictly literal
And his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty food;
And his life hath nauseated bread, And his soul desirable food.
And his life has nauseated bread, || And his soul desirable food.
So that his inclination abhorreth bread, and his soul, the most agreeable food.
so that his life abhors food, and his soul abhors delicacies.
From the Latin
Bread becometh abominable to him in his life, and to his soul the meat which before he desired.
Simplified
They have no desire to eat; they do not even want their favorite dishes.
He has no desire for food, and his soul is turned away from delicate meat;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint generally agree in their rendering of the verse, with four out of six words matched. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ, reflecting its own syntactical structure while maintaining the core message of the Hebrew.
וְזִֽהֲמַ֣תּוּ חַיָּת֣וֹ לָ֑חֶם וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מַאֲכַ֥ל תַּאֲוָֽה׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 33:20
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
זָהַם (zahav) is a Hebrew verb meaning to loathe or be foul. It is a primitive root that appears primarily in the Piel form, indicating a causative action of loathing. The entries consistently emphasize its negative connotation, focusing on the idea of abhorrence.
[זָהַם] vb. be foul, loathsome, but only Pi., causat.
base
H2092 זָהַם
2092 zaham zaw-ham'
a primitive root; to be rancid, i.e. (transitively) to
loathe:--abhor.
זָהַם (za.ham) — to loathe.
(Piel) to loathe, be foul, be loathsome
Conj | V-Piel-Perf-3fs | Suff — Verb piel sequential perfect third person feminine singular · suffixHc/Vpq3fs/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word חַי (*chay*) means 'alive' or 'living' and covers a range of meanings related to life, including living beings, vitality, and freshness. It can refer to God, animals, vegetation, and even concepts like appetite and community. Variants include חַיָּה (*chayyah*), meaning 'living thing' or 'animal,' and חַיִּים (*chayim*), which emphasizes life and sustenance.
חַי adj. alive, living
of God, as the living one, the fountain of life
of man
of animals, alive, living
animals and man
(dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green
of water, fresh
(dub.) lively, active
reviving
base
[חַי] n.[m.] kinsfolk, pl. sf. 1 S 18:18
ref
חַיָּה n.f. living thing, animal
animal
in general
wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity
living beings, of the cherubic chariot
life, only in late poetry
appetite, activity of hunger
revival, renewal
base
חַיָּה n.f. community
base
חַיִּים n.m. pl. abstr. emph. life
life: physical
life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence
sustenance, maintenance
base
H2416a חַי alive, living . . of God, as the living one, the fountain of life
. of man
. of animals, alive, living
. animals and man
. (dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green
. of water, fresh
. (dub.) lively, active
. reviving
H2416b חַי kinsfolk H2416c חַיָּה living thing, animal . animal . in general
. wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity
. living beings, of the cherubic chariot
. life, only in late poetry
. appetite, activity of hunger
. revival, renewal
H2416d חַיָּה community H2416e חַיִּים pl. abstr. emph. life . life: physical
. life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence
. sustenance, maintenance
2416 chay khah'-ee
from 2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water,
year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine
singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether
literally or figuratively:--+ age, alive, appetite, (wild)
beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living
(creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be)
old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.
see HEBREW for 02421
חַי (chay) — alive.
adj
1) living, alive
1a) green (of vegetation)
1b) flowing, fresh (of water)
1c) lively, active (of man)
1d) reviving (of the springtime)
Aramaic equivalent: chay (חַי "living" H2417)
חַי (chay) — kinsfolk.
kinsfolk
חַיָּה (chay.yah) — living thing.
1) living thing, animal
1a) animal
1b) life
1c) appetite
1d) revival, renewal
Aramaic equivalent: che.va (חֵיוָא "beast" H2423)
חַיָּה (chay.yah) — community.
community
חַיִּים (chay.yim) — life.
1) life (abstract emphatic)
1a) life
1b) sustenance, maintenance
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp3ms
לֶ֫חֶם (lechem) means bread or food, encompassing items like grain and provisions for both humans and animals. It is derived from a related root and is used in various contexts, particularly in the Old Testament. The entries consistently emphasize its primary association with bread, though they also acknowledge its broader meaning as food.
לֶ֫חֶם 296 n.m. and (rarely) f. bread, food
base
H3899 לֶ֫חֶם bread, food
3899 lechem lekh'-em
from 3898; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or
grain (for making it):--((shew-))bread, X eat, food, fruit,
loaf, meat, victuals. See also 1036.
see HEBREW for 03898
see HEBREW for 01036
לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food.
: food(eating)
1) bread, food, grain
1a) bread
1a1) bread
1a2) bread-corn
1b) food (in general)
לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food: bread.
: bread/loaf
1) bread, food, grain
1a) bread
1a1) bread
1a2) bread-corn
1b) food (in general)
לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food: allowance.
: allowance
1) bread, food, grain
1a) bread
1a1) bread
1a2) bread-corn
1b) food (in general)
N-cs — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
bred (lechem; artos):
I. DIETARY PREEMINENCE
II. MATERIALS
1. Barley
2. Wheat
3. Three Kinds of Flour
III. BREAD-MAKING
1. Grinding
2. Kneading
3. Baking
(1) Hot Stones
(2) Baking Pans
4. Ovens
(1) The Bowl-Oven
(2) The Jar-Oven
(3) The Pit-Oven
5. Forms of Baked Bread
6. Work for Women
IV. SANCTITY AND SYMBOLISM OF BREAD
1. Sanctity
2. Symbolism
LITERATURE
The art of bread-making is very ancient. It was even known to the Egyptians at a very early day (Wilkinson, Ancient Egyptians), to the Hebrews of the Exodus (Nowack, Lehrbuch der hebr. Archaologie) and, of course, to the Greeks and Romans of a later day. Bread played a large part in the vocabulary and in the life of the ancient Hebrews.
I. Dietary Preeminence.
(1) In the East bread is primary, other articles of food merely accessory; while in the West meat and other things chiefly constitute the meal, and bread is merely secondary. Accordingly "bread" in…
Bread
Among the Jews was generally made of wheat (Ex. 29:2; Judg. 6:19), though also sometimes of other grains (Gen. 14:18; Judg. 7:13). Parched grain was sometimes used for food without any other preparation (Ruth 2:14).
Bread was prepared by kneading in wooden bowls or “kneading troughs” (Gen. 18:6; Ex. 12:34; Jer. 7:18). The dough was mixed with leaven and made into thin cakes, round or oval, and then baked. The bread eaten at the Passover was always…
The preparation of bread as an article of food dates from a very early period. (Genesis 18:6) The corn or grain employed was of various sorts. The best bread was made of wheat, but "barley" and spelt were also used. (John 6:9,13; Isaiah 28:25) The process of making bread was as follows: the flour was first mixed with water or milk; it was then kneaded with the hands (in Egypt with the feet also) in a small wooden bowl or "kneading-trough" until it became dough. (Exodus 12:34,39; 2 Samuel 13:3; Jeremiah 7:18) When the kneading was completed, leaven was generally added [LEAVEN]; but when the time for preparation was short…
A word which in Scripture is often put for food in general, Ge 3:19 18:5 28:20 Ex 2:20 Le 11:3. Manna is called bread from heaven, Ex 16:4. Bread, in the proper and literal sense, usually means cakes made of wheaten flour; barely being used chiefly by the poor and for feeding horses. The wheat was ground daily, in small stone mills; the flour was made into dough in a wooden trough, and subsequently leavened, Ex 12:34 Ho 7:4. It was then made into cakes, and baked.
The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.
נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
The נפשׁ becomes a living being
The נפשׁ is specif.
The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
נ׳ in D
base
H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
. The נפשׁ becomes a living being
. The נפשׁ is specif.
. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
. נ׳ in D
5315 nephesh neh'-fesh
from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of
(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,
accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,
appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,
X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),
(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,
mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,
thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,
thing, (X she) will, X would have it.
see HEBREW for 05314
נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.
1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
1b) living being
1c) living being (with life in the blood)
1d) the man himself, self, person or individual
1e) seat of the appetites
1f) seat of emotions and passions
1g) activity of mind
1g1) uncertain
1h) activity of the will
1h1) uncertain
1i) activity of the character
1i1) uncertain
נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.
1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
1b) living being
1c) living being (with life in the blood)
1d) the man himself, self, person or individual
1e) seat of the appetites
1f) seat of emotions and passions
1g) activity of mind
Conj | N-cs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms
מַאֲכָל (ma'akal) means 'food' and encompasses a range of edibles including fruit, meat, and provisions. It is derived from the root word for eating. The term appears in contexts related to nourishment, as noted in Judges 14:14.
מַאֲכָל 30 n.m. Ju 14:14 (f. Hb 1:16) food
base
H3978 מַאֲכָל food
3978 ma'akal mah-ak-awl'
from 398; an eatable (includ. provender, flesh and
fruit):--food, fruit, ((bake-)) meat(-s), victual.
see HEBREW for 0398
מַאֲכָל (ma.a.khal) — food.
food, fruit, meat
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
תַּאֲוָה (ta'avah) means 'desire' and encompasses a range of meanings including longing, appetite, and covetousness. It can refer to both a subjective feeling of satisfaction and an objective charm or delight. The term is used in various contexts, sometimes with negative connotations such as lust or greed.
תַּאֲוָה n.f. desire
thing desired
base
H8378 תַּאֲוָה desire
8378 ta'avah tah-av-aw'
from 183 (abbreviated); a longing; by implication, a delight
(subjectively, satisfaction, objectively, a charm):--dainty,
desire, X exceedingly, X greedily, lust(ing), pleasant. See
also 6914.
see HEBREW for 0183
see HEBREW for 06914
תַּאֲוָה (ta.a.vah) — desire.
1) desire
1a) desire, wish, longings of one's heart
1a1) lust, appetite, covetousness (bad sense)
1b) thing desired, object of desire
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
de-zir': The verb "to desire" in the Scriptures usually means "to long for," "to ask for," "to demand," and may be used in a good or bad sense (compare De 7:25 the King James Version). the Revised Version (British and American) frequently renders the more literal meaning of the Hebrew. Compare Job 20:20, "delight"; Pr 21:20, "precious"; Ps 40:6, "delight"; aiteo (except Col 1:9), and erotao (except Lu 7:36) are rendered "to ask" and zeteo, "to seek" (compare Lu 9:9 et. al.). The Hebrew kacaph, literally, "to lose in…
→ SPIRITUAL De 4:29; Ps 9:1; 17:1; 22:26; 24:6; 25:5,15; 27:8,14; 33:20; 34:10; 37:4,7,9,34; 39:12; 40:1,8; 42:1-11; 51:1-17; 62:1; 63:1,8; 68:28; 69:3,32; 70:4; 81:10; 84:2; 86:11,12,16; 94:19; 105:4; 118:17; 119:2,10,20,40,77,88,116,117,122,133,149,156; 123:1,2; 130:5,6; 143:5,6; Pr 2:3-5; 8:17,34; Isa 8:17,19; 26:8,9; 40:31; 55:1,2,6; Jer 29:13; La 3:25,26,41; Ho 10:12; Hab 3:2; Mt 5:6;