H0014 H0014
To be willing, consent; expressing volitional readiness or deliberate agreement, very often negated.
A verb of the will, expressing someone's inner readiness -- or far more often, stubborn refusal -- to act. Remarkably, the vast majority of its occurrences appear with a negative particle: 'he was not willing.' Pharaoh 'would not' let Israel go (Exod 10:27); Israel 'would not' go up to the land (Deut 1:26); Nabal 'would not' listen (1 Sam 15:9). When God is the subject, the stakes are cosmic: 'the LORD was not willing to destroy' (2 Kgs 13:23). The related Arabic and Ethiopic cognates actually mean 'refuse,' suggesting the negative sense may be closer to the word's ancient core.
Senses
1. be willing, want — To be willing, to want or be disposed to do something -- expressing volitional inclination or readiness. Though the underlying meaning is positive ('be willing'), it most often appears negated, forming a strong idiom for refusal. Spanish 'quiso' (from querer, 'to want') captures the volitional core. French 'disposé/fut disposé' and German 'bereit/willig' emphasize readiness. Key: Deut 1:26 (Israel's refusal to enter Canaan), 2 Kgs 13:23 (God's willingness not to destroy). The Ethiopic cognate means 'refuse,' hinting that the negative frame may be original. 51×
AR["أَبى", "شَاءَ", "يَرْضَ", "يَشأْ", "يَشَأ", "يَشَأْ", "يَقبَل", "يُرِدْ"]·ben["চাইল", "চাইলেন", "চেয়েছিল", "চেয়েছিলেন", "রাজি-হল", "রাজি-হলেন"]·DE["bereit", "er-war-bereit", "er-war-willig", "war-bereit", "war-willig"]·EN["he-was-willing", "was-willing", "willing"]·FR["disposé", "fut-disposé", "il-fut-disposé", "il-était-disposé", "était-disposé", "était-willing"]·heb["אבה"]·HI["आवाह", "चअह", "चाहा", "रज़ामंद-हुआ", "वह-चाहता-था"]·ID["-mau", "dia-mau", "mau"]·IT["disposto", "egli-era-disposto", "egli-fu-willing", "era-disposto", "fu-willing"]·jav["kersa", "purun"]·KO["그가-원하셨다", "원하다", "원하셨느니라", "원하시지", "원하였다", "원하지", "원하지-않았다", "원했다"]·PT["quis"]·RU["-захотел", "желал", "захотел", "пожелал", "согласился", "хотел"]·ES["quiso"]·SW["alitaka", "hakukubali", "hakutaka", "kukubali", "kutaka", "taka"]·TR["adam", "istedi", "razı-oldu"]·urd["راضی-ہوا", "مانا", "چاہا"]
Gen 24:5, Gen 24:8, Exod 10:27, Lev 26:21, Deut 1:26, Deut 2:30, Deut 10:10, Deut 23:5, Deut 25:7, Deut 29:20, Josh 24:10, Judg 11:17 (+38 more)
2. consent, agree — To consent or agree to a specific proposal or enticement -- a deliberate act of accepting rather than a general disposition. Distinguished from sense 1 by the presence of a concrete offer or temptation. In Prov 1:10 ('if sinners entice you, do not consent'), the verb marks the decisive moment of yielding. In 1 Kgs 20:8 the elders advise the king not to agree to Ben-hadad's demands. Spanish 'consentirás/consientas' and French 'consentir' both capture the transactional, responsive quality that differentiates this from mere willingness. 3×
AR["تَرْضَ", "تَرْضَى"]·ben["রাজি-হও", "সম্মত-হবে", "সম্মত-হোয়ো"]·DE["[תבא]", "consent", "du-soll-consent"]·EN["consent", "you-shall-consent"]·FR["consent", "consentir", "tu-devra-consent"]·heb["תאבה", "תבוא"]·HI["चाहो", "रज़ामंद-हो", "सहमत-हो"]·ID["kamu-setuju", "kamu-setujui", "mau"]·IT["acconsentire", "consent", "tu-dovra-consent"]·jav["kedah-panjenengan-purun", "sagah", "sarujuk"]·KO["동의하라", "동의하리라-네가", "동의하지"]·PT["aceites", "consentirás", "consistas"]·RU["соглашайся", "соглашайся."]·ES["consentirás", "consientas"]·SW["kukubali", "ukubali", "usikubali"]·TR["kabul-etme", "razı-ol", "razı-olacaksın"]·urd["رضامند-ہو", "رضامند-ہونا", "مان"]
Related Senses
H5971a 1. people, nation (1836×)H5973a 1. accompaniment, together with (956×)H0854 1. with (accompaniment) (665×)H1471a 1. nations, peoples (plural/collective) (466×)G3326 1. with (368×)H1285 1. covenant, pact, treaty (284×)G2453 1. Jewish person, Jew (194×)G2309 1. want, desire (166×)H4150 1. meeting (tent of meeting) (151×)G2992 1. people/nation (an ethnic or political community) (142×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)G4862 1. (129×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)G1484 1. Gentiles, non-Jewish nations (128×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H1471a 2. nation, people-group (singular) (98×)H3162b 1. together (97×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. אָבָה vb. be willing, consent (cf. Assyrian abîtu, desire, DlW, Ethiopic አበየ: refuse, Arabic أَبَى, id., Nejd be willing SoDe Jes 3, p. 26; LCB 1880, 817)— Qal (c. לֹא, אַל except Is 1:19 Jb 39:9; in Hex. rare & only JED, incl. Lv 26:21); Pf. אָבָה Ex 10:27 + אָבוּ Ju 19:25 + 7 times; אָבוּא Is 28:12 (Sta§ 31 R. 2; KöI, 414); Impf. יֹאבֶה Dt 29:19 + 2 times; 2 ms. juss. תֹּבֵא Pr 1:10 (Sta§…