H2245 H2245
to love, cherish (used of divine affection for peoples)
A tender verb appearing only in Moses' blessing over Israel, describing God as 'loving the peoples.' The root connects to Aramaic and Arabic words for love, embracing, and even the bosom where beloved ones are held. This single attestation in Deuteronomy 33:3 captures divine affection in its most unguarded form, with translations across languages emphasizing the active, ongoing nature of this love.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Divine or personal love expressed actively. In Deuteronomy 33:3, God is portrayed as 'loving the peoples'—the participle form suggests continuous, ongoing affection. The verb's connection to 'embrace' and 'bosom' in related languages reveals love as intimate, protective action. Spanish 'amador-de' and French 'aimant' capture this participial sense of one who actively loves. 1×
AR["مُحِبٌّ"]·ben["প্রেমিক"]·DE["liebend"]·EN["loving"]·FR["aimant"]·heb["חובב"]·HI["प्रेमी"]·ID["mengasihi"]·IT["amorevole"]·jav["tresna"]·KO["사랑하는-자"]·PT["amando"]·RU["любящий"]·ES["amador-de"]·SW["anawapenda"]·TR["seven"]·urd["محبت-کرنے-والا"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)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×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [חָבַב] vb. love (NH Pi. id.; Arabic حَبَّ be loved; Ethiopic ተሐበበ amore alicujus incendi Di; Aramaic ܚܰܒ kindle, be set on fire, ܚܰܒܶܒ, חַבֵּב love, embrace, חוּבָּא bosom)— Qal Pt. אַף חֹבֵב עַמִּים Dt 33:3 (Di reads עַמּוֹ, cf. 𝔊).