H6165 H6165
to long for, pant after (as a thirsty deer)
This evocative verb captures intense longing or thirsting, like a deer panting for water. Psalm 42 uses it twice in the famous opening: 'As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.' The imagery of an animal desperately seeking water becomes the metaphor for spiritual thirst. Joel 1:20 extends this to wild beasts crying out for water during drought. The verb conveys not mere desire but urgent, physical craving—a longing that consumes the whole being.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Describes intense longing or panting, particularly the physical craving for water. Psalm 42:1 (verse 2 in Hebrew) opens with the stag panting 'for streams of water' (עַל־אֲפִיקֵי מָיִם), immediately followed by the soul's parallel panting for God. Joel 1:20 uses the same image during devastating drought: even wild beasts 'pant' (תַּעֲרוֹג) for God as water sources dry up. The etymology may connect to ascending or bending toward something desired. Translations capture this with 'pant' (English), 'brama/braman' (Spanish 'bellow/cry out'), 'soupirer' (French 'sigh/long for'). 3×
AR["تَتَوَقُ", "تَشْتاقُ", "يَشْتاقُ"]·ben["আকাঙ্ক্ষা-করে", "তৃষ্ণার্ত"]·DE["[תערוג]", "pants"]·EN["pant", "pants"]·FR["désirer", "soupirer"]·heb["תערוג"]·HI["तरस-रहे-हैं", "तरसता-है"]·ID["merindukan"]·IT["[תערוג]", "bramo'"]·jav["kerangan", "ngarep-arep"]·KO["사모하도다", "헐떡거리도다"]·PT["anseia", "anseiam"]·RU["стремится", "тоскуют"]·ES["brama", "braman"]·SW["inatamani", "wanakutamani"]·TR["can-atar", "özlem-çekiyor"]·urd["تڑپتی-ہے", "تڑپتے-ہیں"]
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
† [עָרַג] vb. long for (cf. Arabic عَرَجَ ascend, ii. bend, incline toward (على); عَرِيجٌ high, elevated; Ethiopic ዐርገ ascend; NH עֲרוּגָה = BH);— Qal Impf. 3 fs. תַּעֲרֹג ψ 42:2 (of stag, c. עַל rei in sim.); c. אֶל, of longing for God v 2 (subj. נַפְשִׁי), so תַּעֲרוֹג Jo 1:20 (of beasts, craving water).