Hebrew word · H5690

עָגָב

'agavim

lust

From the root ʿ-g-b, 'to lust after, to dote on' with sensual desire. The noun ʿagavim appears only here and in the next verse (33:32, 'a song of ʿagavim,' a love song or erotic song). The related noun ʿagavah ('lustfulness') occurs in Ezekiel 23:11.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

(sensuous) love

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Ezekiel 33:31

Range of meaning

From the root ʿ-g-b, 'to lust after, to dote on' with sensual desire. The noun ʿagavim appears only here and in the next verse (33:32, 'a song of ʿagavim,' a love song or erotic song). The related noun ʿagavah ('lustfulness') occurs in Ezekiel 23:11. The verb is used six times in Ezekiel 23 (23:5, 7, 9, 12, 16, 20) for the two sisters, Samaria and Jerusalem, lusting after Assyrian and Babylonian lovers, and once in Jeremiah 4:30 of lovers who despise Jerusalem. The word sits in the world of romance and sexual attraction: courting, seduction, love poetry.

Against the English

KJV 'shew much love,' WEB 'show much love' and BSB 'express love' all use the broad English word 'love,' which readers easily take as warm affection, even devotion to God or to the prophet. ESV and NASB go the other way with 'lustful.' YLT's 'doting loves' is closer in flavour. None of these quite catches the idea of love-song language, the pleasant talk of romance.

How it drifted

English 'love' covers everything from friendship to devotion to God. In church settings especially it leans toward sincere spiritual affection. The Hebrew word is narrowly erotic and sensual.

Used elsewhere in the period

Within the Bible the root is mostly Ezekiel's (ch. 23) plus Jeremiah 4:30. In later Hebrew the root keeps its sensual sense. The Greek Septuagint here seems to read 'falsehood' (pseudos), and the Latin Vulgate takes the phrase as 'they turn them [the words] into a song of their mouth.' Both show that early translators found the word hard and took it as insincere or mere entertainment.

Where it appears

Ezekiel · 2

  1. Ezekiel 33:31 עֲגָבִ֤ים lustful desires

    So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain.

    Here: Sensual, erotic love. The verb from the same root describes the harlot sisters Oholah and Oholibah 'lusting after' their lovers in Ezekiel 23. Verse 32 uses the same word in 'a song of ʿagavim,' a love song. Their mouths are full of the language of romance, not of obedience.

  2. Ezekiel 33:32 עֲגָבִ֔ים lustful desires

    Indeed, you are to them like a singer of love songs with a beautiful voice, who skillfully plays an instrument. They hear your words but do not put them into practice.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.