14. abah

Berean Strong's Lexicon

abah: To be willing, to consent, to yield, to desire

Original Word: אָבָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: abah
Pronunciation: ah-VAH
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-baw')
Definition: To be willing, to consent, to yield, to desire
Meaning: to breathe after, to be acquiescent

Word Origin: A primitive root

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Greek equivalent often used in the Septuagint for "abah" is θέλω (thelō), Strong's Greek #2309, which also means to will, wish, or desire.

Usage: The Hebrew verb "abah" primarily conveys the idea of willingness or consent. It is used to express a person's readiness or desire to do something, often in the context of making a choice or decision. The term can also imply a sense of yielding or giving in to a request or command.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Hebrew culture, the concept of willingness was significant in both religious and social contexts. The willingness to obey God's commandments was a central theme in the covenant relationship between God and Israel. Similarly, willingness played a crucial role in social interactions, such as marriage agreements, treaties, and other forms of mutual consent.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to be willing, to consent
NASB Translation
consent (5), obey (1), refuse* (1), refused* (1), satisfied (1), unwilling* (3), want (1), willing (23), would (16), would...accept (1), yield (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. אָבָה verb be willing, consent (compare Assyrian abîtu, command, Dl^W, Ethiopic refuse, Arabic , id., Nejd be willing So^{De Jes 3, p. 26; LCB 1880, 817}) —

Qal (with לֹא, אַל except Isaiah 1:19; Job 39:9; in Hexateuch rare & only J E D, including Leviticus 26:21); Perfect אָבָה Exodus 10:27 + אָבוּ Judges 19:25 7t.; אָבוּא Isaiah 28:12 (Sta^{§ 31 R. 2}; Kö^{1, 414}); Imperfect יֹאבֶה Deuteronomy 29:19 2t.; 2 masculine singular jussive תֹּבֵא Proverbs 1:10 (Sta^{§ 143 e 1 fin}; Kö^{1, 576 f}) etc.; Participle אֹבִים Ezekiel 3:7; — be willing, followed by Infinitive with ל Exodus 10:27 29t.; without ל Deuteronomy 2:30 8t.; subject ׳י Deuteronomy 10:10; Deuteronomy 23:6; Deuteronomy 29:19; Joshua 24:10; 2 Kings 8:19; 2 Kings 13:23; 2 Kings 24:4; 2Chronicles 21:7; human subject Genesis 24:5,8; Judges 19:10; 2 Samuel 2:21; 2 Samuel 13:25; 2 Samuel 14:29 (twice in verse); 2 Samuel 23:16,17 = 1 Chronicles 11:18,19; 1 Chronicles 19:19; in bad sense Exodus 10:27; Deuteronomy 2:30; Deuteronomy 25:7; Judges 19:25; Judges 20:13; 2 Samuel 13:14,16; especially of perverse Israel Leviticus 26:21; Deuteronomy 1:26; 1 Samuel 15:9; Isaiah 28:12; Isaiah 30:9; Isaiah 42:24; Ezekiel 3:7 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 20:8; subject animal, רֵים Job 39:9; absolute (no Infinitive) 2 Samuel 12:17; 1 Kings 20:8; 1 Kings 22:50; compare Proverbs 6:35, of jealous man; bad sense Judges 11:17; Isaiah 30:15; good sense 1 Samuel 22:17; 1 Samuel 26:23; 1 Samuel 31:4 = 1 Chronicles 10:4; 2 Samuel 6:10; Proverbs 1:10; + finite verb Isaiah 1:19 (אִם תּאֹבוּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם); consent, yield to, followed by לוֺ Deuteronomy 13:9 (good sense); followed by לִי Psalm 81:12; followed by לַעֲצָתִי Proverbs 1:30; followed by accusative תּוֺכַחְתִּי Proverbs 1:25 (all in bad sense).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

consent, rest content will, be willing

A primitive root; to breathe after, i.e. (figuratively) to be acquiescent -- consent, rest content will, be willing.

Forms and Transliterations

אֲבִיתֶ֖ם אֲבִיתֶֽם׃ אָ֥בָה אָב֖וּ אָב֖וּא אָב֞וּ אָב֤וּ אָב֥וּ אָבִ֔יתִי אָבִ֖יתִי אָבָ֑ה אָבָ֔ה אָבָ֖ה אָבָ֗ה אָבָ֞ה אָבָ֣ה אָבָ֤ה אָבָ֥ה אָבָה֙ אָבוּ֙ אֹבִ֖ים אבה אבו אבוא אבים אביתי אביתם אביתם׃ הֲיֹ֣אבֶה היאבה וַיִּתֵּ֨ן ויתן יֹ֝אבֶ֗ה יֹאבֶ֣ה יֹאבוּ֙ יאבה יאבו תֹּאב֖וּ תֹּבֵֽא׃ תֹאב֖וּ תֹאבֶ֣ה תֹאבֶ֤ה תֹאבֶֽה׃ תאבה תאבה׃ תאבו תבא׃ ’ā·ḇāh ’ă·ḇî·ṯem ’ā·ḇî·ṯî ’ā·ḇū ’āḇāh ’ăḇîṯem ’āḇîṯî ’āḇū ’ō·ḇîm ’ōḇîm aVah aviTem aViti aVu hă·yō·ḇeh hăyōḇeh haYoeh oVim tō·ḇê ṯō·ḇeh tō·ḇū ṯō·ḇū tōḇê ṯōḇeh tōḇū ṯōḇū toVe toVeh toVu vaiyitTen way·yit·tên wayyittên yō·ḇeh yō·ḇū yōḇeh yōḇū yoVeh yoVu

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 24:5
HEB: אוּלַי֙ לֹא־ תֹאבֶ֣ה הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה לָלֶ֥כֶת
NAS: the woman is not willing to follow
KJV: unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow
INT: Suppose is not willing the woman along

Genesis 24:8
HEB: וְאִם־ לֹ֨א תֹאבֶ֤ה הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ לָלֶ֣כֶת
NAS: the woman is not willing to follow
KJV: And if the woman will not be willing to follow
INT: if is not willing the woman along

Genesis 47:11
HEB: וְאֶת־ אֶחָיו֒ וַיִּתֵּ֨ן לָהֶ֤ם אֲחֻזָּה֙
INT: his father and his brothers would A possession the land

Exodus 10:27
HEB: פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְלֹ֥א אָבָ֖ה לְשַׁלְּחָֽם׃
NAS: heart, and he was not willing to let them go.
KJV: heart, and he would not let them go.
INT: Pharaoh's was not willing to let

Leviticus 26:21
HEB: קֶ֔רִי וְלֹ֥א תֹאב֖וּ לִשְׁמֹ֣עַֽ לִ֑י
KJV: contrary unto me, and will not hearken
INT: hostility not and will to obey will increase

Deuteronomy 1:26
HEB: וְלֹ֥א אֲבִיתֶ֖ם לַעֲלֹ֑ת וַתַּמְר֕וּ
NAS: Yet you were not willing to go
KJV: Notwithstanding ye would not go up,
INT: were not willing to go rebelled

Deuteronomy 2:30
HEB: וְלֹ֣א אָבָ֗ה סִיחֹן֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ
NAS: of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass
KJV: of Heshbon would not let us pass
INT: was not willing Sihon king

Deuteronomy 10:10
HEB: הַהִ֔וא לֹא־ אָבָ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה הַשְׁחִיתֶֽךָ׃
NAS: the LORD was not willing to destroy
KJV: also, [and] the LORD would not destroy
INT: he was not willing the LORD to destroy

Deuteronomy 13:8
HEB: לֹא־ תֹאבֶ֣ה ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א
NAS: you shall not yield to him or listen
KJV: Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken
INT: nor yield nor listen

Deuteronomy 23:5
HEB: וְלֹֽא־ אָבָ֞ה יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙
NAS: your God was not willing to listen
KJV: thy God would not hearken
INT: was not willing the LORD your God

Deuteronomy 25:7
HEB: בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹ֥א אָבָ֖ה יַבְּמִֽי׃
NAS: in Israel; he is not willing to perform the duty of a husband's brother
KJV: in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.
INT: Israel is not willing to perform

Deuteronomy 29:20
HEB: לֹא־ יֹאבֶ֣ה יְהוָה֮ סְלֹ֣חַֽ
NAS: shall never be willing to forgive
KJV: The LORD will not spare
INT: shall never be willing the LORD to forgive

Joshua 24:10
HEB: וְלֹ֥א אָבִ֖יתִי לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ לְבִלְעָ֑ם
NAS: But I was not willing to listen
KJV: But I would not hearken unto Balaam;
INT: was not willing to listen to Balaam

Judges 11:17
HEB: שָׁלַ֖ח וְלֹ֣א אָבָ֑ה וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
NAS: of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel
KJV: of Moab: but he would not [consent]: and Israel
INT: sent not consent remained Israel

Judges 19:10
HEB: וְלֹֽא־ אָבָ֤ה הָאִישׁ֙ לָל֔וּן
NAS: But the man was not willing to spend the night,
KJV: But the man would not tarry that night,
INT: was not willing the man to spend

Judges 19:25
HEB: וְלֹֽא־ אָב֤וּ הָאֲנָשִׁים֙ לִשְׁמֹ֣עַֽ
NAS: But the men would not listen
KJV: But the men would not hearken
INT: not would the men listen

Judges 20:13
HEB: מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֤א אָבוּ֙ (בְּנֵ֣י ק)
NAS: of Benjamin would not listen
KJV: of Benjamin would not hearken
INT: Israel not would the sons of Benjamin

1 Samuel 15:9
HEB: הַטּ֔וֹב וְלֹ֥א אָב֖וּ הַחֲרִימָ֑ם וְכָל־
NAS: that was good, and were not willing to destroy
KJV: and all [that was] good, and would not utterly destroy
INT: was good and were not willing to destroy and all

1 Samuel 22:17
HEB: ק) וְלֹֽא־ אָב֞וּ עַבְדֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙
NAS: of the king were not willing to put forth
KJV: of the king would not put forth
INT: hearing were not willing the servants of the king

1 Samuel 26:23
HEB: בְּיָ֔ד וְלֹ֣א אָבִ֔יתִי לִשְׁלֹ֥חַ יָדִ֖י
KJV: to day, but I would not stretch forth
INT: into hand not would to stretch my hand

1 Samuel 31:4
HEB: בִ֔י וְלֹ֤א אָבָה֙ נֹשֵׂ֣א כֵלָ֔יו
NAS: bearer would not, for he was greatly
KJV: me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore
INT: and make not would bearer his armor

2 Samuel 2:21
HEB: חֲלִצָת֑וֹ וְלֹֽא־ אָבָ֣ה עֲשָׂהאֵ֔ל לָס֖וּר
NAS: But Asahel was not willing to turn aside
KJV: But Asahel would not turn aside
INT: his spoil was not willing Asahel to turn

2 Samuel 6:10
HEB: וְלֹֽא־ אָבָ֣ה דָוִ֗ד לְהָסִ֥יר
KJV: So David would not remove
INT: not would and David to move

2 Samuel 12:17
HEB: הָאָ֑רֶץ וְלֹ֣א אָבָ֔ה וְלֹֽא־ בָרָ֥א
KJV: from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat
INT: the ground not would not choose

2 Samuel 13:14
HEB: וְלֹ֥א אָבָ֖ה לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ בְּקוֹלָ֑הּ
NAS: However, he would not listen
KJV: Howbeit he would not hearken
INT: not would listen her voice

55 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 14
55 Occurrences

’ā·ḇāh — 28 Occ.
’ă·ḇî·ṯem — 3 Occ.
’ā·ḇî·ṯî — 2 Occ.
’ā·ḇū — 9 Occ.
hă·yō·ḇeh — 1 Occ.
’ō·ḇîm — 1 Occ.
tō·ḇê — 1 Occ.
ṯō·ḇeh — 4 Occ.
ṯō·ḇū — 2 Occ.
way·yit·tên — 1 Occ.
yō·ḇeh — 2 Occ.
yō·ḇū — 1 Occ.