Hosea 12:7 — Word Study
WLCכְּנַ֗עַן בְּיָד֛וֹ מֹאזְנֵ֥י מִרְמָ֖ה לַעֲשֹׁ֥ק אָהֵֽב׃
BSAyou(m.s.)ʼattâh Godʼĕlôhîym to returnshûwb kindnesschêçêd justicemishpâṭ to keepshâmar to awaitqâvâh to(wards)ʼêl Godʼĕlôhîym continuallytâmîyd
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כְּנַ֗עַן | Canaan | Noun proper |
| בְּיָד֛וֹ | [who are] in hand his | Preposition, noun common both singular construct, suffix |
| מֹאזְנֵ֥י | scales of | Noun common, masculine dual construct |
| מִרְמָ֖ה | deceit | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| לַעֲשֹׁ֥ק | to defraud | Preposition, verb qal infinitive construct common |
| אָהֵֽב׃ | he loves | Verb, Qal, perfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands. |
| KJV | ¶ He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress. |
| ASV | He is a trafficker, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress. |
| YLT | Canaan! in his hand [are] balances of deceit! To oppress he hath loved. |
| WEB | A merchant has dishonest scales in his hand. He loves to defraud. |
| BBE | As for Canaan, the scales of deceit are in his hands; he takes pleasure in twisted ways. |
Where they part company is מֹאזְנֵ֥י — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb with three phrases describing the actions and conditions of the merchant. The structure emphasizes the merchant's character and methods.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbמִשְׁפָּט
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Hosea 12:7
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Call to Repentancegenerated
Hosea 12:7 presents a vivid image of a merchant who loves to cheat others using dishonest scales. This verse highlights the moral corruption present in society, particularly in commerce, and serves as a critique of the people's behavior. Hosea calls them to return to God, emphasizing the importance of love and justice in their dealings, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezekiel 16:3 | and tell her that this is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. |
| 2 | Zechariah 14:21 | Indeed, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD of Hosts, and all who sacrifice will come and take some pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Hosts. |
| 3 | John 2:16 | To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!” |
| 4 | Leviticus 19:35–36 | You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume. |
| 5 | Proverbs 11:1 | Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 21 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — כְּנַ֗עַן, ke.Na.'angenerated
The word כְּנַ֫עַן (ke.na.an) refers not only to Canaan, the son of Ham, but also to the land associated with trade and commerce. It is linked to the Canaanites, known for their mercantile activities, and can denote a merchant in a broader sense.
In this verse, it emphasizes the deceitful nature of the merchant, who is portrayed as someone who exploits others for personal gain. The use of this term underscores the moral implications of dishonest trade practices.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is אָהֵֽב, he loves, which governs the entire clause. The structure reveals that the subject, the merchant, is defined by his actions of using deceitful scales to oppress others.
The sentence is constructed with a straightforward subject-verb-object order, emphasizing the merchant's love for deceit as a defining characteristic.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates כְּנַ֗עַן as καὶ (and), which suggests a connection to broader themes of trade and morality. This choice reflects a focus on the actions of the merchant rather than the geographical or ethnic implications of the term.
The Greek word used for מֹאזְנֵ֥י is σου, indicating possession, which aligns with the Hebrew context of the scales being in the merchant's hands.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Hosea 12:7 describes a merchant who loves to cheat others using dishonest scales. This verse highlights the problem of dishonesty in trade and serves as a warning to the people of Israel to return to God and practice justice.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that the merchant is cheating customers by misrepresenting the weight or value of goods, which is a form of exploitation.
This verse illustrates the moral decay in Israel, where dishonesty and injustice are prevalent, calling the people to repentance and a return to righteous living.
Examples can include false advertising, selling counterfeit products, or manipulating prices to deceive consumers.
Honesty builds trust, fosters good relationships, and upholds ethical standards, which are essential for a healthy economy and society.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see dishonesty in my own life or community?
- How can I ensure that my dealings with others are fair and just?
- What steps can I take to promote integrity in my work or business?
- How does this verse challenge me to reflect on my own values and actions?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Jerome comments on Hosea's critique of the merchant's deceitful practices, emphasizing the moral implications of such actions.
"Canaan in his hand deceitful balance, he loved calumny, and Ephraim said: Nevertheless, I have become rich, I have found myself an idol,Early Church Fathers on Hosea 12 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Hosea 12:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible[He is] a merchant,.... Here is a change of person from "thou" to "he", from Judah to Ephraim, who is said to be a "merchant"; and if that was all, there is nothing worthy of dispraise in it; but he
Read John Gill on Hosea 12 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
Read Robert Jamieson on Hosea 12 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHe is a merchant; Ephraim, of whom here, is so far from being Jacob, or as Jacob, that you may call and account him a Canaanite, a subtle merchant. The balances of deceit are in his hand; what he cannot gain by fair trading, he will by downright cheating; he is covetous, and very unjust. He loveth to oppress; where violence, calumnies, and false accusations are needful to compass his covetous and cozening designs, he will not stick at them; this way of gain he loveth, his heart is upon it; though God hate the false balance, and false witness, and the violent man, yet Ephraim loves them all for his gain.
Read Matthew Poole on Hosea 12 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsHosea 12:7 [He is] a merchant, the balances of deceit [are] in his hand: he loveth to oppress.Ver. 7. He is a merchant] Heb. He is Canaan that is, a mere natural man, Ezekiel 16:3, money merchant, who, so he may have it, careth not how he comes by it; he is more like a Canaanite than a Jacobite. Jacob said, "I have enough, my brother"; but Ephraim is sick of the plague of unsatisfiableness; and instead of keeping mercy and judgment, as in the former verse, he keepeth false balances in his hand and false weights in his bag, Deuteronomy 15:13-15 Leviticus 19:36 Proverbs 11:1; Proverbs 16:11; Proverbs 20:10 He that hath his hands full of the balances of deceit, and will not loose them to take…
Read John Trapp on Hosea 12 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(7) He is a merchant.—The vivid and fierce light of the prophet’s words is obscured in the English version. The rendering “he is a merchant” originates from the fact that Canaan (rendered “merchant”) is often used predominantly of Phœnicia, and Canaanites of Phœnicians, the great trading race (Isaiah 23:11; Job 40:30). Translate: As for Canaan, in his hand are false balances. He loves cheating. The descendants of Canaan (the son of Ham, the abhorred son of Noah) became in their whole career a curse and a bye-word in every religious and ethical sense. The princes of Tyre, the merchandise of Phœnicia, were, perhaps, then in the prophet’s mind. (Comp. Ezekiel 27) Moreover, the prophet hints…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Hosea 12 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 7. He is a merchant] Or a Canaanite; referring to the Phoenicians, famous for their traffic. Ephraim is as corrupt as those heathenish traffickers were. He kept, as many in all ages have done, a weight and a weight; a heavy one to buy with and a light one to sell by.
Read AdamClarke on Hosea 12 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges7. He is a merchant, &c.] Rather, Canaan! in his hand are deceitful balances; he loveth to extort. The geographical term ‘Canaan’ simply means ‘lowland’, and therefore might be, and was, applied to Phœnicia (Isaiah 23:11) as well as to other lowland parts of Palestine; ‘Canaanite’ too became a synonym for ‘merchant’ (Job 41:6; Proverbs 31:24, comp. Zephaniah 1:11; Ezekiel 17:4), as ‘Chaldean’ was a synonym for ‘astrologer.’ Hosea uses the word collectively and metaphorically:—his ‘Canaan’ is a degenerate Israel. The sarcasm derives its point from the low repute of the Phœnician merchants for honesty (comp. Odyss. xiv. 290, 291).
Read Cambridge on Hosea 12 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe is a merchant - Or, indignantly, “a merchant in whose hands are the balances of deceit!” How could they love “mercy and justice,” whose trade was “deceit,” who weighed out deceit with their goods?
Read Albert Barnes on Hosea 12 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands.
A merchant has dishonest scales in his hand. He loves to defraud.
A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands.
The businessmen love to cheat; they use dishonest scales.
Tyndale line
¶ He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
He is a trafficker, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
He is a trafficker, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
He is Canaan: the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loueth to oppresse.
Strictly literal
[He is] a merchant, balances of deceit are in his hand; he loveth to oppress.
Canaan! in his hand [are] balances of deceit! To oppress he hath loved.
Canaan! In his hand [are] balances of deceit! He has loved to oppress.
(12:8) But like a merchant, who hath the balances of deceit in his hand, loving to overreach,
The merchants have false scales in their hands; they love to defraud.
From the Latin
He is like Chanaan, there is a deceitful balance in his hand, he hath loved oppression.
Simplified
A merchant who holds in his hands dishonest scales loves to swindle.
As for Canaan, the scales of deceit are in his hands; he takes pleasure in twisted ways.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely, with all six Hebrew words matched by their Greek counterparts. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain partial restoration, indicating some loss but retaining the core message of the verse.
כְּנַ֗עַן בְּיָד֛וֹ מֹאזְנֵ֥י מִרְמָ֖ה לַעֲשֹׁ֥ק אָהֵֽב׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[ואתה] [באלוהי׳כה] תשוב חסד [ומשפט] [שמר] [וקוה] [אל] [אלהי׳ך] [תמיד]
1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 8 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Hosea 12:7
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
כְּנַ֫עַן (ke.na.an) refers to both Canaan, the son of Ham, and the land west of the Jordan River where the Israelites settled, as well as the term for merchant or trader. The word is associated with lowland and trade, particularly linked to the Canaanites and Phoenicians. There is a distinction made between its use as a proper noun and as a common noun for merchants.
כְּנַ֫עַן 90 n.pr.m. et terr. Canaan
as n. pr. m., son of Ham
land, W. of Jordan, into wh. Hebrews came, and where they settled, subduing the inhabitants
the coast, esp. Phoenicia
base
כְּנַ֫עַן n.[m.] merchant(s) (because Canaanites, esp. Phoenicians, were traders)
base
H3667a כְּנַ֫עַן Canaan . as n. pr. m., son of Ham
. . land, W. of Jordan, into wh. Hebrews came, and where they settled, subduing the inhabitants
. the coast, esp. Phoenicia
H3667b כְּנַ֫עַן merchant(s)
3667 Kna`an ken-ah'-an
from 3665; humiliated; Kenaan, a son a Ham; also the country
inhabited by him:--Canaan, merchant, traffick.
see HEBREW for 03665
כְּנַ֫עַן (ke.na.an) — Canaan.
§ Canaan = "lowland"
the land west of the Jordan peopled by the descendants of Canaan and subsequently conquered by the Israelites under Joshua
כְּנַ֫עַן (ke.na.an) — merchant.
merchant, trader
Also means: ke.na.a.ni (כְּנַעֲנִי "merchant" H3669B)
כְּנַ֫עַן (ke.na.an) — Canaan.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.9.18;
son of: Ham (H2526);
brother of: Cush (H3568), Egypt (H4714) and Put (H6316);
father of: Sidon (H6721), Heth (H2845), Jebusite (H2983), Amorite (H0567), Girgashite (H1622), Hivite (H2340), Arkite (H6208), Sinite (H5513), Arvadite (H0721), Zemarite (H6786) and Hamathite (H2577)
§ merchant, trader
HNpl — Noun properHNpl
Canaan
(1.) The fourth son of Ham (Gen. 10:6). His descendants were under a curse in consequence of the transgression of his father (9:22-27). His eldest son, Zidon, was the father of the Sidonians and Phoenicians. He had eleven sons, who were the founders of as many tribes (10:15-18).
(2.) The country which derived its name from the preceding. The name as first used by the Phoenicians denoted only the maritime plain on which Sidon was built. But in the time of Moses and Joshua it denoted the whole country to the west of the Jordan and the Dead Sea (Deut. 11:30). In Josh. 5:12 the LXX. read, “land of the Phoenicians,” instead of “land of Canaan.”
(Ca’nan) (low, flat). The fourth son of Ham, (Genesis 10:6; 1 Chronicles 1:8) the progenitor of the Phoenicians [ZIDON, OR SIDON], and of the various nations who before the Israelite conquest people the seacoast of Palestine, and generally the while of the country westward of the Jordan. (Genesis 10:13; 1 Chronicles 1:13) (B.C. 2347.) The name "Canaan" is sometimes employed for the country itself.
1. The son of Ham, and grandson of Noah, Ge 9:18. His numerous posterity seem to have occupied Zidon first, and thence spread into Syria and Canaan, Ge 10:15-19 1Ch 1:13-16. The Jews believe that he was implicated with his father in the dishonor done to Noah, Ge 9:20-27, which was the occasion of the curse under which he and his posterity suffered, Jos 9:23,27 2Ch 8:7,8 2. The land peopled by Canaan and his posterity, and afterwards given to the Hebrews. This country has at different periods been called by various names, either from its inhabitants or some…
merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues
יָד (yad) means 'hand' and can also refer to strength or power in a figurative sense. It encompasses various technical uses, such as a sign or monument, parts or shares, and even specific components in construction, like axle-trees and supports for the laver. The word is versatile, appearing in both literal and metaphorical contexts.
יָד 1604 n.f. hand
hand
Fig. = strength, power
Fig. = side
יָד is used in various special, technical senses:—
sign, monument
part, fractional part or share
time, repetition
axle-trees
stays, supports for laver
tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle
a (beckoning) hand
יַד with prep.
base
H3027 יָד hand . hand
. Fig. = strength, power
. Fig. = side
. יָד is used in various special, technical senses:— . sign, monument
. part, fractional part or share
. time, repetition
. axle-trees
. stays, supports for laver
. tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle
. a (beckoning) hand
. יַד with prep.
3027 yad yawd
a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power,
means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed
one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of
applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate
and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes,
at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad,
(broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, +
creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship,
force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in,
labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine,
ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain,
power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay,
draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by
them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing,
+ thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side,
יָד (yad) — hand.
: hand/arm[anatomy]
1) hand
1a) hand (of man)
1b) strength, power (fig.)
1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)
1d) (various special, technical senses)
1d1) sign, monument
1d2) part, fractional part, share
1d3) time, repetition
1d4) axle-trees, axle
1d5) stays, support (for laver)
1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)
1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)
1d8) wrists
יָד (yad) — hand: power.
: hand/arm[anatomy]
1) hand
1a) hand (of man)
1b) strength, power (fig.)
1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)
1d) (various special, technical senses)
1d1) sign, monument
1d2) part, fractional part, share
1d3) time, repetition
1d4) axle-trees, axle
1d5) stays, support (for laver)
1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)
1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)
1d8) wrists
יָד (yad) — hand: themselves.
: hand/arm[anatomy]
1) hand
1a) hand (of man)
1b) strength, power (fig.)
HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms — Preposition · noun common both singular construct · suffixHR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms
מֹאזֵן (mo'zen) refers to balances or scales, specifically in the dual form, indicating a pair. The term is linked to the root word for 'to weigh' and has an Aramaic equivalent. Its usage is consistent across the entries, focusing on the concept of weighing or measuring.
[מאזן] n.[m.]du. balances, scales
base
H3976 [מאזן] balances, scales
3976 mo'zen mo-zane'
from 239; (only in the dual) a pair of scales: -balances.
see HEBREW for 0239
מֹאזֵן (mo.zen) — balance.
scales, balances
Aramaic equivalent: mo.zen (מֹאזֵנְיָא "scale" H3977)
HNcmdc — Noun common · masculine dual constructHNcmdc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
מִרְמָה (mirmah) refers to deceit or treachery. It is derived from the root word meaning to deceive and encompasses concepts like fraud, guile, and craftiness. The term appears in contexts that highlight dishonesty and trickery.
מִרְמָה n.f. deceit, treachery
base
H4820 מִרְמָה deceit, treachery
4820 mirmah meer-maw'
from 7411 in the sense of deceiving; fraud:--craft,
deceit(-ful, -fully), false, feigned, guile, subtilly,
treachery.
see HEBREW for 07411
מִרְמָה (mir.mah) — deceit.
deceit, treachery
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
de-set' (mirmah; (dolos)): The intentional misleading or beguiling of another; in Scripture represented as a companion of many other forms of wickedness, as cursing (Ps 10:7), hatred (Pr 26:24), theft, covetousness, adultery, murder (Mr 7:22; Ro 1:29). The Revised Version (British and American) introduces the word in Pr 14:25; 2Th 2:10; but in such passages as Ps 55:11; Pr 20:17; 26:26; 1Th 2:3, renders a…
עָשַׁק (ashaq) is a Hebrew verb meaning to oppress, wrong, or extort. It conveys actions of pressing upon, defrauding, and committing violence. The word can also imply being exploited or crushed in its passive form. It is rooted in a primitive form and is related to the concept of deceitful gain.
עָשַׁק oppress, wrong, extort
base
H6231 עָשַׁק oppress, wrong, extort
6231 `ashaq aw-shak'
a primitive root (compare 6229); to press upon, i.e. oppress,
defraud, violate, overflow:--get deceitfully, deceive,
defraud, drink up, (use) oppress((-ion)), -or), do violence
(wrong).
see HEBREW for 06229
עָשַׁק (a.shaq) — to oppress.
1) to press upon, oppress, violate, defraud, do violence, get deceitfully, wrong, extort
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to oppress, wrong, extort
1a2) to oppress
1b) (Pual) to be exploited, be crushed
HR/Vqcc — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct commonHR/Vqcc
The Hebrew word אָהֵב (*'ahab*) means 'to love' and encompasses various forms of affection, including human love for others, love for God, and even appetites for things like food and wisdom. It can also refer to friendship and divine love towards humanity, particularly Israel. The entries indicate that it can function in different grammatical forms, such as participles for 'lovely' or 'loveable'.
אָהֵב 216 vb. love
Qal
human love to human object
less oft. of appetite
love to God
esp. Pt.
of divine love
Niph. Pt. pl. lovely, loveable
Pi.
friends
lovers
base
H157 אָהֵב love
157 'ahab aw-hab'
or raheb {aw-habe'}; a primitive root; to have affection for
(sexually or otherwise):--(be-)love(-d, -ly, -r), like,
friend.
אָהֵב (a.hav) — to love: lover.
: lover
1) to love
1a) (Qal)
1a1) human love for another, includes family, and sexual
1a2) human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom
1a3) human love for or to God
1a4) act of being a friend
1a4a) lover (participle)
1a4b) friend (participle)
1a5) God's love toward man
1a5a) to individual men
1a5b) to people Israel
1a5c) to righteousness
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) lovely (participle)
1b2) loveable (participle)
1c) (Piel)
1c1) friends
1c2) lovers (fig. of adulterers)
2) to like
Also means: a.hav (אָהֵב ": friend" H0157H)
אָהֵב (a.hav) — to love: friend.
: friend
1) to love
1a) (Qal)
1a1) human love for another, includes family, and sexual
1a2) human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom
1a3) human love for or to God
1a4) act of being a friend
1a4a) lover (participle)
1a4b) friend (participle)
1a5) God's love toward man
1a5a) to individual men
HVqp3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singularHVqp3ms
luvz (Ps 45:1, title).
See PSALMS.