Word study
Desire
13 Hebrew and 6 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: desire, desires, desired. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “desire” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- חֵפֶץ chêphetsdelight, pleasuretranslated this way 12 times of its 38 uses · Strong’s H2656Noun · Translated: desire 7, delight 6, pleasure 4, desired 3Full study and all 37 verses →
1 Samuel 18:25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.
2 Samuel 23:5 Is not my house right with God? For He has established with me an everlasting covenant, ordered and secured in every part. Will He not bring about my full salvation and my every desire?
- תַּאֲוָה taăvâhdesiretranslated this way 11 times of its 19 uses · Strong’s H8378Noun · Translated: desire 9Full study and all 19 verses →
Psalm 10:17 You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear,
Proverbs 10:24 What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
- אָוָה âvâhincline, desiretranslated this way 10 times of its 25 uses · Strong’s H183Verb · Translated: desires 4, desire 3, desired 3, crave 2Full study and all 25 verses →
Deuteronomy 14:26 Then you may spend the money on anything you desire: cattle, sheep, wine, strong drink, or anything you wish. You are to feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice with your household.
2 Samuel 3:21 Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.
- חָפֵץ châphêtsdelight intranslated this way 8 times of its 73 uses · Strong’s H2654Verb · Translated: delight 14, delighted 13, desire 8, pleases 5Full study and all 70 verses →
Job 13:3 Yet I desire to speak to the Almighty and argue my case before God.
Psalm 40:6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require.
- נֶפֶשׁ nepheshsoul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passiontranslated this way 5 times of its 666 uses · Strong’s H5315Noun · Translated: soul 178, life 119, lives 30, person 22Full study and all 622 verses →
Proverbs 13:2 From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the desire of the faithless is violence.
Ecclesiastes 6:9 Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
- תְּשׁוּקָה teshûqâhlongingtranslated this way 3 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s H8669Noun · Translated: desire 2, desires 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Genesis 3:16 To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
Song of Solomon 7:10 I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me.
- רָצוֹן râtsôngoodwill, favour, acceptance, willtranslated this way 3 times of its 54 uses · Strong’s H7522Noun · Translated: favor 15, delight 5, acceptable 3, acceptance 3Full study and all 54 verses →
Esther 1:8 By order of the king, no limit was placed on the drinking, and every official of his household was to serve each man whatever he desired.
Psalm 145:16 You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
- מַחְמָד machmâddesire, desirable thingtranslated this way 3 times of its 12 uses · Strong’s H4261Noun · Translated: desire 3, precious 2, treasures 2Full study and all 12 verses →
Ezekiel 24:16 “Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow.
Ezekiel 24:21 Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul. And the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.’
- חֵשֶׁק chêsheqdesiretranslated this way 3 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s H2837Noun · Translated: desired 3Full study and all 3 verses →
1 Kings 9:1 Now when Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all that he had desired to do,
Isaiah 21:4 My heart falters; fear makes me tremble. The twilight I desired has turned to horror.
- חָשַׁק châshaqbe attached to, lovetranslated this way 2 times of its 10 uses · Strong’s H2836Verb · Translated: set his affection 2Full study and all 10 verses →
Deuteronomy 21:11 if you see a beautiful woman among them, and you desire her and want to take her as your wife,
2 Chronicles 8:6 as well as Baalath, all the store cities that belonged to Solomon, and all the cities for his chariots and horses — whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout the land of his dominion.
- חֶמְדָּה chemdâhid.translated this way 2 times of its 23 uses · Strong’s H2532Noun · Translated: pleasant 3, precious 3, highly precious 2, riches 2Full study and all 23 verses →
1 Samuel 9:20 As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them, for they have been found. And upon whom is all the desire of Israel, if not upon you and all your father’s house?”
Daniel 11:37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god, because he will magnify himself above them all.
- חָמַד châmaddesire, take pleasure intranslated this way 2 times of its 23 uses · Strong’s H2530Verb · Translated: covet 6, delight 2, desire 2, precious 2Full study and all 22 verses →
Proverbs 12:12 The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes.
Isaiah 53:2 He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him.
- אַוָּה avvâhdesiretranslated this way 2 times of its 7 uses · Strong’s H185Noun · Translated: want 3, earnestness 1, desires 1, desire 1Full study and all 7 verses →
1 Samuel 23:20 Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.”
Jeremiah 2:24 a wild donkey at home in the wilderness, sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can restrain her passion? All who seek her need not weary themselves; in mating season they will find her.
Greek words (New Testament)
- ἐπιθυμία epithymíadesire, eagerness for, inordinate desire, lusttranslated this way 26 times of its 37 uses · Strong’s G1939Noun · Translated: desires 17, passions 6, desire 5, evil desires 3Full study and all 36 verses →
Mark 4:19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
- θέλω thélōI will, wish, desiretranslated this way 14 times of its 207 uses · Strong’s G2309Verb · Translated: want 65, wants 21, willing 16, wanted 15Full study and all 198 verses →
Matthew 9:13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Luke 10:24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
- θέλημα thélēmawill, wish, desiretranslated this way 2 times of its 62 uses · Strong’s G2307Noun · Translated: will 55, willing 1, instructions 1, desire 1Full study and all 58 verses →
John 1:13 children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.
Ephesians 2:3 All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.
- εὐδοκία eudokíagood-will, favortranslated this way 2 times of its 9 uses · Strong’s G2107Noun · Translated: well-pleasing 2, desire 2, good pleasure 2, favor rests 1Full study and all 9 verses →
Romans 10:1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.
2 Thessalonians 1:11 To this end, we always pray for you, that our God will count you worthy of His calling, and that He will powerfully fulfill your every good desire and work of faith,
- ζηλόω zēlóōI am jealous, eager fortranslated this way 2 times of its 12 uses · Strong’s G2206Verb · Translated: zealous 3, jealous 2, eagerly desire 2Full study and all 11 verses →
1 Corinthians 12:31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
1 Corinthians 14:1 Earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
- ἐπιθυμέω epithyméōI long for, covet, lust aftertranslated this way 2 times of its 15 uses · Strong’s G1937Verb · Translated: long 3, longed 2, covet 2Full study and all 15 verses →
Luke 22:15 And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering.
1 Timothy 3:1 This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task.
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
What the Bible says about desire: passages by topic →
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.