Lexical Summary
taab or taeb: To desire, to long for, to crave
Original Word:תָּאַב
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:ta'ab
Pronunciation:tah-AB or tah-EB
Phonetic Spelling:(taw-ab')
KJV: long
NASB:long
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to desire
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
long
A primitive root; to desire -- long.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto long for
NASB Translationlong (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. [, ] for (Late Hebrew
id.,
desire; Aramaic ,
long for; ? secondary √ from , or denominative from , and this from , compare Buhl; but see Ol
§ 137); —
Perfect1singular , with thing,Psalm 119:40;Psalm 119:174.
Topical Lexicon
Root Idea and Essenceתָּאַב expresses an intense inner craving that moves the will toward God-given ends. It is not a fleeting wish but a sustained yearning that seeks satisfaction only in what the Lord supplies.
Usage in Scripture
The word appears twice, both inPsalm 119, the psalm that extols the sufficiency of divine revelation.
•Psalm 119:40 – “How I long for Your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness.”
•Psalm 119:174 – “I long for Your salvation, O LORD, and Your law is my delight.”
In both verses the psalmist unites desire for God’s Word with desire for God’s saving intervention, showing that Scripture and salvation belong together.
Literary Significance withinPsalm 119
Psalm 119 is arranged alphabetically to teach, memorize, and celebrate the Torah. Each occurrence of תָּאַב falls near the close of a stanza (verses 40 and 174), functioning as a climactic confession: the psalmist has surveyed the perfections of God’s law and now declares a wholehearted longing for them to be fully realized in personal experience.
Theological Themes
1. Longing for Revelation. The precepts of God are not merely legal demands; they reveal His righteous character (119:40). To long for them is to long for the Lord Himself.
2. Longing for Redemption. Salvation (יְשׁוּעָה) in verse 174 anticipates deliverance from sin and all its effects. The two longings converge: the one who loves God’s Word cannot be content until God acts to save.
3. Revival and Delight. Desire issues in prayer for life (“revive me”) and culminates in joy (“Your law is my delight”), tying spiritual vitality to ongoing engagement with Scripture.
Historical and Covenant Perspective
For Israel, the Torah was both constitution and covenant charter. In exile or distress, faithful Israelites turned to the written Word as the unbreakable witness of God’s promises (Psalm 119:49). The psalmist’s longing therefore carries historical weight: it recalls Sinai, anticipates restoration, and anchors hope in the God who keeps covenant love (Deuteronomy 7:9).
Practical Ministry Applications
• Preaching and Teaching. Emphasize that true revival is inseparable from renewed appetite for Scripture.
• Pastoral Care. Encourage believers struggling with spiritual dryness to voice their longing as the psalmist does, coupling petition (“revive me”) with delight (“Your law is my delight”).
• Worship Planning. Songs and readings that express hunger for God’s Word echo the heart-cry of תָּאַב and foster congregational expectancy.
• Discipleship. Model disciplined Scripture intake that moves beyond information to affection, so that learners taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).
New Testament Fulfillment
The longing for salvation finds its answer in Jesus Christ, whose name means “The LORD saves.” He embodies the Word (John 1:14) and grants life to those who believe (John 5:24). The early church mirrors the psalmist’s appetite, devoting itself “to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42) and awaiting the Savior’s return (Philippians 3:20).
Related Biblical Concepts
• כָּמַהּ (“yearn,”Psalm 42:1) – picturing a deer panting for water.
• חָשַׁק (“cling in love,”Deuteronomy 10:15).
• Greek ἐπιποθέω (“long for,”1 Peter 2:2) – the newborn believer’s craving for pure spiritual milk.
Devotional Reflection
Every Christian generation must decide whether it will merely respect Scripture or actively long for it. תָּאַב reminds us that the heart that hungers for the Word will be the heart most ready to receive the life and salvation God delights to give.
Forms and Transliterations
תָּאַ֣בְתִּי תאבתי tā’aḇtî tā·’aḇ·tî taAvti
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
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