Day 13 of 75 · The reign foundations
Ḥ-B-B
ḥubba: love
מחבין
ܡܰܚܒ݂ܺܝܢ
The feel
Ḥ-B-B is the root of love as a bond, the steady attachment between people who hold each other dear. It covers friendship, family, and deep tenderness. In the Peshitta "love your enemies" (Matthew 5:44) uses this root, as does "love your neighbor" in Matthew 19:19 and Mark 12:31. The verb appears 35 times in the Gospels.
The root family
| Word | Pattern | Script | Standard | Qala rendering |
|---|
| aḥḥeb | verb, Aphel · 35× | ܚܒ | to love | to love, hold dear |
| ḥubba | noun | ܚܘܒܐ | love | love: the bond between people |
| ḥabbiba | adjective | ܚܒܝܒܐ | beloved | beloved, dear one |
In the Gospels the verb appears in the causative Aphel, aḥḥeb, to love or hold dear, with its participle maḥḥbin.
In his voice
Matthew 5:44
But I tell you: love your enemies, and pray for those who drive you out,
aḥebw, "love!" The imperative. The verb for the bond between dear ones is aimed at enemies, the people outside that bond.
Mark 12:31
The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other command greater than these."
aḥḥeb l-qariba(k), "love your neighbor," literally the one near you. In the verse before, loving God uses rḥem, from R-Ḥ-M (day 12), and here the second command uses aḥḥeb.
Luke 7:47
So I tell you, her many wrongs are released, for she loved much. But the one who is released from little loves little."
aḥbat saggi, "she loved much." She showed it with her hands and her tears. The verse ties how much a person loves to how much they are released from.
Practice
Choose one difficult person and give them what you would give someone dear, full attention and patience in one conversation. Before you start, say aḥḥeb, love, aloud.
Connections