הַבְהָב (hav.hav)
hav.hav
gift
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun havhav appears only once in the Old Testament, found in Hosea 8:13. Its meaning is straightforward: it denotes a gift or an offering presented to another party.
In this specific context, the word carries sharp irony. The prophet describes Israel’s attempt to appease God with lavish sacrifices while simultaneously rejecting His laws. The text highlights that their "gifts" are rejected because they stem from rebellion rather than genuine devotion. This single usage underscores a recurring biblical theme: ritual offerings are meaningless if disconnected from righteous living.
Translators typically render havhav as "gift" or "offering," preserving the neutral sense of the object while allowing the surrounding narrative to convey the negative judgment. The rarity of the word focuses attention entirely on Hosea’s critique of empty religiosity.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word havhav simply means a gift or offering. In Hosea 8:13, it describes sacrifices that God rejects because they are disconnected from obedience. This reminds us that ritual alone is empty without a heart aligned with His will.
For your faith life, this word invites honest self-examination. Are our acts of service and worship genuine expressions of love, or merely habits? True devotion flows from trust in God, not just external performance. Let this truth encourage you to seek sincerity over spectacle in your daily walk with Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- gifts/ my1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַבְהָבַ֗/י1×
Key Verses
-
Hosea 8:13
As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it, but Yahweh doesn’t accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins. They will return to Egypt.
This verse shows the word havhav used ironically to describe offerings that God rejects due to Israel's rebellion.