תְּשׁוּקָה (te.shu.qah)
te.shu.qah
desire
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun teshuqah denotes a strong desire, longing, or craving. Its most famous appearance is in Genesis 3:16, where God tells the woman that her desire will be for her husband. This verse captures a complex shift in human relationships, suggesting a pull or inclination that exists alongside the consequences of disobedience.
Lexical sources note that this word can describe a person’s longing for another, whether from man to woman or vice versa. It also appears in Genesis 4:7, where God warns Cain that sin is crouching at the door and its desire (teshuqah) is for him. Here, the term describes an intense craving that demands attention, much like a beast eager to devour.
While often translated simply as "desire," teshuqah carries a weight of intensity. It is not a casual wish but a powerful inclination. In both its relational and moral contexts, it points to a force that draws the heart toward something specific, whether that be another person or a dangerous path.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word teshuqah describes a powerful pull or longing that draws the heart toward something specific. It is not a casual wish, but an intense inclination that demands attention. In our daily lives, we often feel this kind of deep desire for connection, meaning, or even for things that may lead us astray.
Scripture acknowledges these strong feelings without dismissing them. In Genesis, the word appears in moments where human relationships and moral choices intersect. It reminds us that our inner drives are real forces. We can learn to recognize them, understand their direction, and seek wisdom in how we respond to what we long for.
This awareness invites us to look closely at what captures our attention. Rather than ignoring these desires, we can bring them before God. He knows the depths of our hearts and offers guidance for navigating the paths that draw us near.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- desire/ your1×
- desire/ its1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תְּשׁ֣וּקָתֵ֔/ךְ1×
- תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔/וֹ1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. You will bear children in pain. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
This occurrence highlights how teshuqah describes a relational longing that exists within the complex dynamics of human partnership after the fall.
-
Genesis 4:7
If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”
Here the word personifies sin's intense craving for Cain, illustrating how such desires can exert a powerful pull toward danger if not mastered.