The Meaning and Interpretation of Desire in the Bible: The Semantic Study of hmd and ‘wh Word Fields

The Hebrew Bible's desire term encompasses various human longings, emotions, and cravings, with two roots in the Decalogue denoting different needs and desires. An extensive analysis reveals that the verb form of the lexical root ??? signifies aspirations for God, while the verb form of ??? denotes material wealth and possessions beyond basic needs. The findings are compared on both human and divine levels, resolving questions about the meaning of desire in the Tenth Commandment and assessing the Bible's relevance to modern society.

Format: Hardback
Length: 262 pages
Publication date: 23 August 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

The term desire in the Hebrew Bible encompasses a broad spectrum of human longings, emotions, and cravings. While the direct and explicit term of desire is limited to only two roots found in the Decalogue—the verb forms of the lexical roots ??? and ???—it encompasses a wide range of needs related to human existence, including aspiration for God and the desire to acquire material wealth and possessions beyond basic needs. An extensive semantic analysis and overview of the synonyms and antonyms reveal that the verb form of the lexical root ??? denotes a variety of needs related to human existence, including aspiration for God. On the other hand, the verb form of the lexical root ??? denotes the desire to acquire material wealth and possessions beyond basic needs. The findings are compared on two levels—in relation to human beings (objects and people) and in relation to God—and ultimately serve for the interpretation of the roots in both versions of the Decalogue (Exod 20:17 and Deut 5:21) to resolve questions concerning the meaning of the desire in the Tenth Commandment and substantiate whether the answers to life's questions provided by the Bible correspond to modern society.

Weight: 540g
Dimension: 157 x 237 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793652874