The Hebrew word ahavah (אַהֲבָה) is the primary noun for love in the Old Testament — denoting affection, devotion, and deep attachment between persons. It encompasses human love, family love, and especially God's love for His people.
Ahavah is the great word of divine love in the Old Testament, reaching its apex in Deuteronomy's repeated insistence that God set His love on Israel not because of their greatness but as a sovereign, gracious choice (Deuteronomy 7:8). The Song of Solomon is saturated with ahavah, celebrating the beauty of love as a gift from God — many waters cannot quench it (Song 8:7). The prophets portray God's enduring ahavah as unconquerable even when His people are faithless (Hosea 3:1; Jeremiah 31:3). This love finds its ultimate expression in the New Testament's declaration that 'God so loved the world' (John 3:16).