Chabab is a rare and tender verb meaning to love or cherish, with the physical imagery of holding close to the bosom or breast. It appears only in Deuteronomy 33:3 in Moses' final blessing: 'Surely he loves [chabab] the peoples.' The word suggests an intimate, nurturing love — the kind a parent shows by holding a child to their chest. It is distinct from ahab (love in general) and chesed (covenant loyalty) — it emphasizes the physical tenderness of divine affection.
Chabab reveals God as a God of tender, physical closeness. Moses' departing word over Israel is that God cherishes the peoples — holds them close. The related noun cheyq (bosom/chest) appears when Moses carries the people 'as a nurse carries an infant' (Num 11:12). John the Beloved Apostle reclined in Jesus' bosom at the Last Supper (Jn 13:23). The Incarnation is the ultimate chabab — God drawing creation to His own breast in the person of Jesus Christ.