English · KJV
H2331

חָוָה

châvâh /khaw-vah'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaning(compare חֲוָא, חָיָה); properly, to live; by implication (intensively) to declare or show
KJV usageshow.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châvâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word châvâh, represented by H2331, is a primitive root that means to declare or show. Though its base meaning relates to living, its intensive use in scripture is to reveal or make something known. It appears 6 times across 6 unique verses, primarily in contexts of communicating knowledge or opinion.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H2331 is used to describe the act of revealing something that is not immediately visible. In the book of Job, it is used five times, most notably by Elihu, who repeatedly states his intention to shew his opinion (Job 32:10, Job 32:17). He feels compelled to shew what he believes to be true on God's behalf Job 36:2. The word is also used poetically in Psalms, where the heavens silently communicate; "night unto night sheweth knowledge" Psalms 19:2, illustrating a non-verbal form of declaration.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help illuminate the concept of showing and declaring:

  • H1843 dêaʻ (knowledge, opinion): This word is directly linked to H2331 in the book of Job, where Elihu is determined to "shew" his opinion (Job 32:6, Job 32:10, Job 32:17). It represents the specific content being revealed.
  • H1847 daʻath (knowledge): In Psalms 19:2, the night "sheweth" knowledge, indicating that creation itself reveals divine wisdom and understanding.
  • H5042 nâbaʻ (to gush forth; figuratively, to utter): This word is used in parallel with H2331 in Psalms 19:2, where "Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge," contrasting audible utterance with silent revelation.
  • H5608 çâphar (to declare): This term appears alongside H2331 to reinforce the act of communication, as seen when Job's friend states, "I will shew thee... and that which I have seen I will declare" Job 15:17.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2331 is centered on the theme of revelation, both natural and personal.

  • Revelation in Creation: The most significant theological use of H2331 is in describing how the natural order reveals divine truth. The silent progression of night is said to shew knowledge, pointing to a form of general revelation accessible to all Psalms 19:2.
  • Human Responsibility to Declare Truth: In the book of Job, the word underscores the human drive to communicate wisdom and perspective, especially concerning God. Elihu uses it to frame his speech as a necessary declaration of his opinion on divine justice (Job 32:10, Job 32:17, Job 36:2).
  • Showing and Hearing: The act of "showing" is often paired with an exhortation to "hear," creating a call-and-response dynamic. One is to shew truth, and the other is called to hear it, linking revelation to reception Job 15:17.

Summary

In summary, H2331 is a focused and potent term for revelation. While used infrequently, it carries the specific meaning of declaring or showing forth intangible concepts like knowledge and opinion. From the silent testimony of the cosmos in Psalms to the passionate speeches in Job, châvâh emphasizes that truth, whether from God or from human understanding, is something to be actively and intentionally shown.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 6 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • אֲחַוֶּה
  • אֲחַוֶּ
  • יְחַוֶּה
  • חַוֹּת

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H1843 דֵּעַ from יָדַע; knowledge; knowledge, opinion. H1847 דַּעַת from יָדַע; knowledge; cunning, (ig-) norantly, know(-ledge), (un-) awares (wittingly). H5042 נָבַע a primitive root; to gush forth; figuratively, to utter (good or bad words); specifically, to emit (a foul odor); belch H5608 סָפַר a primitive root; properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to en

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 6 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job (5 verses); never once in the other 37.

5
Job
1
Psalms

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.