Original Word: עֶגֶב
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: `egeb
Pronunciation: ah-gav'
Phonetic Spelling: (eh'-gheb)
KJV: much love, very lovely
NASB: lustful desires, sensual
Word Origin: [from H5689 (עָגַב - lusted)]

1. love (concretely), i.e. amative words

much love, very lovely

From agab; love (concretely), i.e. Amative words -- much love, very lovely.

see HEBREW agab

Word Origin
from agab
Definition
(sensuous) love
NASB Translation
lustful desires (1), sensual (1).

[עָגָב] noun [masculine] (sensuous) love (on form compare Lag^{BN 143}); — only plural intensive שִׁיר עֲגָבֹים Ezekiel 33:32 thou art to them as a love-song. — For עֲגָבִים Ezekiel 33:31 read כְּזָבִים ᵐ5 ᵑ6 Co Berthol Toy.

Overview

עֶגֶב (‘egev) denotes a “sensual song,” “love‐song,” or music that stirs fleshly desire. The word appears only twice, in Ezekiel 33:31–32, where the Lord uses the image of a captivating performance to expose Israel’s superficial response to prophetic preaching.

Biblical Occurrences

Ezekiel 33:31–32 records the exiles flocking to hear Ezekiel:

• “They come to you in crowds, sit before you as My people, and hear your words, but they will not obey them. For with their mouths they show much love, but their hearts pursue unjust gain” (Ezekiel 33:31).
• “Indeed, to them you are like a sensual song of one who has a beautiful voice and plays skillfully on an instrument; they hear your words, but they do not put them into practice” (Ezekiel 33:32).

Here עֶגֶב is the striking term for the “sensual song” that entertains yet leaves the hearers unchanged.

Literary Context in Ezekiel 33

Chapter 33 marks a turning point: Jerusalem has fallen, vindicating Ezekiel’s earlier warnings (Ezekiel 33:21). The prophet is re-commissioned as watchman (Ezekiel 33:7–9), now charged to prepare a chastened remnant for restoration. Within this setting, the Lord laments that His people treat Ezekiel’s prophetic word as artistic novelty—pleasant like a concert, harmless like background music—while refusing obedience. The contrast between their polite attentiveness and their persistent greed highlights the deadly peril of hearing without heeding (cf. James 1:22).

Cultural and Historical Background

In Ancient Near Eastern society, professional singers and musicians entertained at feasts, banquets, and cultic ceremonies. Love songs, often erotic in tone, celebrated romance or sensual pleasure. Such compositions were prized for vocal skill and instrumental mastery, but they were not vehicles for moral instruction. By likening Ezekiel to such a performer, the Lord rebukes a generation that domesticated divine revelation, tucking it into the same category as leisure and amusement. Prophecy, meant to break hard hearts and call forth repentance, had been relegated to the level of secular entertainment.

Theological Significance

1. Hearing Versus Doing: עֶגֶב crystallizes the danger of passive religiosity—listening without obedience. The New Testament echoes this warning: “For not the hearers of the law are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified” (Romans 2:13).
2. The Deceptive Power of Aesthetic Religion: Beautiful form can mask spiritual death (cf. 2 Timothy 3:5). Worship that appeals to the senses yet bypasses the heart courts judgment.
3. God’s Grief Over Hypocrisy: The imagery of a “sensual song” reveals divine sorrow, not merely anger. The Lord desires responsive relationship, not detached appreciation of His word (Deuteronomy 10:12–13).
4. Prophetic Integrity: Ezekiel’s faithfulness is affirmed even when the audience misuses his ministry. The messenger’s task is proclamation; results belong to God (1 Corinthians 3:6–7).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Preaching: Pastors must guard against crafting sermons that entertain rather than confront sin. The goal is transformation, not applause.
• Worship Planning: Music should facilitate wholehearted devotion, not cultivate consumeristic taste. Evaluate lyrics and atmosphere in light of Colossians 3:16.
• Discipleship: Encourage believers to translate knowledge into obedience. Bible study that ends in discussion alone risks becoming today’s equivalent of עֶגֶב.
• Missions and Evangelism: When the gospel is reduced to engaging presentation, listeners may remain admirers, not disciples. Emphasize repentance and faith (Mark 1:15).

Warnings for Contemporary Discipleship

1. Digital Age Distraction: Streaming sermons and worship playlists can mimic Ezekiel’s audience—endless consumption without life change.
2. Celebrity Culture: Charismatic leaders with “beautiful voices” may draw crowds, yet the measure of fruit is obedience to Christ (Matthew 7:21).
3. Moral Compartmentalization: Just as Ezekiel’s hearers pursued “unjust gain,” today’s believers may nod at biblical ethics while retaining practices of greed, impurity, or bitterness.

Connections within Redemptive History

• Prophetic Tradition: Isaiah 29:13 similarly warns of lips that honor God while hearts are far away, anticipating Jesus’ citation of that text (Matthew 15:7–9).
• Christ the True Word: Unlike the “sensual song” that entertains, Jesus speaks as One having authority (Matthew 7:29); His sheep “hear His voice” and follow (John 10:27).
• Spirit‐Empowered Obedience: The New Covenant promise answers the failure highlighted by עֶגֶב—God writes His law on hearts (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:26–27).

Homiletical Considerations

A sermon centered on Ezekiel 33:30–33 can:

1. Illustrate superficial listening through modern analogies (concerts, podcasts).
2. Expose the difference between appreciation and submission.
3. Call for self‐examination: “Am I moved emotionally yet unchanged morally?”
4. Offer the gospel remedy: a new heart through faith in Christ, leading to Spirit‐enabled obedience.

Pastoral Counseling Implications

When counselees repeatedly acknowledge biblical truth yet remain unchanged, Ezekiel 33 provides diagnostic insight. The issue may be love of sin or fear of man rather than lack of information. Counsel should probe desires, apply the cross, and cultivate accountable steps of obedience (Hebrews 3:13).

Conclusion

עֶגֶב functions as a vivid warning against reducing God’s word to pleasurable sound. The Lord who spoke through Ezekiel still seeks hearers who tremble at His word (Isaiah 66:2) and, by grace, live it out in faith and obedience.

עֲגָבִ֔ים עֲגָבִ֤ים עגבים ‘ă·ḡā·ḇîm ‘ăḡāḇîm agaVimInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts