Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Charles David Isbell" <cisbell AT cox.net>]

Hi Trevor.
Hava is from the root Y-H-B, and it is quite biblical, serving as almost a
synonym of
N-T-N, with meaning ranging from "to give," all the way to "grant" [give
permission]." (So if I want to be allowed to speak I will say "Ten li
ledabber.")
You are correct that it is an emphatic imperative. Its imperative form
follows other initial YOD verbs, like Y-Sh-B, in dropping its initial letter
before forming the imperatives. Hava often is merely an exclamation, "Come!
Give!" But followed by an imperfect form, it is often translated "Let us
..." So to say with gusto, "Let's sing," use "hava nashir." Biblically, look
at Gen 11.3, for example: Hava nivneh = "Come let us build."
Be well, and hava nilmad.
Charles