How would you perform this search in Logos

I tried Smart Search and it didn't do the best job on this search.

What would be some aways using Logos non AI tools to search for every time King Ahab was connected to sadness or being displeased?

Or if you get better results using AI via particular wording in the search string that brings satisfying results, I'd be interested in that also.

Thanks!

Find more posts tagged with

Desktop App

Comments

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/255823/how-would-you-perform-this-search-in-logos

I used a Smart Bible Search and asked "Find verses where King Ahab could be said to be sad or displeased".

Three verses were returned in ESV, one reflected hatred.

It is a difficult one for a Precise Search

Dave Hooton

It is a difficult one for a Precise Search as I queried Search Assistant with:

> What Sense datatype relates to sadness or being displeased

Within the Sense datatype for Suffering, “sadness” appears as a related noun concept[1]. Additionally, sadness functions as a state of displeasure—one that can be emotionally appropriate and morally valuable when directed toward genuine suffering[2].

It’s worth noting that in biblical Hebrew, the word group rāʿaʿ (meaning “to do evil”) encompasses multiple emotional and circumstantial meanings, including “simple displeasure” alongside sadness and other negative experiences[3]. This linguistic flexibility reflects how ancient languages often used single terms to cover a broader emotional and experiential range than modern English allows.

[1] Jeremy Thompson, ed., Lists of Words and Concepts (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2020). [See here.]
[2] Jeremy A. Evans, The Problem of Evil: The Challenge to Essential Christian Beliefs (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2013), 45.
[3] G. Scott Gleaves, “Evil,” in Lexham Theological Wordbook, ed. Douglas Mangum et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014). [See here.]

> What bible passages show that king ahab was either sad or displeased

The search results reveal several biblical passages depicting King Ahab’s emotional displeasure:

After a military encounter, Ahab returned to his house in Samaria in a state of vexation and sullenness (1 Kings 20:43). More dramatically, when Naboth refused to sell him his ancestral vineyard, Ahab became deeply distressed—so much so that he withdrew to his bed, turned away from others, and refused to eat (1 Kings 21:4–5). His wife Jezebel noticed his emotional state and questioned why he was so vexed that he wouldn’t take food (1 Kings 21:4–5).

…

> Did you miss passages where he reflected hatred?

You’re right—I overlooked passages that reveal Ahab’s active hostility. Ahab explicitly stated his hatred toward the prophet Micaiah, saying “I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.” (1 Kings 22:8) This same declaration appears in parallel accounts, underscoring the intensity of Ahab’s animosity toward anyone who delivered unfavorable prophecies.

Beyond sadness and displeasure, these passages show that Ahab harbored genuine hatred toward those who opposed him or threatened his interests. His emotional range extended from sullenness and withdrawal (when denied what he wanted) to active hostility (toward those who challenged him spiritually or politically)….

============

The last follow-up query provided the third verse returned by the Smart Search. The suggestion for "sadness" as a Sense search i.e. (sense:sadness OR sense:"sadness ⇔ bitterness" OR sense:"to grieve ⇔ be swallowed by sadness") WITHIN 100 WORDS person:"Ahab (king)" did not return any results. When you inspect the passages returned by Smart Search you will see that "sullen", "angry" or "hate" are the emotional responses for a Sense query. So I constructed a Precise Bible Query: (sense:=sullen OR sense:=angry OR sense:="to hate") WITHIN 100 WORDS person:"Ahab (king)" that yielded a fourth passage.

Search Assistant also confirmed that "I cannot provide information about the specific “datatypes” or internal data classifications used within Logos Bible Software" and to use Help Center for this!