Lexical Definition

‎חֵסֵד‎ chêçêd (kheh'-sed) kindness ^H:N-M
from ‎חָסַד‎

favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.

• kindness
• by implication (towards God) piety
• rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty

1) goodness, kindness, faithfulness
2) a reproach, shame

See Greek: δίκαιος · δικαιοσύνη · δόξα · ἐλεημοσύνη · ἐλεήμων · ἔλεος · ἐλπίς · ζωή · ὄνειδος · ὅσιος · χάρις · Βηθεσδά

Extended Information

• a reproach, shame

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎חֶ֫סֶד‎: 247 noun masculine^{2Sam 16:17} goodness, kindness; — absolute ‎׳‎‎ח‎ Gen 24:12 + 85 t.; ‎חָ֑סֶד‎ Gen 39:21 + 12 t.; construct ‎חֶסֶד‎ 1Sam 20:14 + 8 t.; suffix ‎חַסְדִּי‎ Ps 59:18* + 120 t. suffixes; plural ‎חֲסָדִים‎ Gen 32:11* construct ‎חַסֵדֵי‎ Isa 55:3 + 5 t. (Baer^{Jes p. 79} Ges^{«GKC:93»§ 93}, R, 1. F.); suffix ‎חֲסָדַי‎ Neh 13:14 + 10t. suffixes; (not in H or P). I. of man:

1. kindness of men towards men, in doing favours and benefits 1Sam 20:15; 2Sam 16:17; Ps 141:5; Prov 19:22; Prov 20:6 ‎יהוה‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ 1Sam 20:14 the kindness of ‎׳‎‎י‎ (such as he shews, Thes MV; that sworn to by oath to Yahweh Mich Dathe; shewn out of reverence to Yahweh Th Ke); compare ‎אלהים‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ 2Sam 9:3 ‎׳‎‎תּוֺרַתאח‎ Prov 31:26 instruction in kindness, kindly instruction ‎עָשָׂה חֶסֶד עִמָּדִי‎ do or shew kindness (in dealing) with me Gen 20:13; Gen 40:14 (E), 1Sam 20:14; 2Sam 10:2 (‎עִמִּי‎ in || 1Chr 19:2); with ‎עִם‎ Gen 21:23 (E), Gen 24:12; Gen 24:14; Josh 2:12 (twice in verse); Judg 1:24 (J), Judg 8:35; 1Sam 15:6; 1Sam 2:5; 1Sam 3:8; 1Sam 9:1; 1Sam 9:3a = 1Chr 19:2a, 1Chr 19:2b 2Chr 24:22 with ‎עַל‎ 1Sam 20:8 with ‎לְ‎ 1Kgs 2:7 ‎לפני‎ ‎׳‎‎נשׂא ח‎ obtain kindness before Esth 2:9; Esth 2:17 ‎׳‎‎היטיב ח‎ Ruth 3:10.

2. kindness (especially as extended to the lowly, needy and miserable), mercy Prov 20:28; Job 6:14 ‎אישׁ חסד‎ merciful man Prov 11:17 (opposed to ‎אַכְזָרִי‎); ‎׳‎‎מַלְכֵּי ח‎ merciful kings 1Kgs 20:31 ‎׳‎‎עשׂה ח‎ Ps 109:16 in this sense usually with other attributes (see also below II.

2.); || ‎אמת‎ Hos 4:1; Isa 16:5 ‎ואמת‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ Prov 3:3; Prov 14:22; Prov 16:6; Prov 20:28 ‎ואמת‎ ‎׳‎‎עשׂה ח‎ Gen 24:49; Gen 47:29; Josh 2:14 (J; RV gives thse under 1); || ‎צדקה‎ Hos 10:12 ‎׳‎‎צדקה וח‎ Prov 21:21 || ‎משׁפט‎ Mic 6:8 ‎ומשׁפט‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ Hos 12:7* || ‎חוֺנֵן‎ Ps 109:12 ‎ורחמים‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ Zech 7:9; Dan 1:9. — (On Hos 6:4; Hos 6:6 see 3 below)

3. (rarely) affection if Israel to ‎׳‎‎י‎ love to God, piety: ‎נְעוּרַיִךְ‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ Jer 2:2 priety of thy youth (|| love of thine espousals to Yahweh); possibly also ‎חַסְדְּכֶם כַּעֲנַןבֹּֿקֶר‎ Hos 6:4 your piety is like a morning cloud (fleeting), and ‎כִּי חֶסֶד‎ ‎חָפַצְתִּי וְלאֹזָֿ֑בַח‎ Hos 6:6 for piety I delight in and not in peace-offering (|| ‎דעת אלהים‎, compare 1Sam 15:22); — so Wü Now Hi (1Sam 15:4) Che; Ke Hi (1Sam 15:6) al. below 2 (or 1); — ‎נַנְשֵׁי חֶסֶד‎ men of piety Isa 57:1 (|| ‎צַדִּיק‎); plural pious acts 2Chr 32:32; 2Chr 35:26; Neh 13:14.

4. lovely appearance: ‎כָּלחַֿסְדּוֺ כְּצִיץ הַשָֹּׁדֶה‎ Isa 40:6 all its loveliness as the flower of the field (so Thes Hi De Che Di and others; but δόξα ᵐ5 1Pet 1:24 & gloria ᵑ9 favour an original reading ‎הוֺדוֺ‎ Lo or ‎כְּבֹדוֺ‎ Ew, see Br^{MP 375}; Du ‎הֲדָרוֺ‎). II. of God: kindness, lovingkindness in condescendig to the needs of his creatures. He is ‎חַסְדָּם‎ their goodness favour Jonah 2:9* ‎חַסְדִּי‎ Ps 144:2 ‎אֱלֹהֵי חַסְדִּי‎ God of my kindness Ps 59:18* in vPs 59:11* read ‎אֱלֹהַי חַסְדּוֺ‎ my God with his kindness ᵐ5 ᵑ9 Ew Hup De Pe Che Bae; his is the kindness Ps 62:13* it is with him Ps 130:7 he delights in it Mic 7:18.

1. specifically lovingkindness:
a. in redemption from enemies and troubles Gen 19:19; Gen 39:21 (J), Exod 15:13 (song), Jer 31:3; Ezra 7:28; Ezra 9:9; Ps 21:8*; Ps 31:17*; Ps 31:22*; Ps 32:10; Ps 33:22; Ps 36:8*; Ps 36:11*; Ps 42:9*; Ps 44:27*; Ps 48:10*; Ps 59:17*; Ps 66:20; Ps 85:8*; Ps 90:14; Ps 94:18; Ps 107:8; Ps 107:15; Ps 107:21; Ps 107:31; Ps 143:8; Ps 143:12; Job 37:13; Ruth 1:8; Ruth 2:20 men should trust in it Ps 13:6*; Ps 52:10* rejoice in it Ps 31:8* hope in it Ps 33:18; Ps 147:11.
b. in preservation of life from death Ps 6:5*; Ps 86:13; Job 10:12.
c. in quickening of spiritual life Ps 109:26; Ps 119:41; Ps 119:76; Ps 119:88; Ps 119:124; Ps 119:149; Ps 119:159.
d. in redemption from sin Ps 25:7; Ps 51:3*.
e. in keeping the covenants, with Abraham Mic 7:20 with Moses and Israel ‎שׁמר הַבְּרִית וְ(הַ)חֶסֶד‎ keep-eth the covenant and the lovingkindness Deut 7:9; Deut 7:12; 1Kgs 8:23 = 2Chr 6:14; Neh 1:5; Neh 9:32; Dan 9:4 with David and his dynasty 2Sam 7:15 = 1Chr 17:13; 2Sam 22:51 = Ps 18:51*, 1Kgs 3:6 (twice in verse) = 2Chr 1:8; Ps 89:29*; Ps 89:34* with the wife Zion Isa 54:10.

2. ‎חֶסֶד‎ is grouped with other divine attributes: ‎חסד ואמת‎ kindness (lovingkindness) and fidelity Gen 24:27 (J), Ps 25:10; Ps 41:11*; Ps 40:12*; Ps 57:4*; Ps 61:8*; Ps 85:11*; Ps 89:15*; Ps 115:1; Ps 138:2 ‎ואמת עם‎ ‎׳‎‎עשׂה ח‎ 2Sam 2:6; 2Sam 15:20 (ᵐ5, see Dr); with ‎אֶתֿ‎ Gen 24:49 ‎ואמת‎ ‎׳‎‎רַב ח‎ Exod 34:6 (JE), Ps 86:15 also || ‎אמת‎ Mic 7:20; Ps 26:3; Ps 117:2 || ‎אֱמוּנָה‎ Ps 88:12*; Ps 89:3*; Ps 92:3* ‎׳‎‎אמונה וח‎ Ps 89:25* ‎ואמונה‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ Ps 98:3 || ‎רחמים‎ Ps 77:9* ‎ורחמים‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ Jer 16:5; Hos 2:21*; Ps 103:4 ‎ומשׁפט‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ Jer 9:23*; Ps 101:1 || ‎צדקה‎ Ps 36:11* ‎׳‎‎טוב וח‎ Ps 23:6.

3. the kindness of God is
a. abundant: ‎רַבחֶֿסֶד‎ abundant, plenteous in kindness (goodness) Num 14:18 (J), Neh 9:17 (Qr), Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Ps 86:5; Ps 103:8 (compare Exod 34:6 J E; Ps 86:15); ‎רֹב חַסְדְּךָ‎ Neh 13:22; Ps 5:8*; Ps 69:14*; Ps 106:7 (ᵐ5 ᵑ9 Aq Targan, to be preferred to ᵑ0 ‎חֲסָדֶיךָ‎); ‎רֹב חֲסָדָו֯‎ Lam 3:32; Ps 106:45 (Kt ᵐ5 in both to be preferred).
b. great in extent: ‎׳‎‎נֹּדֶל חִ‎ greatness of thy mercy Num 14:19 (J); ‎׳‎‎נְּדָו֯וֺלחֿ‎ Ps 145:8 it is kept for thousands Exod 34:7 (JE), Jer 32:18, especially of those connected with lovers of ‎׳‎‎י‎, Exod 20:6 = Deut 5:10 for 1000 generations Deut 7:9 it is great as the heavens Ps 57:11*; Ps 103:11, compare Ps 36:6*; Ps 108:5* the earth is full of it Ps 33:5; Ps 119:64.
c. everlasting: ‎לעולם חסדוֺ‎ Jer 33:11; 1Chr 16:34; 1Chr 16:41; 2Chr 5:13; 2Chr 7:3; 2Chr 7:6; 2Chr 20:21; Ezra 3:11; Ps 100:5; Ps 106:1; Ps 107:1; Ps 118:1; Ps 118:2; Ps 118:3; Ps 118:4; Ps 118:29; Ps 136:1 (26 t.); ‎חסדךָ לעולם‎ Ps 138:8 ‎מעולם‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ ‎ועד עולם‎ Ps 103:17 ‎עולם‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ Isa 54:8 ‎אל כּל‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ ‎היום‎ Ps 52:3*.
d. good: ‎כִּיטֿוֺב חַסְדְּךָ‎ Ps 69:17*; Ps 109:21 ‎כי טוב חסדךָ מחיים‎ Ps 63:4*.

4. plural mercies, deeds of kindness, the historic displays of lovingkindness to Israel: shewn to Jacob Gen 32:11* (R); but mostly late Isa 63:7; Ps 25:6; Ps 89:2* ‎כְּרֹב חסִדיו‎ Isa 63:7, see 3 a; promised in the Davidic covenant Psalm Isa 89:50 ‎חַסְדֵי דָוִיד‎ mercies to David Isa 55:3; 2Chr 6:42 mercies in general Lam 3:22; Ps 17:7; Ps 107:43f. — ‎חֶסֶד‎ in proper name, masculine ‎׳‎‎בןחֿ‎ see below ‎בֵּן‎. On Lev 20:17; Prov 14:34 see ‎חֶסֶד‎ below II. ‎חסד‎.

II. ‎חֶ֫סֶד‎ noun masculine shame, reproach, only absolute: — ‎הוּא‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ Lev 20:17 (H) it is a shame (shameful thing); ‎לְאֻמִּים חַטָּאת‎ ‎׳‎‎ח‎ Prov 14:34 sin is a reproach to peoples.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References