חֶ֫סֶד
kindness
also: goodness, faithfulness fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Construct-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
94 distinct verses where H2617 appears in the Absolute state, across 27 books. Filtered view — show all forms. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Genesis 8 verses
- Genesis 21:23 כַּ/חֶ֜סֶד prep det + n c ms Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son. But according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land in which you have lived as a foreigner."
- Genesis 24:12 חֶ֕סֶד n c ms He said, "Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
- Genesis 24:14 חֶ֖סֶד n c ms Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink.' She will say, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.' Let the same be she who you have appointed for your servant Isaac. Thereby will I know that you have shown kindness to my master."
- Genesis 24:49 חֶ֧סֶד n c ms Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me. That I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."
- Genesis 32:10 הַ/חֲסָדִים֙ ptcl def.art + n c mp I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies.
- Genesis 39:21 חָ֑סֶד n c ms But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
- Genesis 40:14 חָ֑סֶד n c ms But remember me when it will be well with you, and show kindness, please, to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.
- Genesis 47:29 חֶ֣סֶד n c ms The time drew near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please don't bury me in Egypt,
Exodus 3 verses
- Exodus 20:6 חֶ֖סֶד n c ms and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
- Exodus 34:6 חֶ֥סֶד n c ms Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, "Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth,
- Exodus 34:7 חֶ֨סֶד֙ n c ms keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children's children, on the third and on the fourth generation."
Leviticus 1 verse
Numbers 1 verse
Deuteronomy 3 verses
- Deuteronomy 5:10 חֶ֖סֶד n c ms and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
- Deuteronomy 7:9 וְ/הַ/חֶ֗סֶד conj + ptcl def.art + n c ms Know therefore that Yahweh your God, he is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with them who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations,
- Deuteronomy 7:12 הַ/חֶ֔סֶד ptcl def.art + n c ms It shall happen, because you listen to these ordinances, and keep and do them, that Yahweh your God will keep with you the covenant and the loving kindness which he swore to your fathers:
Joshua 2 verses
- Joshua 2:12 חָ֑סֶד חֶ֔סֶד n c ms n c ms Now therefore, please swear to me by Yahweh, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a true token;
- Joshua 2:14 חֶ֥סֶד n c ms The men said to her, Our life for yours, if you don't utter this our business; and it shall be, when Yahweh gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.
Judges 2 verses
- Judges 1:24 חָֽסֶד n c ms The watchers saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said to him, Show us, we pray you, the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.
- Judges 8:35 חֶ֔סֶד n c ms neither shown they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, [who is] Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel.
Ruth 1 verse
1 Samuel 2 verses
- 1 Samuel 15:6 חֶ֨סֶד֙ n c ms Saul said to the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you shown kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
- 1 Samuel 20:8 חֶ֨סֶד֙ n c ms Therefore deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you: but if there be in me iniquity, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?
2 Samuel 8 verses
- 2 Samuel 2:5 הַ/חֶ֣סֶד ptcl def.art + n c ms David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, Blessed be you of Yahweh, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him.
- 2 Samuel 2:6 חֶ֣סֶד n c ms Now Yahweh show loving kindness and truth to you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because you have done this thing.
- 2 Samuel 3:8 חֶ֜סֶד n c ms Then was Abner very angry for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? This day do I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me this day with a fault concerning this woman.
- 2 Samuel 9:1 חֶ֔סֶד n c ms David said, Is there yet any who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
- 2 Samuel 9:7 חֶ֨סֶד֙ n c ms David said to him, "Don't be afraid of him; for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore you all the land of Saul your father; and you shall eat bread at my table continually."
- 2 Samuel 10:2 חֶ֣סֶד חֶ֔סֶד n c ms n c ms David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shown kindness to me. So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
- 2 Samuel 15:20 חֶ֥סֶד n c ms Whereas you came but yesterday, should I this day make you go up and down with us, seeing I go where I may? return you, and take back your brothers; mercy and truth be with you.
- 2 Samuel 22:51 חֶ֧סֶד n c ms Great deliverance gives he to his king, Shows loving kindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, forevermore.
1 Kings 4 verses
- 1 Kings 2:7 חֶ֔סֶד n c ms But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those who eat at your table; for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.
- 1 Kings 3:6 חֶ֣סֶד הַ/חֶ֤סֶד n c ms ptcl def.art + n c ms Solomon said, You have shown to your servant David my father great loving kindness, according as he walked before you in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you; and you have kept for him this great loving kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
- 1 Kings 8:23 וְֽ/הַ/חֶ֔סֶד conj + ptcl def.art + n c ms and he said, Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants, who walk before you with all their heart;
- 1 Kings 20:31 חֶ֖סֶד n c ms His servants said to him, See now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, we pray you, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save your life.
1 Chronicles 1 verse
2 Chronicles 3 verses
- 2 Chronicles 1:8 חֶ֣סֶד n c ms Solomon said to God, You have shown great loving kindness to David my father, and have made me king in his place.
- 2 Chronicles 6:14 וְֽ/הַ/חֶ֔סֶד conj + ptcl def.art + n c ms and he said, Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven, or on earth; who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants, who walk before you with all their heart;
- 2 Chronicles 24:22 הַ/חֶ֨סֶד֙ ptcl def.art + n c ms Thus Joash the king didn't remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son. When he died, he said, Yahweh look on it, and require it.
Ezra 2 verses
- Ezra 7:28 חֶ֗סֶד n c ms and has extended loving kindness to me before the king, and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty princes. I was strengthened according to the hand of Yahweh my God on me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
- Ezra 9:9 חֶ֡סֶד n c ms For we are bondservants; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the ruins of it, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 3 verses
- Nehemiah 1:5 וָ/חֶ֔סֶד conj + n c ms and said, I beg you, Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments:
- Nehemiah 9:17 ו/חסד חֶ֖סֶד conj + n c ms n c ms and refused to obey, neither were mindful of your wonders that you did among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and didn't forsake them.
- Nehemiah 9:32 וְ/הַ/חֶסֶד֒ conj + ptcl def.art + n c ms Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keep covenant and loving kindness, don't let all the travail seem little before you, that has come on us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria to this day.
Esther 2 verses
- Esther 2:9 חֶ֣סֶד n c ms The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her things for her purification, with her portions, and the seven maidens who were meet to be given her out of the king's house: and he removed her and her maidens to the best place of the house of the women.
- Esther 2:17 וָ/חֶ֛סֶד conj + n c ms The king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Job 3 verses
- Job 6:14 חָ֑סֶד n c ms "To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend; Even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
- Job 10:12 וָ֭/חֶסֶד conj + n c ms You have granted me life and loving kindness. Your visitation has preserved my spirit.
- Job 37:13 לְ֝/חֶ֗סֶד prep + n c ms Whether it is for correction, or for his land, Or for loving kindness, that he causes it to come.
Psalms 19 verses
- Psalms 18:50 חֶ֨סֶד n c ms He gives great deliverance to his king, And shows loving kindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, forevermore.
- Psalms 23:6 וָ/חֶ֣סֶד conj + n c ms Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell in Yahweh's house forever.
- Psalms 25:10 חֶ֣סֶד n c ms All the paths of Yahweh are loving kindness and truth To such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
- Psalms 32:10 חֶ֝֗סֶד n c ms Many sorrows shall be to the wicked, But he who trusts in Yahweh, loving kindness shall surround him.
- Psalms 61:7 חֶ֥סֶד n c ms He shall be enthroned in God's presence forever. Appoint your loving kindness and truth, that they may preserve him.
- Psalms 62:12 חָ֑סֶד n c ms Also to you, Lord, belongs loving kindness, For you reward every man according to his work.
- Psalms 85:10 חֶֽסֶד n c ms Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
- Psalms 86:5 חֶ֝֗סֶד n c ms For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; Abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you.
- Psalms 86:15 חֶ֥סֶד n c ms But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, Slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.
- Psalms 89:2 חֶ֣סֶד n c ms I indeed declare, "Love stands firm forever. You established the heavens. Your faithfulness is in them."
- Psalms 89:14 חֶ֥סֶד n c ms Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Loving kindness and truth go before your face.
- Psalms 101:1 חֶֽסֶד n c ms I will sing of loving kindness and justice. To you, Yahweh, I will sing praises.
- Psalms 103:4 חֶ֣סֶד n c ms Who redeems your life from destruction; Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies;
- Psalms 103:8 חָֽסֶד n c ms Yahweh is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
- Psalms 109:12 חָ֑סֶד n c ms Let there be none to extend kindness to him, Neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children.
- Psalms 109:16 חָ֥סֶד n c ms Because he didn't remember to show kindness, But persecuted the poor and needy man, The broken in heart, to kill them.
- Psalms 130:7 הַ/חֶ֑סֶד ptcl def.art + n c ms Israel, hope in Yahweh, For with Yahweh there is loving kindness. With him is abundant redemption.
- Psalms 141:5 חֶ֡סֶד n c ms Let the righteous strike me, it is kindness; Let him reprove me, it is like oil on the head; Don't let my head refuse it; Yet my prayer is always against evil deeds.
- Psalms 145:8 חָֽסֶד n c ms Yahweh is gracious, merciful, Slow to anger, and of great loving kindness.
Proverbs 7 verses
- Proverbs 3:3 חֶ֥סֶד n c ms Don't let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
- Proverbs 11:17 חָ֑סֶד n c ms The merciful man does good to his own soul, But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
- Proverbs 14:22 וְ/חֶ֥סֶד conj + n c ms Don't they go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.
- Proverbs 16:6 בְּ/חֶ֣סֶד prep + n c ms By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for. By the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil.
- Proverbs 20:28 חֶ֣סֶד בַּ/חֶ֣סֶד n c ms prep det + n c ms Love and faithfulness keep the king safe. His throne is sustained by love.
- Proverbs 21:21 וָ/חָ֑סֶד conj + n c ms He who follows after righteousness and kindness Finds life, righteousness, and honor.
- Proverbs 31:26 חֶ֝֗סֶד n c ms She opens her mouth with wisdom. Faithful instruction is on her tongue.
Isaiah 2 verses
- Isaiah 16:5 בַּ/חֶ֨סֶד֙ prep det + n c ms A throne shall be established in loving kindness; and one shall sit thereon in truth, in the tent of David, judging, and seeking justice, and swift to do righteousness.
- Isaiah 57:1 חֶ֤סֶד n c ms The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come].
Jeremiah 4 verses
- Jeremiah 9:24 חֶ֛סֶד n c ms but let him who glories glory in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am Yahweh who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, says Yahweh.
- Jeremiah 16:5 הַ/חֶ֖סֶד ptcl def.art + n c ms For thus says Yahweh, Don't enter into the house of mourning, neither go to lament, neither bemoan them; for I have taken away my peace from this people, says Yahweh, even loving kindness and tender mercies.
- Jeremiah 31:3 חָֽסֶד n c ms Yahweh appeared of old to me, [saying], Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you.
- Jeremiah 32:18 חֶ֨סֶד֙ n c ms who show loving kindness to thousands, and recompense the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them; the great, the mighty God, Yahweh of Hosts is his name;
Daniel 2 verses
- Daniel 1:9 לְ/חֶ֖סֶד prep + n c ms Now God made Daniel to find kindness and compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs.
- Daniel 9:4 וְֽ/הַ/חֶ֔סֶד conj + ptcl def.art + n c ms I prayed to Yahweh my God, and made confession, and said, Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments,
Hosea 5 verses
- Hosea 2:19 וּ/בְ/חֶ֖סֶד conj + prep + n c ms I will betroth you to me forever. Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion.
- Hosea 4:1 חֶ֛סֶד n c ms Hear the word of Yahweh, you children of Israel; For Yahweh has a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "Indeed there is no truth, Nor goodness, Nor knowledge of God in the land.
- Hosea 6:6 חֶ֥סֶד n c ms For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
- Hosea 10:12 חֶ֔סֶד n c ms Sow to yourselves in righteousness, Reap according to kindness. Break up your fallow ground; For it is time to seek Yahweh, Until he comes and rains righteousness on you.
- Hosea 12:6 חֶ֤סֶד n c ms Therefore turn to your God. Keep kindness and justice, And wait for your God continually.
Joel 1 verse
Jonah 1 verse
Micah 3 verses
- Micah 6:8 חֶ֔סֶד n c ms He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, To love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
- Micah 7:18 חֶ֖סֶד n c ms Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, And passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn't retain his anger forever, Because he delights in loving kindness.
- Micah 7:20 חֶ֖סֶד n c ms You will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, As you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
Zechariah 1 verse
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
At its core, חסד (chêçêd) means “kindness.” The word gravitates to Psalms (53%), then Genesis and 2 Samuel. It turns up in 241 verses across 28 books, a common footprint. Not a single-sense word: its full sense range also takes in “goodness” and “faithfulness”. Older and newer Bibles part ways — “mercy” in the King James Version, “loving devotion” (Berean Standard Bible) and “covenant faithfulness” (unfoldingWord Literal Text) in modern versions. See the renderings breakdown. Dig into 241-verse concordance and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H2617 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 241
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 241 distinct verses.
- 28 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 28 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #191
- by frequency
- Top 250 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 191 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 241 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 241 distinct verses.
- Writings (Ketuvim) 171 verses · 71%
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 49 verses · 20%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 21 verses · 9%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 2 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Mercy 118×, Kindness 29×, Lovingkindness 16×
- American Standard Version†: Lovingkindness 127×, Kindness 24×, Lovingkindnesses 7×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Loving devotion 163×, Kindness 30×, According to your loving devotion 6×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Covenant faithfulness 170×, Kindness 25×, Covenant faithfulness of 11×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H2617 across 248† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 45 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H2617 across 245† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 56 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H2617 across 247† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 23 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H2617 across 247† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 22 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
19 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 19 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
חסד I
- I. of man:
- 1. kindness of men towards men, in doing favours and benefits 1 S 20:15; 2 S 16:17 ψ 141:5 Pr 19:22; 20:6; ח׳ יהוה 1 S 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), cf. ח׳ אלהים 2 S 9:3; תּוֹרַת־ח׳ Pr 31:26 instruction in kindness, kindly instruction עָשָׂה חֶסֶד עִמָּדִי do or shew kindness (in dealing) with me Gn 20:13; 40:14 (E), 1 S 20:14; 2 S 10:2 (עִמִּי in ‖ 1 Ch 19:2); c. עִם Gn 21:23 (E), 24:12, 14; Jos 2:12(×2) Ju 1:24 (J), 8:35; 1 S 15:6; 2 S 2:5; 3:8; 9:1, 3, 7, 10:2a = 1 Ch 19:2a, 1 Ch 19:2b; 2 Ch 24:22; c. עַל 1 S 20:8; c. לְ 1 K 2:7; נשׂא ח׳ לפני obtain kindness before Est 2:9, 17; היטיב ח׳ Ru 3:10. e.g. 1 Samuel 20:15
- 2. kindness (especially as extended to the lowly, needy and miserable), mercy Pr 20:28; Jb 6:14; אישׁ חסד merciful man Pr 11:17 (opp. אַכְזָרִי); מַלְכֵי ח׳ merciful kings 1 K 20:31; עשׂה ח׳ ψ 109:16; in this sense usually with other attributes (v. also infr. II. 2); ‖ אמת Ho 4:1; Is 16:5; ח׳ ואמת Pr 3:3; 14:22; 16:6; 20:28; עשׂה ח׳ ואמת Gn 24:49; 47:29; Jos 2:14 (J; RV gives these under 1); ‖ צדקה Ho 10:12; צדקה וח׳ Pr 21:21; ‖ משׁפט Mi 6:8; ח׳ ומשׁפט Ho 12:7; ‖ חוֹנֵן ψ 109:12; ח׳ ורחמים Zc 7:9 Dn 1:9.—(On Ho 6:4, 6 v. 3 infr.) e.g. Proverbs 20:28
- 3. (rarely) affection of Isr. to י׳, love to God, piety: ח׳ נְעוּרַיִךְ Je 2:2 piety of thy youth (‖ love of thine espousals to Yahweh); poss. also חַסְדְּכֶם כַּעֲנַן־בֹּקֶר Ho 6:4 your piety is like a morning cloud (fleeting), and כִּי חֶסֶד חָפַצְתִּי וְלאֹ־זָ֑בַח Ho 6:6 for piety I delight in and not in peace-offering (‖ דעת אלהים, cf. 1 S 15:22);—so Wü Now Hi (v 4) Che; Ke Hi (v 6) al. sub 2 (or 1);—אַנְשֵׁי חֶסֶד men of piety Is 57:1 (‖ צַדִּיק); pl. pious acts 2 Ch 32:32; 35:26; Ne 13:14. e.g. Jeremiah 2:2
- 4. lovely appearance: כָּל־חַסְדּוֹ כְּצִיץ הַשָּׂדֶה Is 40:6 all its loveliness as the flower of the field (so Thes Hi De Che Di al.; but δόξα 𝔊 1 Pet 1:24 & gloria 𝔙 favour an original reading הוֹדוֹ Lo or כְּבֹדוֹ Ew, see BrMP 375; Du הֲדָרוֹ). e.g. Isaiah 40:6
- II. of God: kindness, lovingkindness in condescending to the needs of his creatures. He is חַסְדָּם their goodness, favour Jon 2:9; חַסְדִּי ψ 144:2; אֱלֹהֵי חַסְדִּי God of my kindness ψ 59:18; in v 11 read אֱלֹהַי חַסְדּוֹ my God with his kindness 𝔖 𝔙 Ew Hup De Pe Che Bae; his is the kindness ψ 62:13; it is with him ψ 130:7; he delights in it Mi 7:18. e.g. Jonah 2:9
- 1. specif. lovingkindness:
- a. in redemption from enemies and troubles Gn 19:19; 39:21 (J), Ex 15:13 (song), Je 31:3; Ezr 7:28; 9:9 ψ 21:8; 31:17, 22; 32:10; 33:22; 36:8, 11; 42:9; 44:27; 48:10; 59:17; 66:20; 85:8; 90:14; 94:18; 107:8, 15, 21, 31; 143:8, 12; Jb 37:13; Ru 1:8; 2:20; men should trust in it ψ 13:6; 52:10; rejoice in it ψ 31:8; hope in it ψ 33:18; 147:11. e.g. Genesis 19:19
- b. in preservation of life from death ψ 6:5; 86:13 Jb 10:12. e.g. Psalms 6:5
- c. in quickening of spiritual life ψ 109:26; 119:41, 76, 88, 124, 149, 159. e.g. Psalms 109:26
- d. in redemption from sin ψ 25:7; 51:3. e.g. Psalms 25:7
- e. in keeping the covenants, with Abraham Mi 7:20; with Moses and Israel שׁמר הַבְּרִית וְ(הַ)חֶסֶד keepeth the covenant and the lovingkindness Dt 7:9, 12; 1 K 8:23 = 2 Ch 6:14, Ne 1:5; 9:32; Dn 9:4; with David and his dynasty 2 S 7:15 = 1 Ch 17:13, 2 S 22:51 = ψ 18:51, 1 K 3:6(×2) = 2 Ch 1:8, ψ 89:29, 34; with the wife Zion Is 54:10. e.g. Micah 7:20
- 2. חֶסֶד is grouped with other divine attributes: חסד ואמת kindness (lovingkindness) and fidelity Gn 24:27 (J), ψ 25:10; 40:11, 12; 57:4; 61:8; 85:11; 89:15; 115:1; 138:2; עשׂה ח׳ ואמת עם 2 S 2:6; 15:20 (𝔊, v. Dr); c. אֶת־ Gn 24:49; רַב ח׳ ואמת Ex 34:6 (JE), ψ 86:15; also ‖ אמת Mi 7:20 ψ 26:3; 117:2; ‖ אֱמוּנָה ψ 88:12; 89:3; 92:3; אמונה וח׳ ψ 89:25; ח׳ ואמונה ψ 98:3; ‖ רחמים ψ 77:9; ח׳ ורחמים Je 16:5; Ho 2:21 ψ 103:4; ח׳ ומשׁפט Je 9:23 ψ 101:1; ‖ צדקה ψ 36:11; טוב וח׳ ψ 23:6. e.g. Genesis 24:27
- 3. the kindness of God is
- a. abundant: רַב־חֶסֶד abundant, plenteous in kindness (goodness) Nu 14:18 (J), Ne 9:17 (Qr), Jo 2:13; Jon 4:2 ψ 86:5; 103:8 (cf. Ex 34:6 JE; ψ 86:15); רֹב חַסְדְּךָ Ne 13:22 ψ 5:8; 69:14; 106:7 (𝔊 𝔙 Aq 𝔗, to be preferred to MT חֲסָדֶיךָ); רֹב חֲסָדָו֯ La 3:32 ψ 106:45 (Kt 𝔊 in both to be preferred). e.g. Numbers 14:18
- b. great in extent: גֹּדֶל ח׳ greatness of thy mercy Nu 14:19 (J); גְּדָו֯ל־ח׳ ψ 145:8; it is kept for thousands Ex 34:7 (JE), Je 32:18, especially of those connected with lovers of י׳, Ex 20:6 = Dt 5:10; for 1000 generations Dt 7:9; it is great as the heavens ψ 57:11; 103:11, cf. 36:6; 108:5; the earth is full of it ψ 33:5; 119:64. e.g. Numbers 14:19
- c. everlasting: לעולם חסדוֹ Je 33:11; 1 Ch 16:34, 41; 2 Ch 5:13; 7:3, 6; 20:21; Ezr 3:11 ψ 100:5; 106:1; 107:1; 118:1, 2, 3, 4, 29; 136:1–26 (26 times); חסדךָ לעולם ψ 138:8; ח׳ מעולם ועד עולם ψ 103:17; ח׳ עולם Is 54:8; ח׳ אל כל היום ψ 52:3. e.g. Jeremiah 33:11
- d. good: כִּי־טוֹב חַסְדְּךָ ψ 69:17; 109:21; כי טוב חסדךָ מחיים ψ 63:4. e.g. Psalms 69:17
- 4. pl. mercies, deeds of kindness, the historic displays of lovingkindness to Israel: shewn to Jacob Gn 32:11 (R); but mostly late Is 63:7 ψ 25:6; 89:2; כְּרֹב חסדיו Is 63:7, see 3 a; promised in the Davidic covenant ψ 89:50; חַסְדֵי דָוִיד mercies to David Is 55:3; 2 Ch 6:42; mercies in general La 3:22 ψ 17:7; 107:43 f.—חֶסֶד in n.pr.m. בן־ח׳ v. sub בֵּן. On Lv 20:17; Pr 14:34 v. ii. חֶסֶד sub II. חסד. e.g. Genesis 32:11
- 1. specif. lovingkindness:
חסד II shame, reproach, only abs.
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. n.m. 2 S 16:17 goodness, kindness;—abs. ח׳ Gn 24:12 + 85 times; חָ֑סֶד Gn 39:21 + 12 times; cstr. חֶסֶד 1 S 20:14 + 8 times; sf. חַסְדִּי ψ 59:18 + 120 times sfs.; pl. חֲסָדִים Gn 32:11; cstr. חַסְדֵי Is 55:3 + 5 times (BaerJes p. 79 Ges§ 93, R. 1 F.); sf. חֲסָדַי Ne 13:14 + 10 times sfs.; (not in H or P).
II. n.m. shame, reproach, only abs.:—ח׳ הוּא Lv 20:17 (H) it is a shame (shameful thing); ח׳ לְאֻמִּים חַטָּאת Pr 14:34 sin is a reproach to peoples.
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from חסד (châçad) (H2616) — to be kind.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
חָסַד I
- (v. next w.) to be white, pure, charitable, graceful.—Part. pass. חָסוּד, fem. חֲסוּדָה, endowed with חֶסֶד, graceful. Keth. 17ᵃ (in a bridal song) כלה נאה וח׳ handsome and graceful bride. Num. R. s. 12; Cant. R. to III, 10 (not חסידה).
חָסַד II
- ; Pi. חִסֵּד, חִשֵּׂד [to scrape off,] (cmp. גדף, גרף) to jeer, scoff at, to shame. Ruth R. to IV, 8 שחִסְּדָן ברבים (or שחֲסָדָן; ed. Wil. שחשדן) he scoffed at them publicly (speaking ironically, with ref. to II Chr. XIII, 8); Y. Yeb. XVII, beg. 15ᶜ שחִישֵּׂד וכ׳ he jeered at Jeroboam; Gen. R. s. 65; ib. s. 73 שחסדם ed. Wil. (oth. שחש׳); Lev. R. s. 33; Midr. Sam. ch. XVIII שחִיסְּדָן; Yalk. Kings 205 ומְחַשֵּׂד.—Ex. R. s. 30 (ref. to Ex. II, 14) שחִיסְּדוּ וכ׳ when Dathan and Abiram sneered at him. Ib. בזה שחִיסַּדְתֶּם אותו וכ׳ with the very word (שופט) with which you sneered at him, I shall give him the rulership (משפטים). Pesik. R. s. 42 מְחַסְּדִים את שרה (not מחסרו׳) jeered at Sarah; a. e.—V. חִיסּוּד. e.g. 2 Chronicles 13:8
חֲסַד
- 1. to be put to shame (be whitened). Targ. Ps. XXXIV, 6 Ms. (ed. עצבו). Ib. XL, 15 (ed. Lag. a. oth. Ithpa.; some ed. ר for ד).
- 2. to shame &c.; v. infra.
- to jeer, blaspheme, disgrace (in ed. frequ. Pe.). Targ. I Sam. XVII, 36. Targ. Prov. XXV, 10 נַחְסִידָךְ Lev. (ed. נֶחְסְדָךְ); a. fr. [Some ed. ר for ד.]
- to be reviled, put to shame. Targ. Ps. LXXI, 24; a. e.; v. supra. Targ. Prov. XX, 4 (v. LXX).
חֶסֶד
- grace, kindness, love, charity. Sifra K’dosh., Par. 4, ch. X (ref. to חסד, Lev. XX, 17) שמא תאמר … ח׳ הוא if you will object, why did Cain marry his sister? (Answ.) It was an act of kindness (to secure the propagation of the race); Y. Yeb. XI, 11ᵈ top ח׳ עשיתי וכ׳ I (the Lord) dealt kindly with &c.—חוט של ח׳, v. חוּט. Succ. 49ᵇ אין צדקה … לפי ח׳ שבה charity is rewarded only in proportion to the benevolence in it. Ib. תורה של ח׳ a study of love (for its own sake); a. fr.—Ruth R. Par. 3, beg., v. חִסְדָּאָה.—Gen. R. s. 8 ח׳ אומר Charity said &c.—Pl. חֲסָדִים acts of kindness. Succ. l. c.; a. fr.; v. גָּמַל a. גְּמִילוּת. e.g. Leviticus 20:17
חֶסֶד ²
- Targ. Y. Lev. XX, 17 (v. Y. Yeb. Xl, 11ᵈ top, quot. in preced). Targ. Gen. XXXIX, 21; a. fr.—Y. Ab. Zar. III, 42ᶜ top; Y. Ḥag. II, 77ᵈ bot., v. גְּמַל; a. e.—Pl. חִסְדַּיָּא, חַסְ׳; חִסְדִּין, חַסְ׳, חִיסְ׳. Targ. O. Gen. XXXII, 11. Targ. Ps. CVII, 43; a. e.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 108 distinct written forms H2617 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 48 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H2617, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 5 — not the complete family. 2 of the same-root words are proper names (people or places). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 179 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 241 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 19:19
- Exodus 15:13
- Leviticus 20:17
- Numbers 14:18
- Deuteronomy 5:10
- Joshua 2:12
- Judges 1:24
- Ruth 1:8
- 1 Samuel 15:6
- 2 Samuel 2:5
- 1 Kings 2:7
- 1 Chronicles 16:34
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
