חֶסֶד
Loyal love, lovingkindness
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does חֶסֶד (ḥeseḏ) mean in the Bible?
חֶסֶד (ḥeseḏ) is a Hebrew word meaning "loyal love, lovingkindness". kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject. The word describes faithful kindness that reflects God's character. This term runs through the canonical themes of Canonical Anchor, Covenant, Kingdom.
Meaning
Covenantal loyalty and mercy—God's steadfast commitment to relationship despite human unfaithfulness.
kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty BDB: shame Usage: favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.
Why This Word Matters
The word describes faithful kindness that reflects God's character. Hosea 12:1-6
Wisdom requires embodying covenant loyalty, not merely intellectual belief. Hosea 2:14-23
Nehemiah’s confidence in prayer rests on God’s ḥesed, not on Israel’s worthiness. Understanding this term protects the passage from being read as a works-based appeal and anchors hope in God’s faithful, promise-keeping love that finds its fullness in Christ. Hosea 4:1-3
God’s chesed sustains Israel despite repeated rebellion and anchors hope in covenant mercy. Hosea 6:4-6
It reflects the relational faithfulness God Himself demonstrates and requires. Isaiah 16:1-5
It anchors forgiveness in God’s relational commitment to His promises. Micah 6:6-8
The throne’s foundation in ḥesed ties kingship to covenant faithfulness. Micah 7:18-20
Core covenant virtue demanded in return. Nehemiah 1:1-11
Central covenant attribute anchoring restoration.
Core covenant virtue lacking in Israel.
Defines covenant faithfulness demanded by Yahweh.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Old Testament Witnesses
Showing 8 of 251 occurrences in the biblical text.
Cross-Language Connections
Greek words that correspond to or develop the meaning of this Hebrew word in the New Testament.
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.