Hebrew Word Chesed (Hesed). The

¶ … Hebrew word chesed (hesed). The word hesed appears 248 times in the Old Testament the Blue Letter Bible internet search program is searched. It assignes OT # 02617 to chesed.

The Blue Letter Bible internet search finds that the following translations of the word chesed are made in the King James Bible (KJV): "mercy" is used 149 times, "kindness" is used 40 times, "lovingkindness" is used 30 times, "goodness" is used 12 times, "kindly" is used 5 times, "merciful" is used 4 times, "favor" is used 3 times, "good" is used 1 time, "goodliness" is used 1 time, "pity" is used 1 time, "reproach" is used 1 time and "wicked thing" is used 1 time.

This all adds up to a total of 248 occurrences of the word chesed in the Hebrew Old Testament. The above breakdown indicates the meaning of this word invokes the idea of an overt display of affection. By contrast to this, the translation to "reproach" and "wicked thing" indicates negative aspects of the word. God is portrayed in the Old Testament in many ways, and He has various attributes. Chesed is used many times to describe one of His favorite attributes.

Micah 7:18 says, "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy." Mercy is contrasted with anger in this verse. God's anger toward His people is short lived compared to His mercy. Mercy is an attribute of God and since he cannot change, he will always be a God of mercy. Mercy, truth, love and forgiveness are linked when in God and His attributes.

The extent of his love and mercy unfathomable to the human mind. In describing God's attributes, the Psalms use chesed more than any other book in the Old Testament (more than 125 times). Psalm 25:1 His describes his paths as mercy. God's lovingkindness is excellent according to Psalm 36:10. Psalm 86:5 causes mercy and truth to meet together in the Lord. Psalm 86:15 shows God as full of compassion and plenteous in mercy.

In Psalm 26:3 we are told that by putting the chesed of God "before our eyes" (by choosing to believe in the God's lovingkindness toward us via a heart of faith) we can walk in God's sure truth. Indeed, we as believers see that the Lord God is our Savior and is the source and fulfillment of all real and abiding love. That occurs in the world. In this way, we put the chesed of God before our eyes and in front of us at all times.

Psalm 107 gives an emphasis upon God's chesed. Chesed occurs 6 times in 43 verses. Verses 8, 15, 21, and 31 all read exactly the same way, "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" There is an emphasis upon God's goodness and unfailing love.

In Micah 6:8 the Bible says "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" In Micah 6, the Lord speaks directly through Micah. He has an argument with Israel. He uses rhetorical questions in order to cause His people to think the consequences of their actions.

Proverbs 21:21 explores this, "He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour." When God shows his love or mercy, he manifests this by a certain action. Other verses to consider are Proverbs 3:3; 11:17 as well as 20:28. Chesed occurs the first time in the Old Testament in Genesis 19:19. In context, the passage is one of God's decision to end Sodom and Gomorrah. But he spares Lot and his family in response to Abraham's pleading as an act of mercy.

Genesis 32:10 represents Jacob as realizing God's unmerited mercy This is also the issue in Chronicles 16:34; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalms 103:8). Numbers 14:18 portrays Gdd as longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression..." Moses begs for God's mercy and reminds Him of the surrounding peoples who will say that He is incapable of delivering on His promises. Instead of destroying the entire nation of Israel, God in his mercy spares Israel but declares that those individuals who have observed the wondrous works and disobeyed Him would not enter the land of Canaan.

Thus, God is seen as showing mercy on a national level but not an individual level for the nation of Israel. Again, unmerited grace and mercy is described for the nation as Moses and Caleb observe in verses 12, 20-24. This is also the case in Exodus 20:6; Deuteronomy 5:10; 7:9, 12; 2 Chronicles 6:14; Nehemiah 1:5; 13:14 and Psalm 25:10 where merited mercy is an issue. This is further seen in Psalm 136:1 where we find the key to unlocking a full meaning of the word hesed by identifying the parties involved in this reciprocal relationship.

In this way, we will the relationship to have existed in the first place. God is depicted in the Old Testament as full of chesed. His unchanging love, kindness and mercy are.