Modern Summary of Strong’s Concordance (1890)
The word "חֵסֵד" (chesed) primarily means kindness or mercy. It can also imply devotion or loyalty toward God and, less commonly, refer to reproach or beauty. The term is used to describe acts of favor, compassion, or goodness.
steadfast love; covenant loyalty (chesed)
The Hebrew word chêçêd fundamentally means "steadfast love; covenant loyalty (chesed)." It is translated in the KJV as "favour", "good deed", "kindly", "kindness", reflecting its range of use in Scripture.
Acts as a root form within the "from H2616 (חָסַד);" word family, giving rise to related terms across Scripture.
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."
In the Old Testament, chêçêd appears in contexts ranging from Psalm 23:6 to Hosea 6:6. The variety of contexts in which chêçêd appears reveals that its meaning is not confined to a single usage but expands across different literary and theological settings.
Its Greek parallels include δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē), ἔλεος (eleos), revealing shared conceptual ground across the biblical languages. Thematically connected words include χάρις (charis), ἀγάπη (agapē), דָּבָר (dâbâr).
The semantic range of chêçêd — spanning meanings like favour, good deed, kindly — suggests a word whose full significance cannot be captured by a single English term. As part of the "from H2616 (חָסַד);" word family, this term connects to a broader network of related concepts in biblical thought.
Compare with dikaiosynē
See how chêçêd and dikaiosynē relate across languages
View connection graph
Explore the network of words connected to chêçêd
Grace and Covenant Mercy study
Follow a guided study featuring chêçêd
Understanding Strong's numbers
Learn how H2617 connects to the original text
Word roots in the Bible
Discover how root words shape meaning across Scripture
Lexical data derived from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. See full disclaimer
Word DNA
Origin
This word acts as a root form.
Word Family
from H2616 (חָסַד);Morphology
Pronunciation: kheh'-sed
Key Connections
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Meaning Layers
This word carries distinct senses across different contexts.
How This Word Behaves
Selected distinct patterns of usage found in Scripture.
Scripture Occurrences
Selected verses where this word appears in the KJV.
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."
"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."
"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not."
"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?"
"For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."
Connection Map
Nearest neighbors in the lexical network.
Compare This Word
Explore how chêçêd relates to similar or contrasting biblical words.
δικαιοσύνη
dikaiosynē
equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification
ἔλεος
eleos
compassion (human or divine, especially active)
χάρις
charis
graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude)
Love, Grace & Mercy Cluster
Words that share the same theological orbit.
Continue Exploring
Follow the thread — discover connected words and concepts.
ἔλεος
eleos
compassion (human or divine, especially active)
ἀγάπη
agapē
love, i.e. affection or benevolence; specially (plural) a love-feast
χάρις
charis
graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude)
δικαιοσύνη
dikaiosynē
equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification
דָּבָר
dâbâr
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
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