Lexical Summary chamad: To desire, to covet, to take pleasure in, to delight in Original Word: חָמַד Strong's Exhaustive Concordance beauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, great delight, desire, lust, A primitive root; to delight in -- beauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, (X great) delight, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to desire, take pleasure in NASB Translation attracted (1), covet (6), coveted (1), delight (1), desirable (2), desire (1), desired (2), desires (2), pleasing (1), precious (2), precious things (1), took great delight (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חָמַד verb desire, take pleasure in (Aramaic חֲמַד (not in Syriac); Arabic  praise, eulogize, appove of; Sabean חמדם in gratitude [praise] there-for DHMZMG 1875, 595; 1876, 686) — Qal Perfect ׳ח Psalm 68:17; Proverbs 12:12; חָֽמְדוּ Proverbs 1:22; וְחָֽמְדוּ consecutive Micah 2:2; חֲמַדְתֶּם Isaiah 1:29; Imperfect יַחְמֹד Exodus 34:24; 2masculine singular תַּחְמֹד Exodus 20:16 (twice in verse) + 3t. (including Proverbs 6:25 jussive); suffix וָאֶחְמְדֵם Joshua 7:21; וְנֶחְמְדֵ֫הוּ Isaiah 53:2; Passive participle חֲמוּדוֺ Psalm 39:12; Job 20:20, חֲמוּדֵיהֶם Isaiah 44:9; — desire: a. in bad sense of inordinate, ungoverned, selfish desire, followed by accusative Exodus 20:17 (twice in verse) (E) = Deuteronomy 5:18 (Deuteronomy 5:18 b has תִּתְאַוֶּה), Exodus 34:24 (JE) Deuteronomy 7:25; Joshua 7:21 (JE) Micah 2:2; Proverbs 12:12; of lustful desire Proverbs 6:25. b. = take pleasure in, of idolatrous tendency Isaiah 1:29, so participle plural חֲמוּדֵיהֵם Isaiah 44:9 their delightful things (things in which they delight, see also Isaiah 44:11 and BevJPhoenician xvii. 1888. p. 126); לֵצִים לָצוֺן חָֽמְדוּ Proverbs 1:22 how long do scorners delight in scoring. c. less often in good sense, said of God לְשִׁבְתּוֺ ׳הָהָר חָמַד א, poetic Psalm 68:17; object the suffering servant of ׳י, Isaiah 53:2 no beauty in him, that we should desire him (choose him, be drawn toward him); passive participle collective חֲמוּדוֺ Psalm 39:12 his desired things, i. e. chosen, choice, desirable (see Niph`al); so probably Job 20:20. Niph`al Participle נֶחְמָד Genesis 2:9 2t.; הַנֶּחֱמָדִים Psalm 19:11; — desirable: ׳עץ נ לְמַרְאֶה Genesis 2:9, לְהַשְׂכִּיל ׳נ Genesis 3:6, מִזָּהָב ׳הַנֶּח Psalm 19:11 which are more desirable than gold; אוֺצָר נֶחְמָד Proverbs 21:20 desirable, i.e. costly treasure. Pi`el Perfect1singular delight greatly וְיָשַׁ֫בְתִּי ׳בְּצִלּוֺ ח Songs 2:3 in his shadow I greatly delighted and sate, i.e. sate with great delight. [חֲמוּדָה] noun feminine desirableness, preciousness — Plural absolute חֲמוּדוֺת Daniel 9:23; חֲמוּדֹת Ezra 8:37; חֲמֻדוֺת2Chronicles 20:25 4t.; חֲמֻדֹת Genesis 27:15; construct חֲמֻדוֺת Daniel 11:43; — desirable, choice things i.e. garments Genesis 27:15 ("" בגדים); compare Daniel 11:38 ("" אבן יקרה), Daniel 11:43 (חֲמֻדוֺת מִצְרַיִם); = precious things Ezra 8:27 (as gold); ׳כלי ח2Chronicles 20:25; ׳לֶחֶם ח Deuteronomy 10:3; of man only ׳אִישׁחֿ Daniel 10:11,19, and, without אישׁ, אָ֫תָּה ׳ח Daniel 9:23 thou art a precious treasure (on construction see Dr§ 189, 2; see Bev and compare negative חמד Isaiah 53:2). Topical Lexicon Scope and Nuances of חָמַדThe root paints a spectrum that ranges from wholesome delight to illicit craving. Scripture uses it for what is “pleasant” to behold (Genesis 2:9), for treasures rightly valued (Psalm 19:10), and for coveting that violates God’s law (Exodus 20:17). Context alone distinguishes noble appreciation from sinful grasping; the same verb can introduce Eden’s beauty or Achan’s theft. Edenic Delight and the Fall Genesis locates the first occurrences. The trees were “pleasing to the sight” (Genesis 2:9)―an unspoiled capacity to recognize God-given goodness. In Genesis 3:6 the same sense is twisted: “the tree was desirable for obtaining wisdom.” The verb thus becomes a hinge between innocence and rebellion, illustrating how a God-installed appetite can be bent toward autonomy. Covenant Ethics: The Tenth Commandment At Sinai the Lord legislates inward desire: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house … wife … or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21). Unlike previous commands that regulate external actions, this statute exposes the heart. Later prophets review Israel’s breaches—Micah 2:2 indicts land–seizing nobles who “covet fields and seize them,” proving that social injustice springs from violated interior boundaries. Historical Narratives: Craving that Costs Joshua 7:21 records Achan’s confession: “I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak … and I coveted them and took them.” The act undermined Israel’s entire campaign. In 1 Kings 20:6 Ben-hadad threatens to take “whatever is pleasant in your eyes,” weaponizing desire to demoralize Israel. These accounts show חָמַד as a tactical fault line where obedience may either hold or collapse. Wisdom Literature: Ordering Desire Proverbs contrasts right and wrong longings: “The wicked covet the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous bears fruit” (Proverbs 12:12). Psalm 19:10 extols God’s judgments: “They are more desirable than gold.” Desire becomes an evaluative faculty harnessed by revelation; the fear of the LORD reshapes what the heart finds attractive. Song of Songs: Celebrated Delight In a book dedicated to covenant love, the bride sings, “I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste” (Song of Songs 2:3). Here חָמַד dignifies romantic and physical enjoyment within divinely sanctioned marriage, balancing the negative prohibitions elsewhere. Prophetic Reproof and Consolation Isaiah 1:29 foretells shame for those who “delighted in the oaks,” exposing idolatrous desire. Yet Isaiah 53:2 declares the Servant lacked the beauty “to attract us to Him,” indicating that redemption arrives in a form men do not naturally desire, confronting our aesthetic expectations. Daniel’s Visions: The Beloved of God Three times Daniel is addressed as “highly precious” (Daniel 9:23; 10:11; 10:19). The root shifts from human yearning to divine esteem: the prophet is the object of heavenly delight. The passages foreshadow New Testament teaching that God’s gracious regard, not human merit, defines true worth. Eschatological Hints Though Haggai 2:7 uses the related noun, the connection suggests an ultimate “desired” advent that will shake the nations. The verb teaches that final restoration involves rightly directed global longing, fulfilled in Messiah. Ministry and Discipleship Applications 1. Heart Diagnosis: Since חָמַד may denote sin before any outward act, preaching and counseling must address motives, not merely behaviors (compare Romans 7:7). Key Themes Interwoven • Desire is originally good yet easily corrupted. Representative References Genesis 2:9; 3:6 Psalm 19:10; 68:16 Song of Songs 2:3 Isaiah 1:29; 53:2 Daniel 9:23; 10:11; 10:19 Forms and Transliterations בַּ֝חֲמוּד֗וֹ בחמודו הַֽנֶּחֱמָדִ֗ים הנחמדים וְחָמְד֤וּ וְנֶחְמְדֵֽהוּ׃ וְנֶחְמָ֤ד וַחֲמוּדֵיהֶ֖ם וָֽאֶחְמְדֵ֖ם וּבַחֲמֻדֽוֹת׃ ואחמדם ובחמדות׃ וחמדו וחמודיהם ונחמד ונחמדהו׃ חֲ֠מֻדוֹת חֲמַדְתֶּ֑ם חֲמֻד֔וֹת חֲמֻד֛וֹת חֲמֻד֞וֹת חֲמֻד֣וֹת חֲמוּד֑וֹ חֲמוּד֖וֹת חִמַּ֣דְתִּי חָמְד֣וּ חָמַ֣ד חמד חמדו חמדות חמדתי חמדתם חמודו חמודות יַחְמֹ֥ד יחמד נֶחְמָ֣ד נֶחְמָ֥ד נחמד תַּחְמֹ֣ד תַחְמֹ֖ד תַחְמֹ֞ד תַחְמֹד֩ תחמד ba·ḥă·mū·ḏōw bachamuDo baḥămūḏōw chaMad chamadTem chameDu chamuDo chamuDot chimMadti ḥā·maḏ ḥă·maḏ·tem ḥā·mə·ḏū ḥă·mu·ḏō·wṯ ḥă·mū·ḏō·wṯ ḥă·mū·ḏōw ḥāmaḏ ḥămaḏtem ḥāməḏū ḥămūḏōw ḥămuḏōwṯ ḥămūḏōwṯ han·ne·ḥĕ·mā·ḏîm hannechemaDim hanneḥĕmāḏîm ḥim·maḏ·tî ḥimmaḏtî nechMad neḥ·māḏ neḥmāḏ tachMod taḥ·mōḏ ṯaḥ·mōḏ taḥmōḏ ṯaḥmōḏ ū·ḇa·ḥă·mu·ḏō·wṯ ūḇaḥămuḏōwṯ uvachamuDot vachamudeiHem vaechmeDem vechameDu venechMad venechmeDehu wā’eḥməḏêm wā·’eḥ·mə·ḏêm wa·ḥă·mū·ḏê·hem waḥămūḏêhem wə·ḥā·mə·ḏū wə·neḥ·māḏ wə·neḥ·mə·ḏê·hū wəḥāməḏū wəneḥmāḏ wəneḥməḏêhū yachMod yaḥ·mōḏ yaḥmōḏLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 2:9 HEB: כָּל־ עֵ֛ץ נֶחְמָ֥ד לְמַרְאֶ֖ה וְט֣וֹב NAS: tree that is pleasing to the sight KJV: every tree that is pleasant to the sight, INT: every tree is pleasing to the sight and good Genesis 3:6 Exodus 20:17 Exodus 20:17 Exodus 34:24 Deuteronomy 5:21 Deuteronomy 7:25 Joshua 7:21 2 Chronicles 20:25 Job 20:20 Psalm 19:10 Psalm 39:11 Psalm 68:16 Proverbs 1:22 Proverbs 6:25 Proverbs 12:12 Proverbs 21:20 Songs 2:3 Isaiah 1:29 Isaiah 44:9 Isaiah 53:2 Daniel 9:23 Daniel 10:3 Daniel 10:11 Daniel 10:19 28 Occurrences |
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