Lexical Summary chemdah: Delight, desire, pleasant, precious Original Word: חֶמְדָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance desire, goodly, pleasant, precious Feminine of chemed; delight -- desire, goodly, pleasant, precious. see HEBREW chemed NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfem. of chemed Definition desire, delight NASB Translation beautiful (1), choice (1), desirable (2), desire (1), pleasant (5), precious (2), regret (1), valuable (2), wealth (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חֶמְדָּה noun feminine id. — ׳ח Hosea 13:15 8t.; construct חֶמְדַּת 1 Samuel 9:20 3t.; suffix חֶמְדָּתִי Jeremiah 12:10; חֶמְדָּתֵךְ Ezekiel 26:12; חֶמְדָּתָם Daniel 11:8; — desire of Israel 1 Samuel 9:20 followed by לְ before object of desire; ׳בְּלֹא ח = without desire2Chronicles 21:20 (i.e. he lived as no one desired), see Öttli ᵐ5 (not ᵐ5L) ᵑ9; concrete: ישׂראל ׳כלחֿ 1 Samuel 9:20 and for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? so ᵐ5 ᵑ9 RV Dr; (>AV and on whom is all the desire of Israel?); compare כלהֿגוים ׳ובאו ח Haggai 2:7 (i.e. the desirable, precious things of all nations); elsewhere after construct as חֶמֶד; especially ׳כלי ח Hosea 13:15; Nahum 2:10; Jeremiah 25:34; 2Chronicles 32:27; 36:10; Daniel 11:8; ׳שְׂכִיּוֺת ח Isaiah 2:16, ׳אֶרֶץ ח Psalm 106:24; Jeremiah 3:19; Zechariah 7:14, compare ׳חֶלְקַת ח Jeremiah 12:10; ׳בתי ח Ezekiel 26:12; נשׁים ׳ח Daniel 11:37, apparently reference to some object of idolatrous worship, perhaps Adonis = Tammuz Ew Bev (Astarte, Meinh). Topical Lexicon Range and Unifying Ideaחֶמְדָּה circles around what the human heart finds irresistibly desirable—be it clothing, land, wealth, power, or a coming Redeemer. The word gathers the notions of exquisite beauty, precious value, intense longing, and cherished delight, appearing eighteen times from Genesis to Zechariah. Each setting spotlights a different facet of desire, inviting readers to examine what they treasure and why. Material Splendor and Royal Treasures Kings and conquerors accumulate חֶמְדָּה to advertise authority and invite awe. Hezekiah “had very great riches and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable articles” (2 Chronicles 32:27). Nebuchadnezzar likewise carried away “the precious articles of the house of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 36:10), and later Persian officials escorted temple gifts described as “two articles of fine polished bronze, as precious as gold” (Ezra 8:27). The prophets portray invading armies stripping Tyre, Nineveh, or Samaria of “your valuable houses” (Ezekiel 26:12; Nahum 2:9; Hosea 13:15), underscoring the transience of earthly riches. Covenantal Inheritance: The Pleasant Land Three passages call the promised homeland חֶמְדָּה, reminding Israel that the land itself is a gift to be treasured more than its produce. “They despised the pleasant land” (Psalm 106:24); shepherds “have turned My pleasant portion into a desolate wilderness” (Jeremiah 12:10); and prolonged disobedience left “the pleasant land desolate” (Zechariah 7:14). What God gives as a delight can become barren when His people treat it lightly. National Ambition and Political Desire When Samuel identifies Saul, he declares, “To whom goes all the desire of Israel? Is it not you and all your father’s house?” (1 Samuel 9:20). Israel’s longing for a king, though misguided in motive, speaks to a broader theme: nations gravitate toward visible symbols of strength and security. Daniel 11 twice links חֶמְדָּה to political power: first in royal plunder (“precious articles of silver and gold,” 11:8) and later in the end-time ruler who shows “no regard for the desire of women” (11:37)—a chilling portrait of authority severed from natural affection. Messianic and Eschatological Overtones Haggai 2:7 stands at the center of Christian meditation on חֶמְדָּה: “I will shake all the nations, and they will come with all their treasures, and I will fill this house with glory.” Historically it foretold the wealth that Gentile kings would contribute to Zerubbabel’s temple; typologically it lifts eyes to the One whom nations truly crave, the Christ who embodies every worthy desire. The writer of Hebrews (12:26–28) draws on the same shaking to point to an unshakable kingdom secured by Jesus. Personal Texture: Clothing, Regret, and Ships Rebekah outfitted Jacob in “the finest clothes of her older son Esau” (Genesis 27:15). The garments’ desirability set in motion a chain of blessing and exile, illustrating how envy and deception often ride on the back of what appears beautiful. By contrast, wicked King Jehoram “departed with no one’s regret” (2 Chronicles 21:20); he lived devoid of qualities anyone could prize. Isaiah adds an economic angle, announcing judgment “against every beautiful ship” (Isaiah 2:16)—luxury itself will not survive the day of the LORD. Moral Irony: When Desire Turns to Ruin Several occurrences place חֶמְדָּה in scenes of devastation, stressing that what sinful humanity prizes can become the very instrument of its downfall. Jeremiah 25:34 laments shepherd-leaders losing their “choice rams”; plunderers empty Tyre’s storehouses (Ezekiel 26:12); Nineveh’s endless treasure cannot avert collapse (Nahum 2:9). Desire divorced from reverence becomes destructive. Ministry Implications 1. Discern True Treasure: Pastors and teachers can press Haggai’s vision on modern hearts—only Christ satisfies global and personal longing. 2. Guard the Inheritance: Congregations living in lands of plenty must avoid Israel’s mistake of despising the “pleasant land.” Stewardship, gratitude, and obedience protect God’s gifts. 3. Warn of Hollow Wealth: The Chronicler’s and prophetic texts caution believers not to equate accumulation with blessing; riches without righteousness end in loss. 4. Shape God-Centered Ambition: Communities seeking leaders should remember 1 Samuel 9:20—national desire must align with God’s choice, not merely human criteria. 5. Cultivate Holy Regret: Jehoram died unmourned. A life stripped of qualities that others cherish warns every disciple to pursue character that will be missed, not possessions that will be looted. Thus חֶמְדָּה threads Scripture as both promise and peril, inviting every generation to anchor its deepest delights in the unchanging Lord who alone is worthy of all desire. Forms and Transliterations הַחֲמֻדֹ֔ת הַחֶמְדָּֽה׃ החמדה׃ החמדת חֲמוּדֹ֖ת חֶמְדַּ֣ת חֶמְדַּ֥ת חֶמְדָּ֑ה חֶמְדָּ֔ה חֶמְדָּ֖ה חֶמְדָּֽה׃ חֶמְדָּתִ֖י חֶמְדָּתֵ֖ךְ חֶמְדָּתָ֜ם חמדה חמדה׃ חמדת חמדתי חמדתך חמדתם חמודת chamuDot chemDah chemDat chemdaTam chemdaTech chemdaTi ha·ḥă·mu·ḏōṯ ha·ḥem·dāh ḥă·mū·ḏōṯ hachamuDot hachemDah haḥămuḏōṯ haḥemdāh ḥămūḏōṯ ḥem·dā·ṯām ḥem·dā·ṯêḵ ḥem·dā·ṯî ḥem·dāh ḥem·daṯ ḥemdāh ḥemdaṯ ḥemdāṯām ḥemdāṯêḵ ḥemdāṯîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 27:15 HEB: בְּנָ֤הּ הַגָּדֹל֙ הַחֲמֻדֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתָּ֖הּ KJV: took goodly raiment INT: son her elder goodly which her in 1 Samuel 9:20 2 Chronicles 21:20 2 Chronicles 32:27 2 Chronicles 36:10 Ezra 8:27 Psalm 106:24 Isaiah 2:16 Jeremiah 3:19 Jeremiah 12:10 Jeremiah 25:34 Ezekiel 26:12 Daniel 11:8 Daniel 11:37 Hosea 13:15 Nahum 2:9 Haggai 2:7 Zechariah 7:14 18 Occurrences |
    |