Strong's Hebrew: 2618. חֶ֫סֶד (Chesed) -- Lovingkindness, mercy, steadfast love, loyalty, faithfulness

◄ 2618. Chesed ►

Lexical Summary

Chesed: Lovingkindness, mercy, steadfast love, loyalty, faithfulness

Original Word: חֶסֶד
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Checed
Pronunciation: kheh'-sed
Phonetic Spelling: (kheh'-sed)
KJV: Hesed
Word Origin: [the same as H2617 (חֵסֵד - Lovingkindness)]

1. Chesed, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Hesed

The same as checed: favor; Chesed, an Israelite -- Hesed.

see HEBREW checed

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
see Ben-chesed.

Topical Lexicon

Overview

חֶסֶד (Strong’s Hebrew 2618) shares the same spelling as the far more common חֶסֶד (Strong’s 2617) that expresses covenant loyalty and steadfast love, yet this specific lexical form is unattested in the extant Old Testament manuscripts. The absence of occurrences does not diminish the theological weight of the concept behind the spelling; rather, it invites reflection on how the canon as a whole portrays God’s covenant faithfulness, mercy, and gracious dealings with His people.

Biblical Background and Conceptual Parallels

1. Covenant Loyalty – The Torah frames Israel’s relationship with the LORD around sworn promise (Genesis 15; Exodus 19–24). Where חֶסֶד appears (2617) it underscores the incontrovertible fidelity of God to His word (Deuteronomy 7:9). Even though 2618 is not textually present, the identical consonantal form evokes the same covenant resonance.
2. Saving Mercy – Psalmic literature repeatedly exalts יהוה’s “faithful love” that delivers from trouble (Psalm 136; Psalm 107). The spelling overlap signals that divine mercy is not an abstract benevolence but a pledged kindness grounded in God’s character.
3. Prophetic Assurance – Hosea, Jeremiah, and Isaiah confront covenant breach by highlighting divine חֶסֶד as both indictment and hope: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6). Although 2618 is unrecorded, its visual identity with 2617 keeps the prophetic call to covenant faithfulness before the reader.
4. Wisdom Tradition – Proverbs and Job confirm that genuine piety displays חֶסֶד toward neighbor, mirroring God’s own constancy (Proverbs 3:3–4; Job 6:14).

Historical and Jewish Reception

Early Jewish exegesis treated חֶסֶד as the defining attribute of the Holy One. Rabbinic literature elevates it above ritual precision, and Second Temple writings link it to eschatological hope. The Masoretic tradition, recognizing orthographic variants, transmitted both spellings but preserved the theological unity of the idea.

Christological Fulfillment

The New Testament identifies Jesus Christ as the incarnation of divine covenant love. Luke 1:72 celebrates the Lord who came “to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant.” Paul parallels חֶסֶד with χάρις (charis) when he writes, “But God, being rich in mercy… made us alive with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4–5). Thus the conceptual richness of 2618 reaches its climax in the person and work of the Messiah.

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Worship – Corporate praise should articulate God’s unwavering kindness, grounding assurance in His unchanging nature rather than fluctuating circumstances.
2. Ethics – Churches embody חֶסֶד when they practice steadfast compassion: caring for widows and orphans, forgiving offenders, maintaining faithfulness in marriage and community covenants.
3. Pastoral Care – Counsel that reflects divine חֶסֶד avoids transactional relationships, aiming instead at patient, covenantal love that mirrors God’s pursuit of His people.
4. Mission – Proclamation of the gospel extends the invitation to experience God’s covenant mercy in Christ, moving hearers from alienation to adoption.

New Testament Echoes

Although the Greek Scriptures do not replicate the Hebrew spelling, they echo its substance through repeated coupling of “mercy” (eleos) and “grace” (charis). Titus 3:4–5 trains believers to rest in “the kindness and love of God our Savior” that appeared in Christ.

Doctrinal Summary

חֶסֶד (2618) represents the written form of a concept woven through Scripture: the pledged, enduring kindness of God that governs redemptive history. The canonical narrative displays this covenant love from election and exodus to incarnation and consummation, calling every generation to receive and reflect it.

Links

Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts