What Does the Word Hesed Mean?

Chesed (Hebrew: חֶסֶד‎, also Romanized ḥesed) is a Hebrew word that means kindness or love between people, specifically of the devotional piety of people towards God as well as of love or mercy of God towards humanity.

Is the word Hesed in the Bible?

Hesed is another one of those biblical words—in this case a Hebrew word—that translators have struggled to capture in English. And yet it's vital for understanding the way God relates to his people. It occurs some 250 times in the Old Testament.

What does loving kindness mean in Hebrew?

In the Jewish tradition, kindness is expressed with the Hebrew word chesed (beginning with a “ch” sound, as heard in the name “Bach,” and rhyming with “bless-ed”). ... The word means more than simply “kindness.” Often translated as “loving-kindness,” chesed means giving oneself fully, with love and compassion.