What is Hesed? The Hebrew Word That Changed How We Understand Love
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What does 'Hesed' mean in the Bible?
Mercy, love, kindness, compassion, faithfulness, grace, beauty, devotion, friendship, benevolence – these are all quite different words, aren’t they? It may surprise you to know that they are all translations of one Hebrew word, ‘Hesed’ – and that sometimes all these variations can even be found in the same translation of the Bible!
It makes you realise that ‘Hesed’ is a rather tricky word to translate. And yet it is not a rarity: ‘Hesed’ is used over 250 times in the Old Testament, in several foundational verses.
Consider the closing verse of the famous Psalm 23:
‘Surely goodness and mercy (‘hesed’) shall follow me all the days of my life.’
The meaning of ‘hesed’, here, seems quite straightforward, but when you look at the wide variety of uses of the word throughout the Bible, it becomes less so. It is used across the Torah, the historical books, wisdom literature, psalms and prophets, in a whole variety of ways, that transcend any mere definition of love or mercy. It is therefore not hard to see why translators struggle so much to pin its meaning down.
So, should we just accept that ‘Hesed’ is simply untranslatable?
“Scholars generally agree that “hesed” stems from a root associated with kindness or goodness, though the precise origins are debated. In various Semitic languages, words related to “hesed” carry the sense of heartfelt generosity, loyalty, and deep concern for others. Its semantic range includes compassion, loyalty, favour, faithfulness, and mercy. These overlapping nuances distinguish “hesed” from terms that signify mere emotional attachment, showing it is an active demonstration of commitment, not just a sentiment.”
The Translator’s Conundrum: The Untranslatable Attribute of God
It was one of the leaders of the Puritan movement, Myles Coverdale, who first realised that there was no straightforward way to translate ‘Hesed’ into English. He was the man who published the first translation of the Bible into English after the work had been begun by William Tyndale, and when he came up against this tricky phrase, Coverdale got round it by coining the now-famous term, ‘lovingkindness’. Yet many scholars feel this is far from a sufficient translation for ‘Hesed’.
After all, there are some things that just don’t translate well from one culture to another (see our article on idioms to read about the challenges that cultural differences pose to Bible translators!). Originally the Old Testament was written in Classical Hebrew, which is a semitic language that doesn’t translate well into our Indo-European English language. This is because two languages come from different linguistic roots, use opposing grammatical structures and have very different cultural worldviews.
While English is a more abstract language using lots of colloquial phrases, Classical Hebrew is much more literal. If someone particularly annoyed you and you said, in Classical Hebrew, ‘He really gets my goat’, the listening ancient Hebrew would definitely assume you meant an actual goat!
At The Word for the World, we translate the Bible into people’s heart languages – the languages that speak directly to them - so it’s important that we use the most accurate and relatable words possible in Bible translations. These words must be easily understandable to the reader, but also convey God’s truth correctly. God gives us all the clues we need in His Word to understand the meaning of ancient words such as ‘hesed’, so let’s dig deeper to find out what this enigmatic word is really telling us about God and his love for us.
“One of the major challenges faced in translating the Bible is language barriers. Each language has its own unique structure, grammar, and vocabulary, making literal translation a complex process. Translators must strive to capture not only the words but also the intended meaning and nuances of the original text.”
Unpacking the Heart of God
We can see again and again in Scripture that ‘hesed’ is first and foremost a word that God uses to describe Himself. It is used 26 times in Psalm 136 alone, but perhaps one of the clearest examples is in Exodus 34 verse 6, when God says to Moses:
“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness (‘hesed’).”
As an action-orientated language, Hebrew is very physical in its use of words. Unlike in our gentler translations, ‘hesed’, is actually an action-orientated word, with the closest translation being ‘to follow’.
The Bible tells us that God’s love for His people is an active love that never ceases and always follows us, no matter what the cost. This explains why ‘hesed’ was created, for no existing word could encompass all of this! In Hebrew thinking, love without loyalty is weak, and kindness without commitment is worthless - but ‘hesed’ combines them both. So, perhaps Myles Coverdale was getting somewhere with his term ‘lovingkindness’! ‘Hesed’ can therefore be read as a rich, relational word that God uses to reveal himself to his people and to describe his unbreakable love for them. It is a word that is bursting at the seams – it’s almost too big to fit within the constraints of a few letters! It seems appropriate therefore that it should be used to describe God.
To put it practically, imagine you have made a promise to someone you love. ‘Hesed’ is not just about fulfilling the promise you’ve made, but going over and above it, because you deeply love the person to whom you made the promise, without your love ever being contingent on their performance. It is ‘hesed’ that Hosea shows to Gomer, that Ruth shows to Naomi, and that David shows to Mephibosheth.
Most importantly, it is ‘hesed’ that is at the core of God’s Covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17, and is then affirmed again and again in the generations that follow. It is ‘Hesed’ that God shows to his people when they fail him repeatedly, yet he remains loyal, because his covenant wasn’t ever based on their perfection, but on his steadfast character.
‘Hesed’ is a beautiful reminder of God’s true nature: that his love is unshakeable and his mercy has no limits.
“Hebrew has at least three words people translate as "love":
AHAVAH (אַהֲבָה) is affection, attraction, what you feel. Used for romantic love, food you enjoy, friendships. Closest to English "love."
RACHAMIM (רַחֲמִים) is compassion, from the root for "womb." Visceral, motherly tenderness. The gut-feeling kind of love.
HESED is none of those. It's the love that survives when AHAVAH cools off and RACHAMIM gets tired. It's structural. It's the load-bearing wall of the relationship.”[5]
‘Hesed’: An Anchor for the Soul
‘Hesed’ may be the Old Testament in a nutshell, but does it appear in the New Testament?
While the word itself does not appear in the Greek New Testament at any point, the gospel is rooted in ‘hesed’. As we’ve seen, ‘hesed’ describes God’s heart of love for his people: but on this side of the cross, we know that this was not just the Israelites. God’s desire is to restore his relationship with all humanity, and he did this by sending his Son Jesus. Jesus is the fulfilment of God’s covenant, and his sacrificial death was the ultimate act of love. In fact, the divine, selfless love exemplified by Jesus Christ has a beautiful Greek word all of its own: ‘agape’.
Capturing God’s love when translating the Bible is essential in any translation. Understanding the depth of God’s unshakeable, covenantal love is life-changing, which is why our vision is to translate the Bible into 1,000 languages that have never had Scripture before, by 2050.
“I never thought God’s Word would be spoken in my own language! It is as if God is speaking directly from heaven! God bless you for making this happen in my language and helping me hear the Word of God in the language of my heart!”
The Unconditional Love of God Shines Through His Church
Showing unconditional love is not easy. As Jesus taught, it requires us to take up our cross. Yet we have the ultimate example in Jesus. Just as Hosea, Ruth, David, and so many Christians today demonstrate ‘hesed’ to those around them, we want to show this love to those around the world who remain Bibleless. 1.5 billion people have no access to Scripture in their own language. Some of these people have oral cultures, some live in countries where it is too dangerous to own a Bible, and some communicate in sign language. We train indigenous speakers to produce written and oral Bibles, available in digital formats for those living in hostile regions, along with sign language Scripture. We want to show the love of Jesus to everyone in every nation.
But we need the support of churches and individuals who have a heart for Bible translation. Could you invite us to come and speak at your church, join with us in prayer, or donate to support our projects?
Let us be a people who shine with ‘hesed’, that the gospel may spread to all everyone.
‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.’ John 13 verse 34
