Hebrew word · Strong's H2617

חֵסֵד

chêçêd · kheh'-sed · noun · “steadfast love, lovingkindness”

In a sentence

Chesed is God’s steadfast love — loyal, covenant-keeping kindness that does not quit. It is one of the Old Testament’s richest words for the faithful love of God.

Chesed is famously hard to translate: lovingkindness, steadfast love, mercy, faithfulness. It describes loyal love within a relationship — love that keeps its commitments even when the other party fails.

It is the heartbeat of God’s character revealed to Moses: “abounding in steadfast love (chesed) and faithfulness.” The Psalms return again and again to the refrain that his chesed “endures forever.” It is covenant love you can stake your life on.

Strong's reference

Definition: kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty

KJV usage: favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.

Reference gloss from Strong's Concordance (1890, public domain).

Key verses BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

Lamentations 3:22 “Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.” Psalms 136:1 “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His loving devotion endures forever.” Exodus 34:6 “Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,”

Original BibleDawn word study. Original-language data and the public-domain Strong's (1890) gloss are referenced; see sources.