![]() ![]() What we really want is a loyal affection not driven by strict or begrudging obligation but by deep compassion. Affection can come and go, and it doesn’t satisfy our innate need to be loved without condition. When we long for love, what we are really longing for is khesed. Khesed is a kind of love you can depend on. When we come across such a large discrepancy in translations, this tells us that the Hebrew word is unique and can’t quite be captured with any one word.Īt BibleProject, we use our own translation of khesed, loyal love. Notice the different choices over generations: steadfast love, goodness, kindness, loving kindness, faithfulness, love. The NIV (1978) simply translates khesed as “love.” The NASB (1960s) translates khesed as “faithfulness.” The World English Bible (1901) uses two words in their translation, “loving kindness.” Young’s Literal Translation (1862) translates khesed as “kindness.” The Geneva Bible, from the same time period, uses this same word. The King James Bible (early 1600s) translates khesed as “goodness.” The Wycliff Bible (late 1300s) translates khesed as “steadfast love.”Ī modern translation, the ESV, uses this same phrase. ![]() The most famous use of khesed is in Exodus 34:6, where God calls himself “ compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in khesed and faithfulness.” Take a look at the different translations of khesed in this verse. And you can see this by how many different translations have been done for this important Hebrew word. Can you think of an English word that captures that meaning? Bible translators have been trying to figure it out for generations. It’s also a loyal commitment to be generous to that person for the long run. Khesed is a type of affection you have for someone, but it’s more than affection. There is no good English translation for the word khesed, as we don’t have a word in English that encompasses all of the nuanced meaning of the Hebrew word. That is why we spell it as “ khesed.” The “ kh” is to remind you to do that little back of the throat tickle. You may have seen this word before spelled as “ chesed.” The problem with this spelling for English speakers is that we will likely pronounce the “ch” like the beginning of the word “cheese.” But in Hebrew, the sound is in the back of your throat like you are lightly coughing. Let’s take a closer look at the word khesed. ![]()
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