hesed

  • Bending the Word

    If a man takes his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace, and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people.  He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness, and he shall bear…

  • Hebrew Salvation

    Return, O LORD, rescue my soul, save me because of Your lovingkindness.  Psalm 6:4 NASB Rescue – The word translated “rescue” in this verse is halats.  In its various forms it can mean “to draw away, to take off, to withdraw, to plunder.”  It means “to rescue” only in one form found only in the…

  • Applied Hesed

    or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.  Romans 12:8  NASB Mercy/ cheerfulness – Paul completes his inventory of charismata with the phrase ho eleon en hilaroteti (“he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness”).  But the typical English translation presents us…

  • Love Test

    the one who does not love does not know God for God is love  1 John 4:8 NASB Not – This is a harsh verse.  It may not seem harsh because we are likely to modify its meaning.  We want to feel better about our efforts to meet its demands, so we lessen the impact…

  • Personal Hesed

    [The Lord] Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion.  Psalm 103:4  NASB Lovingkindness – This Hebrew word (hesed) has a great deal more in its full meaning than we can capture in an English word.  Our studies in the past have shown us its richer character.  It is…

  • Under His Wings

    But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.  Genesis 6:8 NASB Found favor – Now this is important, so pay close attention.  We have examined the Hebrew word hesed, discovering that it isn’t accurately portrayed by the single idea of “lovingkindness” or “mercy.”  That’s because hesed presupposes obligation established by mutual relationship.  Hesed,…

  • New Testament Commentary

    “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?”  Luke 10:36  NASB Proved to be – It’s a matter of DNA.  Spiritual DNA, in this case.  You would know that if you read the Greek text.  The choice for the verb here is…

  • Why Does God Save?

    Rise up, be our help, and redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness.  Psalm 44:26  NASB For the sake of – Let’s think about salvation.  Some Hebraic ideas help us clarify the notion that salvation is about forgiveness of sins and eternal life.  We should note that the Hebrew idea of salvation is associated…

  • Beating a Dead Horse?

    The LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.  So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians,”  Exodus 3:7-8a  NASB Deliver – Did God…

  • God’s Résume

    But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.  Psalm 86:15  NASB Lovingkindness – On this day after Christmas, take a moment and ask yourself if you could provide God’s résumé in a single word.  We could come very close with the Hebrew word hesed. …