Original Word: חֶמֶד
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: chemed
Pronunciation: kheh'-med
Phonetic Spelling: (kheh'-med)
KJV: desirable, pleasant
NASB: desirable, pleasant
Word Origin: [om H2530 (חָמַד - covet)]

1. delight

desirable, pleasant

Om chamad; delight -- desirable, pleasant.

see HEBREW chamad

Word Origin
from chamad
Definition
desire, delight
NASB Translation
desirable (3), pleasant (2).

חֶ֫מֶד noun [masculine] desire, delight — absolute ׳ח Amos 5:11+ 4 t.; only after a construct; נְטַעְתֶּם ׳כַּרְמֵיחֿ Amos 5:11vineyards of desire (i.e. delightful vineyards) have ye planted; so read also Isaiah 27:2 (for ᵑ0 כֶּרֶם חֶמֶר) Manuscripts HCT ᵐ5 van d. H Lo Hi Ew De Di Che Du; so of fields ׳שְׁדֵי ח Isaiah 32:12; elsewhere of young men ׳בַּחוּרֵי ח Ezekiel 23:6,12,23 desirable young men = fine, attractive, young men.

Semantic Nuances and Imagery

חֶמֶד (chemed) evokes the idea of something prized, pleasant, or richly coveted. Whether portraying fertile fields, ornate apparel, or fine young men of military rank, the word always carries a sense of attractiveness that draws human desire. Because the term is morally neutral in itself, the surrounding context determines whether it speaks of blessing or idolatrous lust, celebration or impending loss.

Occurrences in the Prophets

1. Isaiah 27:2 presents God’s restored people under the figure of “a fruitful vineyard,” a prophetic picture of covenant blessing that will one day invite jubilant song.
2. Isaiah 32:12 laments the coming desolation of “pleasant fields” when Judah’s leaders ignore righteous governance; an object once called chemed becomes a symbol of judgment.
3. Ezekiel 23:6, 12, 23 uses the word repeatedly for “desirable young men,” describing the Assyrian and Babylonian officers who captivated faithless Israel (Oholah) and Judah (Oholibah). Here chemed exposes the allure of political alliances that replace reliance on the Lord.
4. Amos 5:11 warns land-owners who “have planted beautiful vineyards” yet will never drink their wine because they exploit the poor. Chemed stands as a reminder that possessions obtained through injustice invite divine retribution.

Historical Setting

Isaiah ministered during the eighth century BC, confronting Judah’s wavering trust between foreign coalitions and Yahweh’s promises. Chemed in his prophecies contrasts the delightful abundance God intends (Isaiah 27:2) with the loss produced by spiritual indifference (Isaiah 32:12).

Ezekiel, writing from exile in Babylon, exposes the northern and southern kingdoms’ centuries-long attraction to surrounding powers. The repeated chemed in Ezekiel 23 underlines how military splendor seduced the covenant nation, leading to the very exile Ezekiel was experiencing.

Amos, the shepherd-prophet of Tekoa, addressed prosperous Israel under Jeroboam II. Chemed designates the impressive vineyards financed by oppression—luxuries soon to be forfeited when Assyria invades.

Theological Themes

Delight and Desire: Scripture often portrays God Himself as the believer’s supreme delight (Psalm 37:4). Chemed shows how earthly delights become either gifts to be stewarded or idols to be shattered.

Judgment and Justice: Isaiah and Amos harness the word to warn that what people cherish outside the fear of the Lord will be stripped away.

Covenant Faithfulness: The “pleasant vineyard” of Isaiah 27:2 previews the Messianic age when the Lord protects His land, reversing the devastation that sin had wrought.

Human Attraction versus Divine Glory: Ezekiel 23 demonstrates that fascination with worldly power can never satisfy Israel’s calling to display God’s holiness.

Intertextual Bridges

Chemed belongs to the same word-family as the verb “you shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17), highlighting the heart’s tendency to grasp at what God forbids. The Septuagint often renders chemed with terms later used in the New Testament for what is “precious” (timios). Peter applies this vocabulary to Christ Himself, “a precious cornerstone” (1 Peter 2:6), inviting believers to transfer desire from temporal allurements to the eternal Son.

Ministry and Homiletical Applications

• Encourage congregations to celebrate legitimate blessings—fields, homes, and relationships—while submitting them to gospel priorities.
• Warn against the subtlety of covetousness; what begins as appreciation may degrade into idolatry (Colossians 3:5).
• Use Isaiah 27:2–6 to illustrate how God replants fallen people into a “vineyard of delight,” anticipating the fruitfulness Jesus describes in John 15.
• Let Amos 5:11 challenge social ethics: an economy that overlooks the poor forfeits the enjoyment of its choicest produce.
• Contrast the fleeting glamour of Ezekiel 23’s “desirable young men” with the enduring beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:2).

Pastoral Reflection

Every occurrence of chemed asks, “What captures your heart?” When the answer is the Lord, fields become fruitful, vineyards sing, and even exile turns into hope. When the answer is anything less, the most desirable objects sour into instruments of loss. The prophets, therefore, call God’s people to exchange lesser delights for the One who is altogether desirable (Song of Solomon 5:16) and to live so that the world may “taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8).

חֶ֕מֶד חֶ֖מֶד חֶ֜מֶד חֶ֣מֶד חמד Chemed ḥe·meḏ ḥemeḏInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts