חָדָשׁ (cha.dash)
cha.dash
New (Gate)
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 43 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew word chadash describes something that is fresh, new, or recently made. It applies to tangible items like a new cart in 1 Samuel 6:7 or a newly built house mentioned in Deuteronomy 20:5. The term also covers abstract concepts, such as a new song sung in Psalms 33:3 or a fresh name given in Isaiah 62:2.
Its root implies a beginning that has not existed before. This sense of novelty appears when the text speaks of "new gods" in Deuteronomy 32:17, referring to deities previously unknown to the people. The word carries weight in prophetic literature, particularly in Isaiah 43:19, where God promises to do a new thing that will be immediately recognizable.
Translators often render chadash simply as "new," but the context frequently highlights freshness or vitality. In Job 29:20, it describes skin that looks fresh and healthy. The term distinguishes between mere age and genuine novelty, emphasizing a state of being untested or recently created rather than just not old.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word chadash points to more than just recent timing; it carries a sense of freshness and vitality. When Scripture speaks of new things, it often highlights a state that is untested or recently created, full of potential energy. This concept appears in everyday life, from the joy of a newly built home to the care taken with fresh supplies for a journey.
For your faith, this word invites you to notice God’s ongoing work. It reminds us that He does not simply repeat old patterns but brings about distinct, fresh acts of grace. Whether it is a new song of praise or a new beginning after hardship, chadash assures us that God’s creativity is active and alive in the present moment.
Even when circumstances feel worn or familiar, this term suggests that renewal is always possible. It encourages a posture of attentiveness to the fresh ways God moves, trusting that His actions are as vital and immediate as they are enduring.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 43 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- new28×
- <the>/ new6×
- a new [thing]2×
- [is] new2×
- new [things]1×
- new [thing]1×
- new [gods]1×
- and/ new [things]1×
- a new [weapon]1×
- a new1×
- [they are] new1×
- [the] new [harvest]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֲדָשָׁ֔ה5×
- חָדָ֔שׁ4×
- חֲדָשָׁה֙4×
- חֲדָשִׁ֔ים4×
- חָדָ֖שׁ3×
- חָדָ֑שׁ3×
- חָדָ֣שׁ2×
- חָ֭דָשׁ2×
- חֲדָשָֽׁה\׃2×
- חֲדָשָׁ֑ה2×
- חֲדָשִׁים֙2×
- חָדָשׁ֙1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 1:8
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph.
This verse establishes a political shift where a ruler with no memory of Joseph’s legacy rises, showing how chadash can mark a disruptive change in power structures.
-
Psalms 33:3
Sing to him a new song. Play skillfully with a shout of joy!
Here the word modifies song, urging worshipers to offer praise that is fresh and spontaneous rather than reciting stale or routine formulas.
-
Job 29:20
My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’
Job describes his glory as chadash, using the word to convey a sense of restored vitality and health that had previously faded.
-
Deuteronomy 32:17
They sacrificed to demons, not God, to gods that they didn’t know, to new gods that came up recently, which your fathers didn’t dread.
This passage uses the term negatively to describe idols that are newly introduced and unfamiliar to the ancestors, highlighting the danger of abandoning established faith for recent innovations.