חָמַד (cha.mad)
cha.mad
to desire; precious thing
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 21 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb chamad means to have a strong desire for something, often carrying the sense of coveting or taking pleasure in what belongs to another. It appears twenty-one times in the Old Testament, with significant usage in Exodus, Proverbs, and Isaiah. The word describes an intense longing that goes beyond simple preference, pointing toward a deep-seated craving for possession.
Its range includes both positive and negative contexts. In the Piel stem, it can mean to delight greatly, as seen when Proverbs 8:31 speaks of wisdom finding her delight in the inhabited earth. However, it is most famously known from the Tenth Commandment in Exodus 20:17, where it prohibits coveting a neighbor’s house, wife, or possessions. This negative usage highlights how such desire can become destructive when it seeks to take what is not rightfully one’s own.
The noun form chamudah refers to something precious or desirable. This duality shows that the word itself is morally neutral; the object of desire determines its character. When directed toward good things, like wisdom or God’s law, it leads to delight. When turned toward others’ property, it becomes a sin that disrupts community and trust.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word chamad describes a deep, intense longing that goes beyond simple preference. It captures the heart’s strong desire for something specific, whether that is wisdom, God’s presence, or the possessions of another. This intensity is not inherently bad; it reflects how deeply we value what we seek.
Scripture shows us two paths for this powerful emotion. When directed toward good things like understanding or a loving relationship, chamad leads to genuine delight and fulfillment. However, when it turns toward what belongs to others, it becomes coveting, which damages trust and community. The Tenth Commandment warns against this destructive form of desire, inviting us to examine the objects of our hearts.
By recognizing the power of our own desires, we can learn to channel them toward what is truly good and lasting. This awareness helps us find contentment in God’s provision rather than chasing after things that cannot satisfy the soul permanently.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 21 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you must covet3×
- desirable2×
- you will covet1×
- you have desired1×
- you desire1×
- precious things1×
- precious1×
- he will covet1×
- he covets1×
- do they delight in?1×
- and/ with/ precious things1×
- and/ we will desire/ him1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תַחְמֹ֖ד2×
- תַּחְמֹ֣ד1×
- תַחְמֹד֩1×
- תַחְמֹ֞ד1×
- נֶחְמָ֥ד1×
- נֶחְמָ֣ד1×
- יַחְמֹ֥ד1×
- חָמַ֣ד1×
- חָמְד֣וּ1×
- חִמַּ֣דְתִּי1×
- חֲמוּדֹ֖ת1×
- חֲמֻד֣וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 20:17
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
This verse uses chamad to prohibit the destructive desire for a neighbor's property, highlighting its role in maintaining social harmony.
-
Proverbs 12:12
The wicked desires the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes.
This occurrence contrasts the wicked person's craving for evil gain with the stable growth of the righteous, showing how desire shapes character.
-
Genesis 3:6
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate. Then she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too.
Here the tree is described as desired to make one wise, illustrating how chamad can drive a pivotal moment in human history when misdirected.
-
Song of Solomon 2:3
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, his fruit was sweet to my taste.
In this context, the word conveys positive delight and satisfaction in a beloved relationship, demonstrating its neutral moral range.