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חֵפֶץ

𐤇𐤐𐤑

chêphets

H2656 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חפץ to delight in, to have pleasure, to desire

Definition

That which is desired or delights; desire, delight, pleasure; by extension, an object of desire or something valued, and in some contexts, a matter, affair, or purpose that is willed or sought after. The term pivots between the subjective nuance of pleasure or delight and the objective sense of a thing desired or valued. Contextually, it may refer to one's will, intention, or favor, emphasizing either the feeling or the object of that feeling.

Semantic Range

desire, delight, pleasure, object of desire, valuable thing, will, purpose, intention, matter, affair

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חפץ (ḥ-p-ts), meaning 'to delight in, to take pleasure in, to desire.' The noun חֵפֶץ represents either the act/state of desiring or the object desired. The transition from the root's sense 'to delight, to want' to the noun's sense of 'what is wanted, a matter of delight or interest' is standard in Hebrew nominal formation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חֵפֶץ appears in a wide array of biblical texts, including poetry (Psalm 1:2; Isaiah 58:13), wisdom literature (Ecclesiastes), and legal or narrative contexts. In early Israelite texts, it most commonly designates personal pleasure or that which one delights in (e.g., delight in YHWH's law, Psalm 1:2). In later or more formal texts, it expands to include 'wish,' 'intention,' or a more abstract 'matter,' such as in legal settings (cf. Ecclesiastes 3:1, 'a time for every matter'). The noun is distinct from רָצוֹן (ratzon), which primarily expresses 'favor' or 'goodwill,' and from תַּאֲוָה (taavah), which often carries a stronger nuance of longing or craving. While English translations frequently render it as 'delight,' 'pleasure,' 'desire,' or 'purpose,' some nuance is lost, particularly where the Hebrew implies both the feeling and the object of that feeling, or where 'matter' as an affair or event is intended. The semantic range can overlap with concepts of inner will, favor (what is pleasing to someone), and even an abstract concept of purpose. The translation 'Jew' or any similar term does not arise with this word; uses across Persian period (e.g., late Psalms, Ecclesiastes) maintain the earlier senses without significant semantic shift.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָפֵץ; pleasure; hence (abstractly) desire; concretely, a valuable thing; hence (by extension) a matter (as something in mind); acceptable, delight(-some), desire, things desired, matter, pleasant(-ure), purpose, willingly.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חפץ (ḥ-p-ts) — to delight in, to take pleasure in, to desire

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2654 חָפֵץ we delight
H2655 חָפֵץ he delights
H2657 חֶפְצִי בָּהּ my delight

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2656-04 חֵ֤פֶץ chefets HNcmsa pleasure delight-desire 15
H2656-10 חֶפְצֽ/וֹ chefetso HNcmsc/Sp3ms his desire his desire 5
H2656-09 חֶפְצִ֔/י chefetsi HNcmsc/Sp1cs my pleasure my delight 4
H2656-11 הַ/חֵ֤פֶץ hachefets HTi/Ncmsa pleasure the desire 3
H2656-07 חֶפְצְ/ךָ֔ chefetsekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your desire your delight 2
H2656-05 חֶפְצָ/הּ֙ chefetsah HNcmsc/Sp3fs her-desire her delight 2
H2656-02 חֲפָצֶ֖י/ךָ chafatseykha HNcmpc/Sp2ms things you desire your desired things 2
H2656-12 מֵ/חֵ֣פֶץ mechefets HR/Ncmsc from desire of desire 1
H2656-06 חֶפְצָֽ/ם chefetsam HNcmsc/Sp3mp their desired their delight 1
H2656-13 וְ/חֵ֥פֶץ vechefets HC/Ncmsc and-the-pleasure and desire-of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

39 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2656-11 1 Samuel 15:22 הַ/חֵ֤פֶץ hachefets HTi/Ncmsa the delight the desire
H2656-04 1 Samuel 18:25 חֵ֤פֶץ chefets HNcmsa desire delight-desire
H2656-04 2 Samuel 23:5 חֵ֖פֶץ chefets HNcmsa my desire delight-desire
H2656-07 1 Kings 5:22 חֶפְצְ/ךָ֔ chefetsekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your desire your delight
H2656-09 1 Kings 5:23 חֶפְצִ֔/י chefetsi HNcmsc/Sp1cs my desire my delight
H2656-10 1 Kings 5:24 חֶפְצֽ/וֹ chefetso HNcmsc/Sp3ms his desire his desire
H2656-10 1 Kings 9:11 חֶפְצ֑/וֹ chefetso HNcmsc/Sp3ms his desire his desire
H2656-05 1 Kings 10:13 חֶפְצָ/הּ֙ chefetsah HNcmsc/Sp3fs her-desire her delight
H2656-09 Isaiah 44:28 חֶפְצִ֖/י chefetsi HNcmsc/Sp1cs my pleasure my delight
H2656-09 Isaiah 46:10 חֶפְצִ֖/י chefetsi HNcmsc/Sp1cs my pleasure my delight
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