What is the meaning of the Hebrew wordhesed?

He’sed - Mercy

"Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens." This word "mercy" is the same word as that which is translated twice in this Psalm as "lovingkindness." It appears to be a compound word which can be translated as mercy; love; kindness or, as here lovingkindness. That mercy was towards us in the heavens. It is the fruit of the love of God, and this had its beginning in the heavens. One is reminded at once of the great chapter where the sinful need of mankind is so clearly stated, Ephesians 2. In that chapter the mercy of God, springing from His great love, shews the attitude of God towards us as sinners, and as the fruit of the great blessing He has brought us into in sovereign mercy, He will one day shew His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.

The connection between the "mercies" and the "Pious" One is not seen in English. The words are really the same — and this both in Greek and Hebrew; and some would make them so in English, by translating, "Thy Merciful One;" but I do not take this to be the connection. It is not as being merciful that God could not suffer Him to see corruption: nor for anything that He is towards men. As "Thy Pious One" is undoubtedly a good translation, so it is one that suits the place in which we find it here. But the word used in relation to Jehovah, as in the first case, cannot mean this; we cannot speak of Jehovah's "piety"; and here the alternative rendering as "mercies," "benefits," is evidently right. The word in Hebrew, in its radical meaning, speaks of affection abundant and ready to flow out, whether God ward or manward, and needing therefore to be variously expressed. In the One before us, the true David, or "Beloved," is found the abundant outflow in both directions; and here is the connection between the passages as far as this word is concerned. In the Mediator standing between God and man, both God and Man are found in full, ideal relationship. And it is in the Risen Man that this is clearly established, never to be disordered any more.

(*The same Hebrew word in verses 1, 8, 15, 21, 31, 43 (plural in this last), variously translated mercy, goodness, loving-kindness.) It occurs in its several inflections frequently throughout the five books.

(*It occurs at least twenty-three times, and six times elsewhere in the Old Testament. The same Hebrew word is also translated "mercy," and rendered in the Septuagint by that used in Heb. 4:16. Eph. 2:4, 1 Tim. 1:2, etc., where we read "mercy.")

The third quartet, Ps. 74, 78, 88, 89, in the third book, are not Psalms of David but of his three minstrels Asaph, Heman, and Ethan. They reach a higher level in considering God's thoughts and interests as paramount and such consideration involves the soul in contact with the depths of sorrow. Zion was in "perpetual desolations," the enemy's evil deeds were seen even in the sanctuary of God. The dwelling place of the name of God was cast down to the ground and His name was blasphemed. In spite of these circumstances the poor and needy remnant (His turtle dove) are encouraged to praise his name. (Ps. 74). The dishonourable history of Israel in the wilderness and subsequently in the land is reviewed in the light of the Lord's action on their behalf in Egypt, culminating with the smiting of the first-born there and the overwhelming of their enemies in the Red Sea. Notwithstanding their sad lapse from the Lord that only formed a background for the display of His sovereign mercy. Prominent on that line was the evidence in His discarding Joseph's line and the tabernacle of Shiloh from the premier place and the choice of Judah, Mount Zion, and David His servant. (Ps. 78). There was a further development of the purpose of God in His elective grace towards David in Psalm 88. The burden of overwhelming sorrow portrayed in the Psalm does not crush the zeal for his God. The same will yet be realised in the remnant and it was displayed perfectly in the sufferings of Christ while He was here. He was reckoned with those going down to the pit, wrath lay hard upon Him, He was afflicted with the flood-tide of God's judgment at the Cross. The magnificent Psalm which concludes the quartet is the answer of God to the sorrow, perplexity and devotion of the preceding psalm. The Psalmist sings of the mercies of the Lord, speaking five times of mercy and twice as loving-kindness in that Psalm. (Chased is translated altogether 93 times as mercy, 23 times loving-kindness, 7 times goodness). The sense of that was the key note of the Psalms. Through His death the Lord secured not only for the remnant of Israel but for the saints of this era and indeed in the resplendent day to come for all men the blessings of a Covenant which cannot be alienated through misdeeds. Hence they are justly described as the sure mercies of David. The God of Peace brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting Covenant. In consequence the Apostle prayed that God might make the Hebrew Christians perfect in every good work to do His will. (Heb. 13:20).

The prominent word, mercy, is connected in this Psalm with compassion on the one hand, and needs to be met on the other—Divine compassion meeting human needs. In the New Testament we find Divine mercy extending its favours far beyond human needs; but when the mercy contemplated in the Psalm is rightly understood, it leads to an outflow of thanksgiving.

Why, we may ask, are these comforting words repeated no less than 26 times? There must be a reason, and that an urgent one. The answer is that human beings are so easy-going and complacent in accepting the wonderful mercies of God without being thankful. And further, the history of Israel is mainly in view in this Psalm, and they were a people under the law, and forgetful of the fact that the law only brought condemnation on them, whereas all the good things they enjoyed reached them on the ground of God’s mercy.

10 I add, in Hebrew, one which is to me of great interest in Psalm 89. The Holy One of Israel, and the Holy One, are both spoken of, but the words in the original are quite different; in verse 18 it is qadesh, in verse 19 it is qadosh a word which I believe will be acknowledged ordinarily to mean goodness or mercy. What makes it interesting here is, that it is the same word as is used in verse 1, "I will sing of the mercies of Jehovah for ever." It is a concentration of the mercies of Jehovah in the person of the man chosen out of the people — David His servant, one able to sustain all the attributes of Jehovah, spoken of before as the medium of, and making them all, mercy towards His people. It is the same word in verses 24, 28, 33. The whole seems to be the presenting Christ as the sustaining person of Chesed, and the consequences towards those with whom He is united. The same word is used in Psalm 16, when the resurrection of our Lord is spoken of.

Such was the blessedness of association with Jehovah in favour. But this blessing was in the faithful mercy to David. And where was this? (v. 18). Jehovah, the Holy One (kodesh) of Israel, is their King. But, then, He had spoken of, not a kodesh, but a chasid, in whom all the chasdee (the same word in the plural as chesed, mercy), all the mercies, were to be concentrated, and to whom the unchangeable faithfulness was to be shown — the sure mercies of David. Read "of thy holy One" (chasid) in verse 19. Here he returns to the covenant made with David, showing it never to be altered (v. 34-37). But all was different. But there was faith, founded on this promise, to say, How long, Jehovah? If He hides for ever, and His wrath burns like fire, what is man to abide it, and not go down into death? (v. 48).

The Greek word ὅσιος demands also a little explanation, as in Acts 13:34-35. There is no question but that the word is used in the New Testament, as also in the Septuagint, in the sense of "holy," (see 1 Tim. 2:8; Titus 1:8; Heb. 7:26; Rev. 15:4), although the word usually translated "holy" is ἅγιος. The proper sense of ὅσιος is pious, compassionate, that which is not profane, and it is applied to Christ, in whom is summed up all the benevolence and the goodness of God towards men, as well as perfect piety. This application of the word comes out in a very remarkable way in Psalm 89, where the expression is used by the sacred writer to designate the lovingkindnesses of God towards Israel, which are centred in David, and the promises made to David and his seed, that is to say, to Christ (verses 1-4). The same expression is applied in verse 19 to the person in whom all these mercies are centred, in contrast with the other word that is usually rendered by "holy," and which is employed in verse 18 with respect of Jehovah. The word in Acts 13:34 that is translated "the sure mercies of David" is the same as that which is translated "thine Holy one" in verse 35 of the same chapter, as well as in Acts 2:27; and these holinesses or mercies, which are made sure by the resurrection of Jesus, the Holy One who was not to see corruption, are the same mercies which are set forth in Psalm 89; see verses 29-39.