English · KJV
H2318

חָדַשׁ

châdash /khaw-dash'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto be new; causatively, to rebuild
KJV usagerenew, repair.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châdash — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word châdash, represented by H2318, is a primitive root meaning to be new. Causatively, its meaning extends to include actions like to rebuild, renew, or repair. It appears 10 times across 10 unique verses in the Bible, highlighting its focused but significant role.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H2318 encompasses both spiritual and physical restoration. It is used to describe God's power to renew a person's spirit and heart, as in the plea to "renew a right spirit within me" Psalms 51:10. The term also refers to the restoration of youth and strength Psalms 103:5 and the renewal of God's people's days Lamentations 5:21. In a physical sense, it signifies the act of repairing or rebuilding, such as when King Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD 2 Chronicles 24:4 or when King Asa renewed the altar of the LORD 2 Chronicles 15:8. The word can also carry a political dimension, as when Samuel called the people to Gilgal to renew the kingdom 1 Samuel 11:14.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of renewal and restoration:

  • H1254 bârâʼ (to create): This word often appears alongside châdash to describe divine acts of renewal. For instance, God is called upon to create a clean heart, an act paired with the request to renew a right spirit Psalms 51:10.
  • H1129 bânâh (to build): This term for building or repairing is used in parallel with châdash to describe large-scale restoration. The promise in Isaiah is to build the old wastes and repair the waste cities Isaiah 61:4.
  • H7725 shûwb (to turn back; restore): This word is linked to the concept of repentance and return, which precedes renewal. In Lamentations, the plea to be turned back to God is immediately followed by the request to renew our days Lamentations 5:21.
  • H2388 châzaq (to strengthen, repair, fortify): Often translated as to be strong or courageous, this word is also used for physical mending. It is used alongside châdash in the context of repairing the house of the LORD, where workers were hired to mend the house 2 Chronicles 24:12.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2318 is significant, highlighting God's restorative power.

  • Agent of Renewal: The use of H2318 consistently points to God as the ultimate source of renewal. Whether it is a clean heart Psalms 51:10, the face of the earth Psalms 104:30, or the strength of one's youth Psalms 103:5, renewal is presented as a divine act.
  • Physical and Spiritual Restoration: The word bridges the physical and spiritual realms. It is used for tangible projects like repairing the temple 2 Chronicles 24:4 and renewing an altar 2 Chronicles 15:8, but also for the intangible renewal of a person's spirit and days Lamentations 5:21.
  • Covenant Commitment: The act of renewing something, such as a kingdom 1 Samuel 11:14 or an altar, signifies a recommitment to the covenant relationship with God. It is often preceded by an act of turning away from idols or taking courage in the Lord 2 Chronicles 15:8.

Summary

In summary, H2318 châdash provides a powerful concept of restoration and renewal. While appearing only ten times, its usage is potent, describing everything from the physical repair of a city to the spiritual renewal of the human heart. It illustrates a key aspect of God's character: His ability to make things new, to rebuild what is broken, and to restore life, strength, and relationship. The word moves beyond simple newness to convey a profound, transformative renewal initiated by a divine source.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 10 occurrences, inflected in 8 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

  • Piel Imperative 2nd Singular Masculine 2×
  • Piel Infinitive Construct 2×
  • Hithpael Imperfect 3rd Singular Feminine 1×
  • Piel Conjunction+Imperfect 1st Plural common gender 1×
  • Piel Conjunction+Imperfect 2nd Singular Masculine 1×
  • Piel Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
  • Piel Consecutive Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×
  • Piel Imperfect 2nd Singular Masculine 1×
Singular
One.
Plural
More than one.
Masculine
Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine
Feminine grammatical gender.
common gender
Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
1st
First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd
Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd
Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect
Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Imperative
A command or entreaty.
Infinitive
The verb as a noun — "to do".
Piel
The intensive stem — strengthened or emphatic action.
Hithpael
Reflexive-intensive — the subject acts upon itself.
Consecutive Imperfect
Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").
Consecutive Perfect
Perfect with vav — continues a sequence into the future.
Conjunction+Imperfect
Imperfect joined by a simple "and".
Construct
Bound to a following noun — "the X of…".

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H1254 בָּרָא a primitive root; (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes); choos H1129 בָּנָה a primitive root; to build (literally and figuratively); (begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), H7725 שׁוּב a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily H2388 חָזַק a primitive root; to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, he

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 10 verses across 6 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Chronicles and Psalms (3 verses each); never once in the other 33.

1
1 Samuel
3
2 Chronicles
1
Job
3
Psalms
1
Isaiah
1
Lamentations

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.