H2530

חָמַד

châmad /khaw-mad'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto delight in
KJV usagebeauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).
Idioms & phrases(idiom great) delight

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châmad — 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 châmad, represented by H2530, is a primitive root meaning to delight in or covet. It appears 21 times across 20 unique verses, carrying a significant dual meaning. While it can describe a pure delight or a pleasant quality, it is most frequently used to denote a wrongful, covetous desire for something that is forbidden or belongs to another.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical law, H2530 is central to the Tenth Commandment, where the Israelites are explicitly forbidden to covet their neighbor's house, wife, or property (Exodus 20:17, Deuteronomy 5:21). This theme of prohibited desire is illustrated in the story of Achan, who confessed, "I coveted them, and took them," referring to forbidden spoils like a goodly garment and wedge of gold Joshua 7:21. Conversely, the term can express righteous or positive desire. In the Garden of Eden, God made every tree that is pleasant to the sight Genesis 2:9. The psalmist declares that the laws of the Lord are "more to be desired than gold" Psalms 19:10. In a prophetic sense, it is said of the Messiah that he has "no beauty that we should desire him" Isaiah 53:2, shifting the focus from physical to spiritual value.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concept of desire and its objects:

  • H183 ʼâvâh (to wish for): This is a strong synonym for desire, often appearing alongside H2530 to emphasize the prohibition against wrongful longing. In Deuteronomy, the command is not to desire a neighbor's wife, and also not to covet his house or field Deuteronomy 5:21.
  • H157 ʼâhab (to love): This word denotes a deeper affection or commitment, in contrast to the often acquisitive desire of châmad. While scorners delight in scorning Proverbs 1:22, the righteous are called to love the LORD their God Deuteronomy 6:5.
  • H2091 zâhâb (gold): As a precious metal, gold is a frequent object of desire. It is coveted by Achan Joshua 7:21 and on idols Deuteronomy 7:25, but is deemed less desirable than God's law Psalms 19:10.
  • H802 ʼishshâh (wife, woman): This term points to a specific object of forbidden desire in the Ten Commandments, which state, "thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife" Exodus 20:17.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2530 is centered on the heart's motivations and affections.

  • The Prohibition of Covetousness: The commands in Exodus 20:17 and Deuteronomy 5:21 establish that sin begins not just with an act, but with a wrongful desire. This internal orientation of the heart is a critical theme, showing that God judges the source of temptation.
  • The Test of True Value: The word often forces a choice between what is worldly and what is divine. To desire the silver or gold from pagan idols is an abomination that leads to being snared Deuteronomy 7:25, while the "treasure to be desired" is found in the dwelling of the wise Proverbs 21:20.
  • God's Sovereign Desire: The term is also used of God Himself, who "desireth" the hill of Zion to dwell in Psalms 68:16. This reveals that desire is not inherently evil, but becomes so when directed at what is contrary to God's will.

Summary

In summary, H2530 is a crucial word for understanding biblical ethics, moving beyond mere actions to the inner world of desire. Whether describing the forbidden longing for a neighbor's property, the pleasantness of God's creation, or the supreme value of His law, châmad consistently highlights that the focus of one's delight and desire is a powerful indicator of their spiritual state.

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 and a noun across 29 occurrences, inflected in 15 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

  • Plural Feminine Absolute 7×
  • Qal Imperfect 2nd Singular Masculine 5×
  • Niphal Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 3×
  • Qal Participle Passive Singular Masculine Construct 2×
  • Qal Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
  • Niphal Participle Plural Masculine Absolute 1×
  • Piel Perfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
  • Plural Feminine Construct 1×
  • Qal Conjunction+Imperfect 1st Plural common gender 1×
  • Qal Consecutive Imperfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
  • Qal Consecutive Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×
  • Qal Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×

+ 3 rarer forms

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".
Perfect
A completed act whose results continue.
Passive
The subject is acted upon.
Participle
A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Qal
The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Niphal
Simple passive or reflexive of the Qal.
Piel
The intensive stem — strengthened or emphatic action.
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".
Absolute
The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).
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.

H183 אָוָה a primitive root; to wish for; covet, (greatly) desire, be desirous, long, lust (after). H157 אָהַב or אָהֵב ; a primitive root; to have affection for (sexually or otherwise); (be-) love(-d, -ly, -r), like, friend. H2091 זָהָב from an unused root meaning to shimmer; gold, figuratively, something gold-colored (i.e. yellow), as oil, a clear sky; g H802 אִשָּׁה feminine of אִישׁ or אֱנוֹשׁ; irregular plural, נָשִׁים;(used in the same wide sense as אֱנוֹשׁ); a woman; (adulter) ess

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 20 verses across 10 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Proverbs (4 verses); never once in the other 29.

2
Genesis
2
Exodus
2
Deuteronomy
1
Joshua
1
Job
3
Psalms
4
Proverbs
1
Song of Solomon
3
Isaiah
1
Micah

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.