English · KJV
H2655

חָפֵץ

châphêts /khaw-fates'/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom חָפֵץ
Meaningpleased with
KJV usagedelight in, desire, favour, please, have pleasure, whosoever would, willing, wish.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châphêts — 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 châphêts, represented by H2655, is a term for being pleased with or having delight in something or someone. It appears 11 times across 10 unique verses in the Bible. The word's meaning is versatile, encompassing concepts of desire, favor, pleasure, and personal willingness.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H2655 is used to describe the disposition of both God and man. It defines what pleases God, who "hath pleasure" H2655 in the prosperity of his servant but is not a God that "hath pleasure" H2655 in wickedness (Psalms 35:27, Psalms 5:4). For humanity, it expresses a range of desires. This can be a righteous desire, such as the desire H2655 to fear God's name Nehemiah 1:11, or a corrupt one, as seen when King Jeroboam consecrated priests from "whosoever would" H2655 1 Kings 13:33. The term is also used for a simple preference, as when King Ahab asks Naboth for his vineyard, saying "if it please" H2655 thee 1 Kings 21:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of desire and will:

  • H1245 bâqash (to search out, desire, enquire, seek for): This word for active seeking is linked to delight. The people are described as those who seek H1245 the Lord and delight H2655 in the messenger of the covenant Malachi 3:1.
  • H157 ʼâhab (to have affection for, love, like): This term for love is used alongside H2655 to describe the deep human longing for a good life, asking what man "desireth H2655 life, and loveth H157 many days" Psalms 34:12.
  • H3372 yârêʼ (to fear; morally, to revere): The will or desire to live in right relationship with God is expressed through H2655, as seen in the prayer of those who "desire H2655 to fear H3372 thy name" Nehemiah 1:11.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2655 is significant, revealing the importance of internal motivation.

  • The Heart of Worship: True service to God is not merely external but must come from an internal disposition. This is highlighted in the instruction to Solomon to serve God with a "perfect H8003 heart and with a willing H2655 mind H5315" 1 Chronicles 28:9.
  • The Nature of Divine Pleasure: The word clarifies what pleases and displeases God. He takes "pleasure H2655 in the prosperity H7965 of his servant," establishing that He favors the well-being of the righteous Psalms 35:27. Conversely, He has no pleasure H2655 in wickedness Psalms 5:4.
  • The Duality of Human Will: H2655 captures the conflict within human desire. It can be directed toward God, as in the "delight" H2655 for the Lord's messenger Malachi 3:1, or toward evil, as in those who "wish" H2655 harm upon the righteous Psalms 40:14.

Summary

In summary, H2655 is far more than a simple term for preference. It provides critical insight into the biblical concepts of desire, will, and pleasure, defining the internal state of both God and humanity. The word illustrates the spectrum of motivation, from God's delight in righteousness and the "willing mind" of a faithful servant to the corrupt wishes of the wicked, revealing the profound importance of the heart's orientation.

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 an adjective across 13 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • חֲפֵצֵי
  • חָפֵץ
  • חֲפֵצִים
  • חָפֵץ
  • חֲפֵצָה

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.

H1245 בָּקַשׁ a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after; ask H157 אָהַב or אָהֵב ; a primitive root; to have affection for (sexually or otherwise); (be-) love(-d, -ly, -r), like, friend. H3372 יָרֵא a primitive root; to fear; morally, to revere; caus. to frighten; affright, be (make) afraid, dread(-ful), (put in) fear H8003 שָׁלֵם from שָׁלַם; complete (literally or figuratively); especially friendly; full, just, made ready, peaceable, perfect(-ed), H5315 נֶפֶשׁ from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accomm H7965 שָׁלוֹם or שָׁלֹם; from שָׁלַם; safe, i.e. (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e. health, prosper

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 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (5 verses); never once in the other 34.

2
1 Kings
1
1 Chronicles
1
Nehemiah
5
Psalms
1
Malachi

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, by grammatical form, 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.