---
title: חָמַד — desire · The Tanakh dictionary
description: חָמַד (2530), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 21 times: desire. BDB 1906: vb. desire, take pleasure in i.e. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# חָמַד

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«חָמַד» in the Tanakh dictionary: **desire** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 21 times · **Key:** 2530 · **BDB:** חָמֵד

### Glosses

desirable (4); you.must.covet (3); his.desired (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

desire [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2530/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. desire, take pleasure in i.e. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2530/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. desire, take pleasure in (Aramaic חֲמַד; Syriac ܬܚܡܘܕܐ; Arabic حَمِدَ praise, eulogize, approve of; Sab. חמדם in gratitude \[praise\] there-for DHMZMG 1875, 595; 1876, 686)— Pf. ח׳ ψ 68:17 Pr 12:12; חָֽמְדוּ Pr 1:22; וְחָֽמְדוּ consec. Mi 2:2; חֲמַדְתֶּם Is 1:29; Impf. יַחְמֹד Ex 34:24; 2 ms. תַּחְמֹד Ex 20:17(×2) + 3 times (incl. Pr 6:25 juss.); sf. וָאֶחְמְדֵם Jos 7:21; וְנֶחְמְדֵ֫הוּ Is 53:2; Pt. pass. חֲמוּדוֹ ψ 39:12 Jb 20:20, חֲמוּדֵיהֶם Is 44:9;—desire: in bad sense of inordinate, ungoverned, selfish desire, sq. acc. Ex 20:17(×2) (E) = Dt 5:18 (v 18 b has תִּתְאַוֶּה), Ex 34:24 (JE) Dt 7:25; Jos 7:21; (JE) Mi 2:2; Pr 12:12; of lustful desire Pr 6:25. = take pleasure in, of idolatrous tendency Is 1:29, so pt. pl. חֲמוּרֵיהֵם Is 44:9 their delighful things (things in which they delight, v. also v 11 and BevJPh. xvii. 1888, p. 126); לֵצִים לָצוֹן חָֽמְדוּ Pr 1:22 how long do scorners delight in scorning. less often in good sense, said of God הָהָר חָמַד א׳ לְשִׁבְתּוֹ, poet. ψ 68:17; obj. the suffering servant of י׳, Is 53:2 no beauty in him, that we should desire him (choose him, be drawn toward him); pt. pass. coll. חֲמוּדוֹ ψ 39:12 his desired things, i.e. chosen, choice, desirable (v. Niph.); so prob. Jb 20:20. Pt. נֶחְמָד Gn 2:9 + 2 times; הַנֶּחֱמָדִים ψ 19:11;—desirable: עץ נ׳ לְמַרְאֶה Gn 2:9, נ׳ לְהַשְׂכִּיל 3:6, הַנֶּח׳ מִזָּהָב ψ 19:11 which are more desirable than gold; אוֹצָר נֶחְמָד Pr 21:20 desirable, i.e. costly treasure. Pf. 1 s. delight greatly בְּצִלּוֹ ח׳ וְיָשַׁ֫בְתִּי Ct 2:3 in his shadow I greatly delighted and sat, i.e. sat with great delight.

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Why these entries: BDB: same consonants, part of speech agrees, 18 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (3 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «חָמַד» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2530/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 12:12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.12.12/)

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חָמַ֣ד רָ֭שָׁע מְצ֣וֹד רָעִ֑ים וְשֹׁ֖רֶשׁ צַדִּיקִ֣ים יִתֵּֽן׃

*Word for word:* he.covets a.wicked.\[person\] a.net of.evil.\[things\] and.\[the\] root of.righteous.\[people\] it.yields.produce

*JPS 1917:* The wicked desireth the prey of evil men; but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

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[Job 20:20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.20.20/)

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כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־יָדַ֣ע שָׁלֵ֣ו בְּבִטְנ֑וֹ בַּ֝חֲמוּד֗וֹ לֹ֣א יְמַלֵּֽט׃

*Word for word:* (dm) not he.knows ease in belly his among his.desired \[things\] not he.delivers

*JPS 1917:* Because he knew no quietness within him, in his greed he suffered nought to escape,

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