---
title: מַחְמָד — desire · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מַחְמָד (4261), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 13 times: desire. BDB 1906: n.m. desire, desirable thing. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מַחְמָד

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«מַחְמָד» 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:** 13 times · **Key:** 4261 · **BDB:** מַחְמַד

### Glosses

the.desire (3); things (3); (the).desire (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

desire [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4261/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. desire, desirable thing [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4261/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. desire, desirable thing—abs. מַחְמַד Ho 9:6; cstr. id. 1 K 20:6 + 3 times Ez; pl. מַחֲמַדַּים Ct 5:16; cstr. מַחֲמַדֵּי La 2:4; Ho 9:16; sf. מַחֲמַדַּי Jo 4:5; מַחֲמַדֵּינוּ Is 64:10; מַחֲמַדֶּיהָ 2 Ch 36:19; La 1:10; מַחֲמַדֵּיהֶם La 1:11 Qr (v. also מַחְמֹד);—desirable, precious things כלי־מ׳ 2 Ch 36:19; sg. coll. Ho 9:6; pl. Jo 4:5; Is 64:10; La 1:10, 11; (Qr), מ׳ בִּטְנָם Ho 9:16; v. especially pl. intens. כֻּלּוֹ מַחֲמַדִּים Ct 5:16 all of him is delightfulness (‖ מַמְתַֿקִּים); elsewhere מַחְמַד עינים desire of the eyes, i.e. that in which the eyes take delight 1 K 20:6; Ez 24:16; (of proph.’s wife), v 21, 25; pl. La 2:4.

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Why these entries: BDB: same consonants, part of speech agrees, 13 of its verses cited, 3 words shared with the glosses (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מַחְמָד» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4261/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Song of Songs 5:16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/SNG.5.16/)

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חִכּוֹ֙ מַֽמְתַקִּ֔ים וְכֻלּ֖וֹ מַחֲּמַדִּ֑יםזֶ֤ה דוֹדִי֙ וְזֶ֣ה רֵעִ֔י בְּנ֖וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

*Word for word:* mouth his \[is\].sweetness(es) and all of.him \[is\].desirableness(es) this lover \[is\].my and this friend \[is\].my O.daughters of.Jerusalem

*JPS 1917:* His mouth is most sweet; yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.'

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[Joel 4:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/JOL.4.5/)

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אֲשֶׁר־כַּסְפִּ֥י וּזְהָבִ֖י לְקַחְתֶּ֑ם וּמַֽחֲמַדַּי֙ הַטֹּבִ֔ים הֲבֵאתֶ֖ם לְהֵיכְלֵיכֶֽם׃

*Word for word:* that silver my and gold my you.took and my.desirable things (the) good you.took to your.own temples

*JPS 1917:* Forasmuch as ye have taken My silver and My gold, and have carried into your temples My goodly treasures;

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- ← previous: [מַחֲמָאֹת](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/4260.md)
- next →: [מַחְמֹד](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/4262.md)
- ↑ back to [מ](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1502-3.md)