← H2622 H2624 →

חָסִיד

𐤇𐤎𐤉𐤃

châçîyd

H2623 adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

One who is faithful, loyal, or devoted, especially to the covenantal obligations within the Israelite religious context; in later periods, one characterized by steadfast love, mercy, or godliness. The term denotes someone who demonstrates covenantal loyalty (ḥesed), often through faithful, ethical behavior, and active kindness to others, or through unwavering allegiance to YHWH. In poetic and liturgical texts, it can designate the community of faithful Israelites distinguished by their commitment to YHWH's ways.

Semantic Range

one who practices loyal love, individual marked by covenantal faithfulness, community of the pious, faithful devotee of YHWH, person characterized by mercy or kindness, righteous or godly person (esp. in liturgical or poetic contexts)

Root / Etymology

The noun חָסִיד derives from the root חסד (ḥ-s-d), whose core meaning is 'to show kindness, loyalty, or steadfast love.' While the root covers actions of loyal love, faithfulness, and kindness, the derived noun designates one characterized by such qualities. The suffix -ִיד marks the adjectival or substantival form, yielding 'one who acts with ḥesed.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

חָסִיד is used in the Hebrew Bible primarily to describe individuals (or groups) distinguished by their piety and steadfast devotion—especially in parallelism with terms for righteousness (צַדִּיק). In Psalmic and poetic contexts, it often denotes ‘the faithful’ or the pious collective within Israel, as opposed to the faithless, the wicked (רָשָׁע), or those outside covenantal obligations. The nuance is not only moral but also relational—based on loyalty to YHWH and solidarity within the Israelite community. In later usage (Second Temple and beyond), the term comes to carry connotations of ascetic piety and in rabbinic literature it denotes exemplary righteous people. Standard English translations rendering it 'saint' or 'godly' can obscure its core meaning rooted in covenantal loyalty, and sometimes introduce Christian theological overtones that are absent from the Hebrew context. The term should be distinguished from צַדִּיק (righteous/just) in that חָסִיד emphasizes loyal kindness or mercy, while צַדִּיק focuses on adherence to justice or law.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָסַד; properly, kind, i.e. (religiously) pious (a saint); godly (man), good, holy (one), merciful, saint, (un-) godly.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

חסד (Chasadeyah) — to be loyal, to show steadfast love, to act faithfully, to show devotion

Root חסד to show kindness, to be loyal, to act with steadfast love
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2616 חָסַד you show yourself loyal
H2617 חֵסֵד in steadfast loyalty
H2618 חֶסֶד
H2619 חֲסַדְיָה and Yahweh-has-shown-steadfast-love
H2624 חֲסִידָה stork

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2623-01 חָסִ֖יד chasid HAamsa godly loyal-love devotee loyal-love devotee 9
H2623-03 חֲסִידָי/ו֙ chasidayv HAampc/Sp3ms his faithful ones his covenant-loyal ones his covenant-loyal ones 9
H2623-11 וַ/חֲסִידֶ֖י/ךָ vachasideykha HC/Aampc/Sp2ms and-your-faithful-ones and your covenant-loyal ones and your covenant-loyal ones 3
H2623-04 חֲסִידֶ֑/ךָ chasidekha HAamsc/Sp2ms of yours your loyal one your loyal one 2
H2623-05 חֲסִידֶֽי/ךָ chasideykha HAampc/Sp2ms of your saints your loyal-loving ones your loyal-loving ones 2
H2623-06 חֲסִידִֽים chasidim HAampa saints steadfastly loyal ones steadfastly loyal ones 2
H2623-07 חסיד/ו chsydv HAamsc/Sp3ms his faithful one his covenant-loyal one his covenant-loyal one 2
H2623-02 חֲסִידָ֑/י chasiday HAampc/Sp1cs my godly ones my loyal-loving ones my loyal-loving ones 1
H2623-08 לַ/חֲסִידָֽי/ו lachasidayv HR/Aampc/Sp3ms of his faithful ones to his loyal-loving ones of his faithful ones 1
H2623-09 לַֽ/חֲסִידֶ֗י/ךָ lachasideykha HR/Aampc/Sp2ms to your holy ones to your loyal ones to your loyal ones 1

Occurrences in Scripture

34 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2623-04 Deuteronomy 33:8 חֲסִידֶ֑/ךָ chasidekha HAamsc/Sp2ms of yours your loyal one your loyal one
H2623-07 1 Samuel 2:9 חסיד/ו chsydv HAamsc/Sp3ms his faithful one his covenant-loyal one his covenant-loyal one
H2623-03 1 Samuel 2:9 חֲסִידָי/ו֙ chasidayv HAampc/Sp3ms his faithful ones his covenant-loyal ones his covenant-loyal ones
H2623-01 2 Samuel 22:26 חָסִ֖יד chasid HAamsa the merciful loyal-love devotee loyal-love devotee
H2623-01 Jeremiah 3:12 חָסִ֤יד chasid HAamsa gracious loyal-love devotee gracious
H2623-01 Micah 7:2 חָסִיד֙ chasid HAamsa the godly man loyal-love devotee the godly man
H2623-01 Psalms 4:4 חָסִ֣יד chasid HAamsa the-faithful-one loyal-love devotee loyal-love devotee
H2623-01 Psalms 12:2 חָסִ֑יד chasid HAamsa the-godly-man loyal-love devotee the godly one
H2623-04 Psalms 16:10 חֲ֝סִידְ/ךָ֗ chasidekha HAamsc/Sp2ms your faithful one your loyal one your faithful one
H2623-01 Psalms 18:26 חָסִ֥יד chasid HAamsa the merciful loyal-love devotee loyal-love devotee
H2623-03 Psalms 30:5 חֲסִידָ֑י/ו chasidayv HAampc/Sp3ms His faithful ones his covenant-loyal ones his covenant-loyal ones
H2623-03 Psalms 31:24 חֲסִ֫ידָ֥י/ו chasidayv HAampc/Sp3ms his pious ones his covenant-loyal ones his covenant-loyal ones
H2623-01 Psalms 32:6 חָסִ֨יד chasid HAamsa faithful one loyal-love devotee loyal-love devotee
H2623-03 Psalms 37:28 חֲ֭סִידָי/ו chasidayv HAampc/Sp3ms his godly ones his covenant-loyal ones his covenant-loyal ones
H2623-01 Psalms 43:1 חָסִ֑יד chasid HAamsa godly loyal-love devotee loyal-love devotee
H2623-02 Psalms 50:5 חֲסִידָ֑/י chasiday HAampc/Sp1cs my godly ones my loyal-loving ones my loyal-loving ones
H2623-05 Psalms 52:11 חֲסִידֶֽי/ךָ chasideykha HAampc/Sp2ms your saints your loyal-loving ones your loyal-loving ones
H2623-05 Psalms 79:2 חֲ֝סִידֶ֗י/ךָ chasideykha HAampc/Sp2ms of your saints your loyal-loving ones your loyal-loving ones
H2623-03 Psalms 85:9 חֲסִידָ֑י/ו chasidayv HAampc/Sp3ms his faithful ones his covenant-loyal ones his covenant-loyal ones
H2623-01 Psalms 86:2 חָסִ֪יד chasid HAamsa godly loyal-love devotee covenant-loyal one
H2623-09 Psalms 89:20 לַֽ/חֲסִידֶ֗י/ךָ lachasideykha HR/Aampc/Sp2ms to your holy ones to your loyal ones to your loyal ones
H2623-03 Psalms 97:10 חֲסִידָ֑י/ו chasidayv HAampc/Sp3ms of His saints his covenant-loyal ones his covenant-loyal ones
H2623-08 Psalms 116:15 לַ/חֲסִידָֽי/ו lachasidayv HR/Aampc/Sp3ms of his faithful ones to his loyal-loving ones of his faithful ones
H2623-11 Psalms 132:9 וַ/חֲסִידֶ֥י/ךָ vachasideykha HC/Aampc/Sp2ms and Your saints and your covenant-loyal ones and your covenant-loyal ones
H2623-10 Psalms 132:16 וַ֝/חֲסִידֶ֗י/הָ vachasideyha HC/Aampc/Sp3fs and her saints and her covenant-loyal ones and her covenant-loyal ones
H2623-11 Psalms 145:10 וַ֝/חֲסִידֶ֗י/ךָ vachasideykha HC/Aampc/Sp2ms and Your godly ones and your covenant-loyal ones and your covenant-loyal ones
H2623-12 Psalms 145:17 וְ֝/חָסִ֗יד vechasid HC/Aamsa and kind loyal-love one and loyal one
H2623-03 Psalms 148:14 חֲסִידָ֗י/ו chasidayv HAampc/Sp3ms His holy ones his covenant-loyal ones his covenant-loyal ones
H2623-06 Psalms 149:1 חֲסִידִֽים chasidim HAampa saints steadfastly loyal ones steadfastly loyal ones
H2623-06 Psalms 149:5 חֲסִידִ֣ים chasidim HAampa the godly ones steadfastly loyal ones steadfastly loyal ones
H2623-03 Psalms 149:9 חֲסִידָ֗י/ו chasidayv HAampc/Sp3ms his saints his covenant-loyal ones his covenant-loyal ones
H2623-07 Proverbs 2:8 חסיד/ו chsydv HAamsc/Sp3ms his saints his covenant-loyal one his covenant-loyal one
H2623-03 Proverbs 2:8 חֲסִידָ֣י/ו chasidayv HAampc/Sp3ms his saints his covenant-loyal ones his covenant-loyal ones
H2623-11 2 Chronicles 6:41 וַ/חֲסִידֶ֖י/ךָ vachasideykha HC/Aampc/Sp2ms and-your-faithful-ones and your covenant-loyal ones and your covenant-loyal ones
← H2622 Hebrew Lexicon H2624 →