← H2653 H2655 →

חָפֵץ

𐤇𐤐𐤑

châphêts

H2654 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To take pleasure in, to desire, to delight in, to will or choose; indicates an emotional or volitional inclination toward something or someone. The term can express genuine delight, wish, preference, or the act of willingly choosing or favoring something. It refers both to internal disposition ('he delights/desires') and, in some cases, outward acts of favor or selection ('he chooses' or 'takes pleasure in').

Semantic Range

to delight in, to take pleasure in, to desire, to wish, to will, to choose, to favor, to prefer, to be pleased with

Root / Etymology

From the root חפץ, which fundamentally means 'to incline' or 'to bend toward.' In verbal usage, this core idea expands to express emotional or volitional inclination: to desire, wish, take pleasure in, or delight in something. The noun form (חֵפֶץ) means 'delight,' 'desire,' or 'object of desire.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, חָפֵץ is used in a range of contexts from material to abstract. It often describes both human and divine attitudes: persons desiring specific outcomes (e.g., 2 Samuel 24:3), taking pleasure in relationships or activities (e.g., Esther 2:14), or finding beauty or worth in something (e.g., Psalm 40:9). The word is recurrently used of YHWH in expressing divine pleasure, will, or selective favor (e.g., Isaiah 53:10); but care must be taken not to ascribe technical senses such as later theological connotations of 'will' in systematic theology to earlier Israelite texts. The verb contrasts to רָצָה (ratzah, 'to be pleased with, approve'), which emphasizes acceptance or being pleased, while חָפֵץ focuses on active delight or desire. English translations such as 'delight in' or 'take pleasure in' are often adequate, though sometimes they obscure the element of volitional choice implicit in the verb. The semantic scope can be narrower or broader depending on context: sometimes referring simply to preference, other times overlapping with the sense of 'will' or 'purpose.' The idiomatic negative phrase 'lo chafetz' ('not pleased with' or 'not desiring') often signals rejection or disfavor.

Translation Consistency

primary "delight" 47 occurrences

Most common and natural rendering across occurrences is to ‘take pleasure in’ — ‘delight’ covers delighting, being pleased with, and favoring/choosing in typical contexts better than more formal alternatives like ‘will’ or ‘choose’. It matches the majority P2 renderings and the primary SILEX sense.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"desired" (2x) "desire" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to incline to; by implication (literally but rarely) to bend; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire; [idiom] any at all, (have, take) delight, desire, favour, like, move, be (well) pleased, have pleasure, will, would.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

חפץ (Chefetsi Bah) — to incline, to desire, to delight

Root חפץ to incline, to desire, to delight
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2655 חָפֵץ he delights
H2656 חֵפֶץ in desire
H2657 חֶפְצִי בָּהּ my delight

Word Forms

16 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2654-05 חָפֵ֖ץ chafets HVqp3ms delights he delights he delighted 29
H2654-04 חָפַ֖צְתִּי chafatseti HVqp1cs I desire I delighted I delighted 13
H2654-13 יַחְפֹּץ֙ yachepots HVqi3ms delights he delights he delights 8
H2654-02 חָפַ֣צְתָּ chafatseta HVqp2ms you have desired you delighted you delighted 5
H2654-08 אֶחְפֹּץ֙ echepots HVqi1cs I delight I delight I delight 3
H2654-10 שֶׁ/תֶּחְפָּֽץ shetechepats HTr/Vqi3fs she pleases she will delight it will delight 3
H2654-11 תַחְפֹּ֣ץ tachepots HVqi2ms you desire you desire you will delight 2
H2654-12 יַחְפְּצוּ yachepetsu HVqi3mp delight they delight they desire 2
H2654-14 יֶחְפָּֽץ yechepats HVqi3ms he delights he delights he delights 2
H2654-16 יֶחְפָּצ֑וּ/ן yechepatsun HVqi3mp/Sn they-delight they delight they delight 2

Occurrences in Scripture

75 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2654-05 Genesis 34:19 חָפֵ֖ץ chafets HVqp3ms he had delight / he delighted he delights he delighted
H2654-05 Numbers 14:8 חָפֵ֥ץ chafets HVqp3ms delights he delights he delights
H2654-02 Deuteronomy 21:14 חָפַ֣צְתָּ chafatseta HVqp2ms you delight you delighted you delighted
H2654-13 Deuteronomy 25:7 יַחְפֹּץ֙ yachepots HVqi3ms desires he delights he delights
H2654-04 Deuteronomy 25:8 חָפַ֖צְתִּי chafatseti HVqp1cs I desire I delighted I delighted
H2654-05 Judges 13:23 חָפֵ֨ץ chafets HVqp3ms had desired he delights he delighted
H2654-05 1 Samuel 2:25 חָפֵ֥ץ chafets HVqp3ms he-desired he delights he delighted
H2654-05 1 Samuel 18:22 חָפֵ֤ץ chafets HVqp3ms delights he delights he delights
H2654-05 1 Samuel 19:1 חָפֵ֥ץ chafets HVqp3ms delighted he delights he delights
H2654-04 2 Samuel 15:26 חָפַ֖צְתִּי chafatseti HVqp1cs you have delighted I delighted I delighted
H2654-05 2 Samuel 20:11 חָפֵ֧ץ chafets HVqp3ms favors he delights he delighted
H2654-05 2 Samuel 22:20 חָ֥פֵֽץ chafets HVqp3ms He delighted he delights he delights
H2654-05 2 Samuel 24:3 חָפֵ֖ץ chafets HVqp3ms does desire he delights he delighted
H2654-05 1 Kings 9:1 חָפֵ֖ץ chafets HVqp3ms he desired he delights he delighted
H2654-05 1 Kings 10:9 חָפֵ֣ץ chafets HVqp3ms has delighted he delights he delighted
H2654-04 Isaiah 1:11 חָפָֽצְתִּי chafatseti HVqp1cs I delight I delighted have I desired
H2654-12 Isaiah 13:17 יַחְפְּצוּ yachepetsu HVqi3mp delight they delight they will delight
H2654-05 Isaiah 42:21 חָפֵ֖ץ chafets HVqp3ms was pleased he delights he delighted
H2654-05 Isaiah 53:10 חָפֵ֤ץ chafets HVqp3ms was-pleased he delights he delighted
H2654-04 Isaiah 55:11 חָפַ֔צְתִּי chafatseti HVqp1cs I desire I delighted I delighted
H2654-04 Isaiah 56:4 חָפָ֑צְתִּי chafatseti HVqp1cs I-delight I delighted I delighted
H2654-16 Isaiah 58:2 יֶחְפָּצ֑וּ/ן yechepatsun HVqi3mp/Sn they-delight they delight they delight
H2654-16 Isaiah 58:2 יֶחְפָּצֽוּ/ן yechepatsun-2 HVqi3mp/Sn they-delight they delight they delight
H2654-05 Isaiah 62:4 חָפֵ֤ץ chafets HVqp3ms delights he delights he delights
H2654-04 Isaiah 65:12 חָפַ֖צְתִּי chafatseti HVqp1cs I-delighted I delighted I delighted
H2654-06 Isaiah 66:3 חָפֵֽצָה chafetsah HVqp3fs delights she delighted she delighted
H2654-04 Isaiah 66:4 חָפַ֖צְתִּי chafatseti HVqp1cs I delighted I delighted I delighted
H2654-12 Jeremiah 6:10 יַחְפְּצוּ yachepetsu HVqi3mp delight they delight they desire
H2654-04 Jeremiah 9:23 חָפַ֖צְתִּי chafatseti HVqp1cs I-delight I delighted I delighted
H2654-03 Jeremiah 42:22 חֲפַצְתֶּ֔ם chafatsetem HVqp2mp you-desired you delighted you desired
H2654-09 Ezekiel 18:23 הֶ/חָפֹ֤ץ hechafots HTi/Vqa Have I pleasure to delight do I delight
H2654-08 Ezekiel 18:23 אֶחְפֹּץ֙ echepots HVqi1cs do I take pleasure I delight I delight
H2654-08 Ezekiel 18:32 אֶחְפֹּץ֙ echepots HVqi1cs I delight I delight I delight
H2654-08 Ezekiel 33:11 אֶחְפֹּץ֙ echepots HVqi1cs I delight I delight I delight
H2654-04 Hosea 6:6 חָפַ֖צְתִּי chafatseti HVqp1cs I desire I delighted I delighted
H2654-02 Jonah 1:14 חָפַ֖צְתָּ chafatseta HVqp2ms you pleased you delighted you delighted
H2654-05 Micah 7:18 חָפֵ֥ץ chafets HVqp3ms delights he delights he delights
H2654-05 Malachi 2:17 חָפֵ֔ץ chafets HVqp3ms delights he delights he delights
H2654-05 Psalms 18:20 חָ֥פֵֽץ chafets HVqp3ms He delighted he delights he delighted
H2654-05 Psalms 22:9 חָ֥פֵֽץ chafets HVqp3ms You are he who he delights he delights
H2654-14 Psalms 37:23 יֶחְפָּֽץ yechepats HVqi3ms He delights he delights he delights
H2654-02 Psalms 40:7 חָפַ֗צְתָּ chafatseta HVqp2ms you have desired you delighted you delighted
H2654-04 Psalms 40:9 חָפָ֑צְתִּי chafatseti HVqp1cs I have delighted I delighted I delighted
H2654-02 Psalms 41:12 חָפַ֣צְתָּ chafatseta HVqp2ms you have delighted you delighted you delighted
H2654-02 Psalms 51:8 חָפַ֣צְתָּ chafatseta HVqp2ms you have desired you delighted you delighted
H2654-11 Psalms 51:18 תַחְפֹּ֣ץ tachepots HVqi2ms you desire you desire you will delight
H2654-11 Psalms 51:21 תַּחְפֹּ֣ץ tachepots HVqi2ms you will delight in you desire you will delight
H2654-15 Psalms 68:31 יֶחְפָּֽצוּ yechepatsu HVqi3mp they hasten they delight they delight
H2654-04 Psalms 73:25 חָפַ֥צְתִּי chafatseti HVqp1cs I have desired I delighted I delighted
H2654-05 Psalms 109:17 חָפֵ֥ץ chafets HVqp3ms he delighted he delights he delighted
← H2653 Hebrew Lexicon H2655 →