H2530a H2530a
To desire or covet; as participle, desirable or precious; in Piel, to delight in intensely
A verb at the heart of the Tenth Commandment, spanning the full moral spectrum of human longing. In its plainest Qal sense it means to desire or covet, and in Exodus 20:17 it carries the weight of forbidden acquisitiveness. Yet the same root describes the trees of Eden as 'desirable to look at' (Gen 2:9) and God's judgments as 'more to be desired than gold' (Ps 19:10). The passive participle can function as a noun meaning 'treasure' or 'precious thing,' while the intensive Piel in Song of Songs 2:3 conveys rapturous delight. Multilingual renderings highlight this range: Spanish shifts from 'codiciar' (covet) to 'deseable' (desirable), and German from coveting to 'lieblich' (lovely).
Senses
1. desire, covet — The primary active sense: to desire, covet, or long for something. This is the verb of the Decalogue (Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21), where it denotes sinful, ungoverned craving for a neighbor's possessions. Yet context can soften it to neutral longing, as in Joshua 7:21 where Achan confesses 'I coveted them.' Spanish 'codiciar' and French 'convoiter' consistently mark this as acquisitive desire, while the German renderings often leave the Hebrew untranslated, underscoring its untranslatable moral weight. 13×
AR["اشتَهَيتُمُوهَا", "اشْتَهاهُ", "اِشْتَهى", "تَشْتَهِ", "تَشْتَهِي", "فَ-اشتَهَيتُها", "فَ-يَشْتَهُونَ", "فَـ-نَشْتَهِيهِ", "يَشتَهي", "يَشْتَهُونَ"]·ben["-যে-আমরা-তাঁকে-কামনা-করি", "এবং-আমি-লোভ-করলাম-তাদের", "এবং-তারা-লোভ-করে", "কামনা-করে", "কামনা-করেছিলে", "কামনা-করেছেন", "তুমি-লোভ-করবে", "লালসা-করবে", "লালসা-করেছে", "লালসা-করো", "লোভ-করবে"]·DE["[וחמדו]", "[ונחמדהו]", "[חמד]", "[חמדו]", "[חמדתם]", "[תחמד]", "du-soll-covet", "hat-desired", "und-ich-coveted-ihnen", "wird-covet"]·EN["and-I-coveted-them", "and-they-covet", "and-we-desire-him", "covets", "desire", "has-desired", "have-desired", "will-covet", "you-desired", "you-shall-covet"]·FR["--covet", "[ונחמדהו]", "[חמדתם]", "désirer", "et-désirer", "et-je-coveted-eux", "tu---covet", "tu-devra-covet"]·heb["ו-חמדו", "ו-חמדתי אותם", "ו-נחמדהו", "חמד", "חמדו", "חמדתם", "יחמוד", "תחמוד"]·HI["और-चाहते-हैं", "और-लालच-किया-मैंने", "और-हम-उसे-चाहें", "चाहते-हैं", "तुमने-चाहा", "ललचा", "ललचाएगा", "लालच-करेगा", "लालसा-करता-है"]·ID["Dan-mereka-mengingini", "Menginginkan", "akan-menginginkan", "dan-aku-mengingini-mereka", "dan-kita-menginginkan-Nya", "kamu-mengingini", "kamu-sukai", "mengingini", "menginginkan"]·IT["[וחמדו]", "[ונחמדהו]", "[חמדתם]", "desiderare", "desidero'", "e-io-coveted-loro", "tu-dovra-covet", "tu-shall-covet", "will-covet"]·jav["badhé-ngangsa-angsa", "dipunkersakaken", "lan-kepingin", "lan-kita-ngersakaken-Panjenenganipun", "lan-kula-kepingin", "melik", "ngangsa-angsa", "panjenengan-melik", "panjenengan-seneng-i", "seneng"]·KO["그리고-우리가-바랐던", "그리고-탐하고", "그리고-탐하였다", "기뻐하며", "너희가-기뻐하던", "원하셨도다", "탐내라", "탐낼-것이다", "탐냈다", "탐하지"]·PT["Desejou", "E-cobiçam", "cobiçará", "cobiçarás", "cobiçes", "desejam", "desejastes", "desejou", "e-cobicei-os", "e-o-desejemos"]·RU["И-желают", "вожделел", "возжелал", "желай", "желали", "желают", "и-возжелал-я-их", "и-желаем-Его", "пожелает"]·ES["Y-codician", "codiciará", "codiciarás", "codicies", "desea", "desean", "deseásteis", "deseó", "y-lo-desearemos", "y-los-codicié"]·SW["Mungu-anapenda", "atatamani", "hutamani", "mliyoipenda", "na-nikavitamani", "na-tumtamani", "na-wanatamani", "usitamani", "wanapenda"]·TR["Ve-arzularlar", "arzu-edeceksin", "arzu-etme", "arzu-etti", "arzuladı", "arzuladılar", "arzuladınız", "arzulayacak", "göz-dikeceksin", "ve-arzu-ettim", "ve-arzulayalim-onu"]·urd["اور-لالچ-کرتے-ہیں", "اور-لالچ-کی-اُن-کی-میں-نے", "اور-ہم-چاہیں-اُسے", "تم-نے-پسند-کیے", "لالچ-کر", "لالچ-کرے", "للچا", "پسند-کرتے-ہیں", "چاہا"]
Exod 20:17, Exod 20:17, Exod 34:24, Deut 5:21, Deut 7:25, Josh 7:21, Ps 68:16, Prov 1:22, Prov 6:25, Prov 12:12, Isa 1:29, Isa 53:2 (+1 more)
2. desirable, to be desired — The Nifal participial sense: desirable, pleasant, worthy of desire. Here the verb functions adjectivally, describing objects that attract or delight. Genesis 2:9 uses it for Eden's trees, and Psalm 19:10 for God's ordinances being 'more to be desired than gold.' Spanish 'deseable' and German 'lieblich' (lovely) show the shift from acquisitive craving to aesthetic or spiritual appreciation. 4×
AR["الْمَرْغُوبَةُ", "ثَمِينٌ", "شَهِيٍّ", "وَ-شَهِيٌّ"]·ben["আর-মনোরম", "কাঙ্খিত", "মনোরম", "মূল্যবান"]·DE["[נחמד]", "lieblich", "mehr-zu-sein-desired", "und-begehrenswert"]·EN["and-delightful", "desirable", "more-to-be-desired"]·FR["desirable", "désirer", "et-delightful", "le-désirer"]·heb["ה-נחמדים", "ו-נחמד", "נחמד"]·HI["और-मनभावन", "बहुमूल्य", "मनभावना", "वे-अभिलाषनीय-हैं"]·ID["Lebih-diinginkan", "dan-menyenangkan", "yang-diinginkan", "yang-menarik"]·IT["desiderare", "desidero'", "desirable", "e-delightful"]·jav["Dipun-pepingan", "lan-ndudut-ati", "éndah"]·KO["그리고-탐스럽다", "바람직하도다", "소중한", "아름다운"]·PT["Mais-desejáveis", "desejável", "e-agradável"]·RU["вожделенные", "желанное", "и-вожделенно", "приятное"]·ES["agradable", "deseable", "los-más-deseables", "y-agradable"]·SW["Zinatamaniwa", "na-unatamaniwa", "unaopendeza", "ya-thamani"]·TR["-arzu-edilenler", "arzu-edilen", "değerli", "ve-çekici"]·urd["اور-پسندیدہ", "بیش-قیمت", "خوبصورت", "پسندیدہ-زیادہ"]
3. precious thing, treasure — The Qal passive participle used substantively to mean a precious thing, treasure, or delight. In Job 20:20 and Psalm 39:11 it refers to what a person treasures or holds dear. German 'Schatz' (treasure) and Spanish 'cosas preciadas' (precious things) confirm the substantival reading, where the act of desiring has crystallized into the object desired. 3×
AR["بِ-مَشْتَهَاهُ", "مَحْبوبَهُ", "وَمَرْغُوبَاتُهُمْ"]·ben["-তার-লালসায়", "এবং-তাদের-প্রিয়গুলি", "তার-সৌন্দর্য"]·DE["[בחמודו]", "[וחמודיהם]", "sein-Schatz"]·EN["and-their-delights", "his-treasure", "with-his-treasure"]·FR["[וחמודיהם]", "désirer", "désirer-lui"]·heb["ב-חמודו", "ו-חמודיהם", "חמוד-ו"]·HI["अपनी-लालसा-से", "और-प्रिय-वस्तुएँ-उनकी", "सुंदरता-उसकी"]·ID["dan-kesayangan-mereka", "dengan-keinginannya"]·IT["[וחמודיהם]", "desidero'", "nel-desiderare-suo"]·jav["ing-pepénginanipun", "ingkang-dipun-kasihi-nipun", "lan-barang-barang-kesayanganipun"]·KO["그-이-귀한-것-을", "그리고-그들의-귀한-것들이", "그의-탐내는-것에서"]·PT["e-amados-deles", "em-seu-desejo", "o-que-ele-deseja"]·RU["желанное-его", "и-возлюбленные-их", "с-желанным-своим"]·ES["con-lo-codiciado", "su-deseo", "y-sus-cosas-preciadas"]·SW["anachopendeza", "kwa-vitu-vyake-vya-thamani", "na-vitu-vyao-vya-thamani"]·TR["değerli-olanını", "hazinesiyle", "ve-degeerlileri"]·urd["اور-اُن-کی-پسندیدہ-چیزیں", "اُس-کی-خوبصورتی", "خواہشوں-اُس-کی-سے"]
4. delight in intensely — The Piel intensive sense: to delight in intensely, expressing heightened or focused desire. Found only in Song of Songs 2:3, where the beloved delights to sit in the shade of her lover. Spanish 'deseé' and French 'j'ai désiré' render it as a strong personal longing, but the Piel stem signals an intensity beyond ordinary wanting—closer to savoring or relishing. 1×
AR["حِمَّدْتِي"]·ben["আমি-আনন্দিত-হয়েছি"]·DE["[חמדתי]"]·EN["I-delighted"]·FR["j'ai-désiré"]·heb["חימדתי"]·HI["चाहती-थी-मैं"]·ID["aku-sangat-ingin"]·IT["desiderare"]·jav["kula-seneng"]·KO["내-가-사모했네"]·PT["deleitei-me"]·RU["желала-я"]·ES["deseé"]·SW["nimefurahi"]·TR["arzuladim"]·urd["میں-نے-خوشی-پائی"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חָמֵד 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)— Qal 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;…