H2654a H2654a
To delight in or take pleasure in someone or something; also to desire, want, or be willing to act.
Chaphets captures a warm, engaged attraction — not mere intellectual approval but felt pleasure and active desire. When God delights in someone, it signals deep favor and acceptance (Num 14:8; 2 Sam 22:20); when a person delights in God's commandments, it transforms obedience from duty into joy (Ps 112:1; 119:35). The verb also carries a volitional edge: 'If the LORD is willing' (Judg 13:23) and the kinsman-redeemer's refusal to act (Ruth 4:6 context; Deut 25:7-8). Arabic cognates preserve the nuance of attentive eagerness, while Korean and Spanish translations split between pleasure-language and desire-language.
1. take pleasure in, delight in — To experience emotional pleasure, satisfaction, or delight in someone or something — the affective dimension of engaged approval. Across 48 occurrences, this sense covers both divine and human delight. Spanish 'quisiera/desea' and German 'Gefallen haben' capture the warmth. If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into the land (Num 14:8); Jonathan delighted greatly in David (1 Sam 19:1); and God's delight is not in the strength of horses but in those who fear Him (Ps 147:10-11). The participial form chaphets functions almost adjectivally: 'one who delights in' God's commands (Ps 112:1). 48×
AR["تَشَاءُ","رَضِيَ","سُرَّ","شاءَ","شِتِّحْفَص","لِأَنَّهُ-","مَسْرُورٌ","يَرْغَبُ","يَسُرُّهُ","يُسَرُّ"]·ben["খুশি","চান","চায়","তিনি-চান","তিনি-প্রসন্ন","সন্তুষ্ট","সন্তুষ্ট-হয়েছিলেন","সে-আনন্দিত-হয়","সে-চায়।"]·DE["Gefallen-haben","Gefallen-hatte","delights","desires","er-delights","er-hat-Gefallen","hatte-Gefallen"]·EN["delighted","delights","desires","he-delights","he-desires","is-pleased","it-pleases","was-pleased"]·FR["[חפץ]","delights","desires","plaisir","prendre-plaisir","qu'il-veuille!","qu'il-veuille?","vouloir"]·heb["חפץ","יחפוץ","ש-תחפץ"]·HI["खुश","चाहता-है","चाहा","प्रसन्न-था","प्रसन्न-है","प्रसन्न-हो","प्रसन्न-होता","प्रसन्न-होता-है","वह-चाहता-है","वह-चाहे"]·ID["berkenan","dia-kehendaki","ia-berkenan","ia-ingin","ingin","sangat-senang","senang"]·IT["compiacersi","delights","desiderare","desideri","piacere","si-diletta","si-diletto'"]·jav["dipun-kersakaken","kapareng","kepingin","ngantos-panjenenganipun-remen","remen","rena"]·KO["그가-원하면","그것-이-기뻐할-때","기믭하면","기믭하셨느니라","기믭하시냐","기믭하신다면","기빠하셨다","기뻐하는","기뻐하셨음이라","기뻐한다","기뼄하는","기뼐하셨느니라","원하는"]·PT["agradando","agradou-se","deleitasse","deseja","desejar","queira","quis","se-agrada","se-agradou","tem-grande-prazer"]·RU["благоволил","желает","желал","захочет","захочет,","любит","не-захочет.","пожелал"]·ES["desea","que-quiera","quisiera","quiso","se-agrada","se-deleita","se-deleitaba","se-deleitó"]·SW["alipenda","alipendezwa","amefurahia","anafurahia","anamfurahia","anapenda","anapendezwa","anataka","naye","utakapopenda"]·TR["hoşlanır","hoşlanırsa","hoşnut-oldu","istedi","ister","isterse","istiyor","ki-ister","memnun","razı-ise","zevk-alan"]·urd["خوش","خوش-ہوتا","خوش-ہے","خوشی-رکھتا-ہے","وہ-خود-چاہے","پسند-کیا","چاہا","چاہتا-ہو","چاہتا-ہے","چاہے"]
Num 14:8, 1 Sam 18:22, 1 Sam 19:1, 2 Sam 15:26, 2 Sam 20:11, 2 Sam 22:20, 2 Sam 24:3, 1 Kgs 9:1, 1 Kgs 10:9, 2 Chr 9:8, Esth 2:14, Esth 6:6 (+36 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. desire, want, be willing — To desire, want, or be willing to do something — the volitional dimension emphasizing intention or consent. Appearing in 26 occurrences, translations shift to desire-language: Spanish 'desea/deseara,' and several languages use want/wish equivalents. Shechem desired Jacob's daughter (Gen 34:19), the levirate law addresses a brother-in-law who 'does not want' to marry (Deut 25:7-8), and Manoah reasoned that if the LORD had wanted to kill them, He would not have shown them such things (Judg 13:23). The line between pleasure and volition is thin, but context and multilingual rendering reveal when willingness outweighs emotion. 26×
AR["أَحْبَبْتَ","أَرَدتُ","أَرْغَبُ","أَشْتَهي","أُريدُ","تَشَاءُ","رَغِبَ","رَغِبْتَ","رَغِبْتُ","رَغِبْتُمْ","سَرَرْتَ","شاءَ","شَاءَ","يَرْغَبُ","يَرْغَبُونَ","يَرْغَبُونَ-","يَشاءُ","يُريدونَ"]·ben["-তারা-চায়","আনন্দিত-ছিল","আমি-ইচ্ছা-করি","আমি-চাই","ইচ্ছা-করেছ","ইচ্ছা-করেন","ইচ্ছা-করো-তুমি","চাই","চাইতেন","চাও","চান","চায়","চেয়েছি","চেয়েছিলাম","তারা-খুশি-পায়","তারা-চায়।","তিনি-চেয়েছিলেন","তুমি-চাও-না","তোমরা-চেয়েছ"]·DE["Gefallen-haben","Wohlgefallen","desired","desires","du-Verlangen","du-delight","du-desired","er-hat-Gefallen","er-hatte-Gefallen","er-pleases","hatte-Gefallen","ich-desire","tun-du-Verlangen","tun-ich-Verlangen"]·EN["He-pleases","I-desire","You-desire","You-desired","delight","desired","desires","do-I-desire","do-You-desire","he-delighted","he-desires","they-delight-","they-desire","you-delight","you-desire"]·FR["desired","désire","il-delighted","je-desire","plaisir","prendre-plaisir","tu-delight","vouloir"]·heb["אחפוץ","חפץ","חפצת","חפצתי","חפצתם","יחפוץ","יחפצו","יחפצון","תחפוץ"]·HI["चाहता","चाहता-था-वह","चाहता-हूँ","चाहता-हूँ-मैं","चाहता-है","चाहता-है-तू","चाहा","चाहा-है","चाहेगा","जिसे-मैं-चाहता-हूं","तूने-चाहा","मैं-चाहता-हूँ","वे-चाहते-","वे-चाहते-हैं"]·ID["Aku-kehendaki","Ia-kehendaki","aku ingin","aku-inginkan","aku-menginginkan","berkehendak","dikehendaki","ia-berkenan","kamu-inginkan","kamu-senang","mau","mau-aku","mereka-inginkan-","mereka-sukai","yang-mereka-sukai"]·IT["compiacersi","desiderare","desired","desires","egli-delighted","io-desire","si-diletto'","tu-delight"]·jav["Kawula-kepengin","Panjenengan-kepengin","Panjenenganipun-karsa","dipunkarsakèn","dipunremeni-","ingkang-seneng","kang-dikeparengaken","kawula-kepengin","kawula-kepingin","kula-kepengin","kula-purun","panjenengan-kepingin","panjenengan-remen","piyambak","piyambakipun-karsakaken","piyambakipun-remen","purun","renaning-panggalih","saking-dosa-rah"]·KO["기믭하리라-","기믭하였노라","기믭했다면","기뻐하시는","기뼐하고","기뼐하는데","내가-원한다","바랐나이다","원하는","원하면","원하셨도다","원하시면","원하시오니","원하시지-않으시니","원하였다-너희가","원했다"]·PT["Ele-quiser","desejam","desejam-","desejas","desejastes","desejava","desejo","quero","quis","quiser","quisesse","quiseste","se-deleitam","te-agradares"]·RU["будешь-желать","желает","желаете","желаешь","желал","желаю","желаю-я","желают-","желают-они","желающие","захотел","пожелает","хотел"]·ES["desea","desean","deseara","desearán-","deseas","deseaste","deseasteis","deseo","he-deseado","quise","quisiere","quiso","se-deleitaba","te-agradas"]·SW["anapenda","anapendezea","anataka","angependa","apendapo","hutaki","mnapenda","ndani-yake","ninapenda","ninapendezea","ninataka","sitaki","umefanya","unampendezea","unapenda","wanapenda","wapendao-vita"]·TR["arzuladım","arzuladın","arzuluyorsun","dilediği","hoşnut-olursan","istedi","istedin","istediniz","isterim","isterler","isterler-","isterse","isteseydi","istiyordu","istiyorum","zevk-alan"]·urd["تجھے-خوشی-ہو","تُو-نے-چاہا","خوش-تھا","میں چاہتا ہوں","میں-چاہتا","چاہا","چاہا-تم-نے","چاہتا-تھا","چاہتا-ہوں","چاہتا-ہوں-میں","چاہتا-ہے","چاہتا-ہے-تو","چاہتے","چاہتے-ہیں","چاہے"]
Gen 34:19, Deut 21:14, Deut 25:7, Deut 25:8, Judg 13:23, Ruth 3:13, 1 Sam 2:25, Job 13:3, Job 21:14, Job 33:32, Ps 40:6, Ps 51:6 (+14 more)
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
† I. חָפֵץ vb. delight in (cf. Arabic حَفِظَ be mindful of, attentive to, keep, protect, Aramaic ܚܦܛ whence ܚܦܺܝܛ eager, zealous, Arabic حَفِيظَةٌ anger (excitement), أَحْفَظَ enrage (Aramaic and Arabic of excited attention, Heb. of delighted attention), Dl Pr 168 Nö ZMG 1886, 742; NH חֵפֶץ weakened to thing, v. De Ec. Gloss., Ph. in n.pr. חפצבעל);— Qal Pf. ח׳ Gn 34:19 + 28 times; f. חָפֵ֑צָה Is…