'Kesed' Meaning and Source

Kesed: God's Loyal Love

Kesed Seminars, the former name for BWGI Ministries, took its name from one of the great words of the Old Testament, Kesed. While the name of our organization has changed, the meaning of the word is still central to our ministry.

Because the word is pronounced in the back of the throat in Hebrew, it is sometimes written, Chesed, Hesed, or Kesed. The word occurs 245 times in the Old Testament. In the King James Version it is often translated “mercy.” In modern versions, it is translated “loving kindness,” “loyalty,” or “loyal love.”

In modern Hebrew, Kesed is the word used for grace, and when the New Testament is translated into Hebrew, Kesed is used for grace. Obviously it is a word to become familiar with. Psalm 23:6 says literally, “Only goodness and Kesed have pursued me all the days of my life.” Psalm 23 is David’s reflection over the entirety of his life. David had been hunted a large part of his life by numerous enemies, including the King of Israel Saul. But as he looked over his life, David said that it was really God’s Kesed that had hunted him down. Kesed in this context means loving loyalty from God that persistently pursues our good.

The term seems to involve two ideas. The first is that God loves and likes His own. The second is that He is loyal to His own. In the Ten Commandments God says, “. . . but showing Kesed to thousands of generations, to those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:6). To appreciate the loyalty that is implicit in the word, we can take an example from Hosea 6:4.

O Ephraim, what shall I do to you?
O Judah, what shall I do to you?
For your faithfulness [Kesed] is like a morning cloud,
And like the dew it goes away.

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The Israelites are told that their faithfulness disappears as quickly as the dew of the morning. In this negative example, we can see that Kesed involves loyalty over time.

The Old Testament also speaks of the requirements that go with being a recipient of Kesed. In Micah 6:8, we are told:

He has shown you, O man,
     what is good;
And what does the LORD
     require of you
But to do justly,
     To love mercy [Kesed],
And to walk humbly with your God?

The believer is told that a deep and profound appreciation of God’s Kesed is expected. To appreciate loving loyalty is a mark of spiritual sanity. We are called to be recipients of God’s loyal love, to appreciate such love, and to exhibit the same. We at Kesed Seminars believe that to know God well and appreciate His affection is where true spiritual transformation originates.

Dr. David Eckman