Lexical Summary
chasid: Faithful, godly, holy, pious, kind
Original Word:חָסִיד
Part of Speech:Adjective
Transliteration:chaciyd
Pronunciation:khaw-SEED
Phonetic Spelling:(khaw-seed')
KJV: godly (man), good, holy (one), merciful, saint, (un-)godly
NASB:godly ones, godly man, kind, godly, godly person, gracious, Holy One
Word Origin:[fromH2616 (חָסַד - To be kind)]
1. (properly) kind, i.e. (religiously) pious (a saint)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
godly man, good, holy one, merciful, saint, ungodly
Fromchacad; properly, kind, i.e. (religiously) pious (a saint) -- godly (man), good, holy (one), merciful, saint, (un-)godly.
see HEBREWchacad
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
chasadDefinitionkind, pious
NASB Translationgodly (2), godly man (3), godly ones (20), godly person (1), gracious (1), Holy One (1), kind (3), love (1), ungodly* (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(so, as denoting active practice of , kindness, Thes MV De and most, compare , etc.; > Hup on
Psalm 4:4 RVm who explained as passive
reception of s , compare , etc.; its use as attribute of God
Jeremiah 3:12;
Psalm 145:17, and the context
Psalm 12:1;
Micah 7:2 etc., favour active sense) —
Psalm 4:4 9t.;
Deuteronomy 33:8;
Psalm 89:20;
Psalm 16:10; plural
Psalm 149:1;
Psalm 149:5; suffix
Psalm 50:5;
1 Samuel 2:9 15t. suffixes; —
kind:
with the kind thou shewest thyself kind2 Samuel 22:26 =Psalm 18:26.
Job 39:13is it a kindly pinion? possibly with play on feminine nounstrok (is the ostrich kind like the stork?).
, onlyJeremiah 3:12;Psalm 145:17.
pious, godly, either as exhibition of 'duteous love' toward God (CheOP 378), or (in view of rarity of such passages asHosea 6:4,6;Jeremiah 2:2, and their possible ambiguity) becausekindness, as prominent in the godly, comes to imply other attributes, and to be a designation of the godly character,piety:
as adjective —a nation, not pious, =ungodlyPsalm 43:1.
elsewhere as substantive: singular,a pious man, the godlyPsalm 4:4;Psalm 12:2;Psalm 32:6;Psalm 86:2, ""Micah 7:2; (thy)pious one(s)Psalm 16:10 (Kt plural),1 Samuel 2:9 (Qr plural)Proverbs 2:8,men of thy pious oneDeuteronomy 33:8 (Moses, see Di; others,the man, thy godly one, i.e. Levi); pluralthe pious, godly, those of the people who were faithful, devoted to God's service, only in Psalter and chiefly, if not entirely, in late PsalmsPsalm 149:1;Psalm 149:5;his pious onesPsalm 30:5;Psalm 31:24;Psalm 37:28;Psalm 85:9;Psalm 97:10;Psalm 116:15;Psalm 148:14;Psalm 149:9;thy pious onesPsalm 52:11;Psalm 79:2;Psalm 132:9 2Chronicles 6:41;Psalm 145:10;my pious onesPsalm 50:5,her (Zion's)piousPsalm 132:16. — (In Maccabean age, denoted, technically, the party ofthe pious, who opposed the Hellenization of the Judaea, see 1Macc 2:42; 7:13; 2 Macc 14:6 and CheOP 48, 56; so perhapsPsalm 116:15;Psalm 149:1;Psalm 149:5;Psalm 149:9.)
Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe term חָסִיד (ḥāsîd) designates a person or, on rare occasion, the Lord Himself, who embodies covenant loyalty, mercy, and piety. Found about thirty-two times in the Hebrew Scriptures, it is translated in the Berean Standard Bible by words such as “godly,” “faithful,” “holy one,” or “saint.” Each occurrence underscores that true godliness is inseparably tied to steadfast love (ḥesed) toward God and neighbor.
Distribution and Literary Settings
• Historical Books:Deuteronomy 33:8;1 Samuel 2:9;2 Chronicles 6:41
• Wisdom Literature:Job 15:15; multiple verses in Psalms and Proverbs
• Prophetic and Post-Exilic Writings:Isaiah 55:3 (in the plural),Daniel 8:24
More than three-quarters of the usages appear in the Psalms, reflecting the term’s liturgical and devotional weight.
Covenant Faithfulness
The ḥāsîd is one who responds to God’s ḥesed with loyal love.Deuteronomy 33:8 links Levi’s priestly privilege to being God’s “loyal servant.” Hannah sings, “He guards the steps of His faithful ones” (1 Samuel 2:9). Such texts locate the ḥāsîd within the covenant blessing–obedience framework ofDeuteronomy 28–30; the godly flourish because the Lord is faithful to His promises and they, in turn, walk in covenant fidelity.
Community of the Faithful (“the saints”)
In corporate worship the word often appears in the plural:
•Psalm 30:4: “Sing to the LORD, O you His saints, and praise His holy name.”
•Psalm 31:23: “Love the LORD, all His saints! The LORD preserves the faithful…”
•Psalm 37:28: “For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints.”
Here ḥăsîdîm defines the remnant within Israel who rely on the Lord’s faithfulness. The term anticipates the New Testament designation “saints” for believers united to Christ (e.g.,Romans 1:7;Ephesians 1:1), showing continuity in God’s purpose to form a holy people for Himself.
Ethical Dimensions
While “holy” (qādôsh) stresses separation from sin, ḥāsîd stresses active mercy and righteous deeds flowing from love for God.Proverbs 2:8 affirms that the Lord “protects the way of His saints,” implying a recognizable lifestyle.Psalm 12:1 laments, “Help, O LORD, for the godly are no more,” exposing societal decay when mercy and fidelity disappear. Thus the word calls God’s people to visible, relational righteousness.
Messianic Significance
Psalm 16:10 is pivotal: “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.” Applied by Peter and Paul to Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 2:27; 13:35), the verse presents the Messiah as the quintessential ḥāsîd whose perfect covenant faithfulness is vindicated by God.Isaiah 55:3 speaks of the “faithful mercies shown to David” (lit. “the sure mercies of David” – ḥasdei Dāwid hane’emānîm), promising an everlasting covenant fulfilled in Christ.
Occasional Use of ḥāsîd for God
Psalm 145:17 (text-critical) and a few manuscripts read ḥāsîd of the Lord Himself: “The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.” Whether original or not, the notion that God exemplifies the very quality He seeks in His people is consistent withExodus 34:6–7, where He proclaims Himself “abounding in loving devotion” (ḥesed).
Historical Development
Post-exilic literature (e.g.,Daniel 8:24) employs ḥāsîdîm for the “holy ones” targeted by Antiochus IV, the seedbed for the Hasideans movement (1 Maccabees 2:42). While later “Hasidic” streams in Judaism drew from this legacy, Scripture’s use remains theological rather than sectarian, magnifying devotion rather than denominational identity.
Liturgical and Pastoral Applications
1. Worship: Repeated liturgical summons (“Sing… O you His saints,”Psalm 30:4) show that praise rooted in gratitude for covenant mercy is the proper response of the ḥāsîd.
2. Assurance: Promises such as “The LORD preserves the faithful” (Psalm 31:23) anchor pastoral comfort in God’s unchanging character.
3. Discipline: Warnings likePsalm 50:5, “Gather to Me My saints, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice,” remind believers that election entails responsibility.
4. Community Ethics: The disappearance of the ḥāsîd (Psalm 12:1) signals social collapse, urging the Church to cultivate mercy and integrity.
Practical Ministry Implications
• Discipleship aims to shape believers into ḥāsîdîm—people whose character reflects God’s steadfast love.
• Leadership selection (cf.Deuteronomy 33:8) should prioritize proven covenant loyalty over mere skill.
• Counseling draws on passages promising God’s preservation of the faithful, offering hope amid persecution or discouragement.
• Evangelism points to Christ as the perfect ḥāsîd, whose resurrection guarantees life to all who trust in Him.
Summary
חָסִיד portrays the believer who responds to God’s steadfast love with loyal, merciful devotion. Rooted in the covenant, embodied supremely in the Messiah, and manifested in the worshiping community, the word summons every generation to reflect the Lord’s own faithful love until He gathers all His saints into everlasting praise.
Forms and Transliterations
וְ֝חָסִ֗יד וַ֝חֲסִידֶ֗יהָ וַ֝חֲסִידֶ֗יךָ וַחֲסִידֶ֖יךָ וַחֲסִידֶ֥יךָ וחסיד וחסידיה וחסידיך חֲ֝סִידְךָ֗ חֲ֝סִידֶ֗יךָ חֲ֭סִידָיו חֲסִ֫ידָ֥יו חֲסִידִ֣ים חֲסִידִֽים׃ חֲסִידֶ֑ךָ חֲסִידֶֽיךָ׃ חֲסִידָ֑י חֲסִידָ֑יו חֲסִידָ֗יו חֲסִידָ֣יו חֲסִידָיו֙ חָסִ֑יד חָסִ֖יד חָסִ֣יד חָסִ֤יד חָסִ֥יד חָסִ֨יד ׀ חָסִ֪יד חָסִיד֙ חסיד חסידי חסידיו חסידיך חסידיך׃ חסידים חסידים׃ חסידך לַֽחֲסִידֶ֗יךָ לַחֲסִידָֽיו׃ לחסידיו׃ לחסידיך chaSid chasiDai chasiDav chasiDecha chasiDeicha chasiDim ḥă·sî·ḏāw ḥă·sî·ḏāy ḥă·sî·ḏe·ḵā ḥă·sî·ḏə·ḵā ḥă·sî·ḏîm ḥā·sîḏ ḥāsîḏ ḥăsîḏāw ḥăsîḏāy ḥăsîḏeḵā ḥăsîḏəḵā ḥăsîḏîm la·ḥă·sî·ḏāw la·ḥă·sî·ḏe·ḵā lachasiDav lachasiDeicha laḥăsîḏāw laḥăsîḏeḵā vachasiDeicha vachasiDeiha vechaSid wa·ḥă·sî·ḏe·hā wa·ḥă·sî·ḏe·ḵā waḥăsîḏehā waḥăsîḏeḵā wə·ḥā·sîḏ wəḥāsîḏ
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