What does חָפֵץ (ḥāp̄ēṣ) mean in the Bible?
חָפֵץ (ḥāp̄ēṣ): Inclination of will toward pleasure: God's delight in covenant obedience; human desire as moral alignment.
Hebrew · H2654
חָפֵץ
Properly, to incline to; by implication (literally but rarely) to bend ; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire
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חָפֵץ H2654
Pronunciation ḥāp̄ēṣ
What does חָפֵץ (ḥāp̄ēṣ) mean in the Bible?
חָפֵץ (ḥāp̄ēṣ): Inclination of will toward pleasure: God's delight in covenant obedience; human desire as moral alignment.
Full entry for חָפֵץ (H2654) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2654?
The BSB source-word alignment has 74 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include delight (6), desire (4), is delighted (4), want (4), delights (3).
Where does חָפֵץ (ḥāp̄ēṣ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 34:19. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (17), Isaiah (12), Esther (7), Job (5).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It delight 6× 2 Samuel 15:26, Psalms 51:16, Psalms 147:10, Proverbs 18:2
desire 4× Job 13:3, Job 21:14, Psalms 40:6, Isaiah 13:17
is delighted 4× Esther 6:6, Esther 6:7, Esther 6:9, Esther 6:11
want 4× Deuteronomy 25:7, Deuteronomy 25:8, Ruth 3:13, 2 Samuel 24:3
delights 3× Numbers 14:8, Psalms 112:1, Malachi 2:17
He pleases 3× Psalms 115:3, Proverbs 21:1, Ecclesiastes 8:3
pleasure 3× Jeremiah 6:10, Ezekiel 18:32, Ezekiel 33:11
the time is right 3× Song Of Solomon 2:7, Song Of Solomon 3:5, Song Of Solomon 8:4
delighted 2× 1 Samuel 19:1, Esther 2:14
has delighted 2× 1 Kings 10:9, 2 Chronicles 9:8
He delighted 2× 2 Samuel 22:20, Psalms 18:19
I delight 2× Psalms 40:8, Jeremiah 9:24
I desire 2× Psalms 73:25, Hosea 6:6
You desire 2× Psalms 51:6, Jeremiah 42:22
. . . 1× Ezekiel 18:23
[who] delight 1× Psalms 68:30
[who] takes delight 1× Psalms 37:23
and delight 1× Isaiah 58:2
and delighted 1× Isaiah 66:3
be delighted 1× Esther 6:6
Do I take any pleasure in 1× Ezekiel 18:23
favors 1× 2 Samuel 20:11
had intended 1× Judges 13:23
He delights 1× Psalms 22:8
he was delighted 1× Genesis 34:19
I find delight 1× Psalms 119:35
I please 1× Isaiah 55:11
I take no delight 1× Isaiah 1:11
I would like 1× Job 33:32
intended 1× 1 Samuel 2:25
is pleased 1× 1 Samuel 18:22
one wished 1× Job 9:3
pleased 1× Deuteronomy 21:14
pleases Him 1× Psalms 135:6
pleases Me 1× Isaiah 56:4
sways 1× Job 40:17
they delight 1× Isaiah 58:2
to delight 1× Psalms 109:17
to do 1× 1 Kings 9:1
wants 1× Esther 6:9
was pleased 1× Isaiah 42:21
will 1× Isaiah 53:10
will take delight 1× Isaiah 62:4
You delight 1× Psalms 41:11
You pleased 1× Jonah 1:14
You will delight 1× Psalms 51:19
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 34:19 חָפֵ֖ץ to he was delighted Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 14:8 חָפֵ֥ץ to delights Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 21:14 חָפַ֣צְתָּ to pleased Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Deuteronomy 25:7 יַחְפֹּץ֙ to want Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 25:8 חָפַ֖צְתִּי to want Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Judges 13:23 חָפֵ֨ץ to had intended Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Ruth 3:13 יַחְפֹּ֧ץ to want Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 2:25 חָפֵ֥ץ to intended Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 18:22 חָפֵ֤ץ to is pleased Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 19:1 חָפֵ֥ץ to delighted Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 34:19
Aligned rows 74
Books represented 21
Genesis 1 Numbers 1 Deuteronomy 3 Judges 1 Ruth 1 1 Samuel 3 2 Samuel 4 1 Kings 2 2 Chronicles 1 Esther 7 Job 5 Psalms 17 Proverbs 2 Ecclesiastes 1 Song Of Solomon 3 Isaiah 12 Jeremiah 3 Ezekiel 4 Hosea 1 Jonah 1 Malachi 1
Source forms
חָפֵ֥ץ 10x ḥā·p̄êṣ Numbers 14:8, 1 Samuel 2:25, 1 Samuel 19:1, Esther 2:14
חָפַ֖צְתִּי 6x ḥā·p̄aṣ·tî Deuteronomy 25:8, 2 Samuel 15:26, Isaiah 65:12, Isaiah 66:4
חָפֵ֣ץ 5x ḥā·p̄êṣ 1 Kings 10:9, 2 Chronicles 9:8, Esther 6:6, Esther 6:9
חָפֵ֖ץ 4x ḥā·p̄êṣ Genesis 34:19, 2 Samuel 24:3, 1 Kings 9:1, Isaiah 42:21
אֶחְפֹּץ֙ 3x ’eḥ·pōṣ Ezekiel 18:23, Ezekiel 18:32, Ezekiel 33:11
חָפֵ֤ץ 3x ḥā·p̄êṣ 1 Samuel 18:22, Isaiah 53:10, Isaiah 62:4
חָ֥פֵֽץ 3x ḥā·p̄êṣ 2 Samuel 22:20, Psalms 18:19, Psalms 22:8
חָפַ֣צְתָּ 3x ḥā·p̄aṣ·tā Deuteronomy 21:14, Psalms 41:11, Psalms 51:6
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 28x Genesis 34:19, Numbers 14:8, Judges 13:23, 1 Samuel 2:25
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular 13x Deuteronomy 25:8, 2 Samuel 15:26, Job 33:32, Psalms 40:8
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 10x Deuteronomy 25:7, Ruth 3:13, Esther 6:6, Job 9:3
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular 5x Deuteronomy 21:14, Psalms 40:6, Psalms 41:11, Psalms 51:6
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular 4x Job 13:3, Ezekiel 18:23, Ezekiel 18:32, Ezekiel 33:11
Verb 3x Song Of Solomon 2:7, Song Of Solomon 3:5, Song Of Solomon 8:4
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 3x Psalms 68:30, Isaiah 13:17, Jeremiah 6:10
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 2x Psalms 51:16, Psalms 51:19
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Inclination of will toward pleasure: God's delight in covenant obedience; human desire as moral alignment.
Strong's H2654
Lexical occurrences 75 verses Word forms 1 form 69 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Psalms 18:16–19 Source Gloss
properly, to incline to; by implication (literally but rarely) to bend ; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Inclination of will toward pleasure: God's delight in covenant obedience; human desire as moral alignment.
properly, to incline to; by implication (literally but rarely) to bend; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire BDB: delight in Usage: × any at all, (have, take) delight, desire, favour, like, move, be (well) pleased, have pleasure, will, would.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 69
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 69×
Perfect 1Kgs 9:1 · 1Kgs 10:9 · 1Sam 2:25 · 1Sam 18:22 · 1Sam 19:1 · 2Chr 9:8 · 2Sam 20:11 · 2Sam 22:20 · 2Sam 24:3 · Esth 2:14 · Esth 6:6 · Esth 6:7 · Esth 6:9 · Esth 6:11 · Gen 34:19 · Isa 42:21 50×
Imperfect Deut 25:7 · Eccl 8:3 · Esth 6:6 · Job 9:3 · Job 40:17 · Prov 18:2 · Prov 21:1 · Ps 37:23 · Ps 147:10 · Ruth 3:13 · Ezek 18:23 · Ezek 18:32 · Ezek 33:11 · Job 13:3 · Isa 13:17 · Jer 6:10 19×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
He delighted; he took pleasure; he desired; indicates a voluntary, affectionate motive
Showing 1 selected witness from 75 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
חָפֵץ is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain