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chesed

Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 7:53 pm
by Philip Hudson
We have been discussing some Yiddish words. Chesed probably comes directly from the Hebrew. It is a powerful word meaning deep, giving love. The Greek word agape has a similar meaning.

Re: chesed

Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 9:36 pm
by Perry Lassiter
In the OT chesed primarily refers to YHWH's love for His covenant people, covenant love. KJV usually translates it as mercy, NIV as steadfast love.

In NT agape was supposedly the least used Greek term for love, so the church baptized it and expanded it beyond the OT idea to a universal love. Agape is based on the character of God, whose nature it is to love, not the quality of the one loved. The scary thing is Jesus commanded his followers to love others as God had love us. In otherwords, we love because it is in our character, not dependent on the other.