H2656 — חֵפֶץ (chêphets)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H2656
Original: חֵפֶץ
Transliteration: chêphets
Pronunciation: khay'-fets
Part of Speech: Masculine noun
Root: חָפֵץ (châphêts, H2654) — to incline to, be pleased with, desire
Occurrences: 38 unique verses (41 tokens) across 12 books
First Occurrence: 1 Sam 15:22 — "Hath the LORD [as great] delight (chêphets) in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From H2654; pleasure; hence (abstractly) desire; concretely, a valuable thing; hence (by extension) a matter (as something in mind): acceptable, delight(-some), desire, things desired, matter, pleasant(-ure), purpose, willingly.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
pleasure / my pleasure / his pleasure / thy pleasure / any pleasure / thine own pleasure	14	36.8%
desire / my desire / her desire / his desire / thy desire / their desired	10	26.3%
purpose	3	7.9%
delight / my delight / his delight	3	7.9%
acceptable	1	2.6%
delightsome	1	2.6%
matter	1	2.6%
pleasant	1	2.6%
willingly	1	2.6%
Other phrasing	3	7.9%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Malachi	2	3.6
Ecclesiastes	7	3.2
1 Kings	5	0.6
Isaiah	7	0.5
Hosea	1	0.5
Job	3	0.3
Proverbs	3	0.3
1 Samuel	2	0.2
Psalms	4	0.2
2 Samuel	1	0.1
2 Chronicles	1	0.1
Jeremiah	2	0.1

Concentrated in wisdom literature (Ecclesiastes 7×, Proverbs 3×, Job 3×) and prophetic texts (Isaiah 7×). Ecclesiastes uses it predominantly in the "purpose/matter" sense; Isaiah in the "divine pleasure/will" sense. Absent from the Pentateuch (root verb H2654 appears there instead).

Semantic Categories¶

1. Divine Pleasure / Will / Purpose¶

God's sovereign intention or delight — what YHWH wills and takes pleasure in accomplishing. - Isa 44:28 — "shall perform all my pleasure (chêphets): even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built" - Isa 46:10 — "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure (chêphets)" - Isa 53:10 — "the pleasure (chêphets) of the LORD shall prosper in his hand" - Isa 48:14 — "he will do his pleasure (chêphets) on Babylon"

2. God's Pleasure or Displeasure in Human Conduct¶

Whether God delights in or takes no pleasure in something offered or done. - 1 Sam 15:22 — "Hath the LORD [as great] delight (chêphets) in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?" - Ecc 5:4 — "he hath no pleasure (chêphets) in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed" - Mal 1:10 — "I have no pleasure (chêphets) in you, saith the LORD of hosts" - Job 22:3 — "Is it any pleasure (chêphets) to the Almighty, that thou art righteous?"

3. Human Desire / Want¶

What a person wishes for or seeks — fulfilled desire, personal want. - 1 Ki 5:8-10 — "I will do all thy desire (chêphets) concerning timber of cedar" - 1 Ki 10:13 — "Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire (chêphets)" - 2 Sam 23:5 — "this is all my salvation, and all my desire (chêphets)" - Job 31:16 — "If I have withheld the poor from their desire (chêphets)"

4. Purpose / Matter / Affair¶

A concrete thing to be done, an appointed matter or occasion (Qoheleth's distinctive usage). - Ecc 3:1 — "a time to every purpose (chêphets) under the heaven" - Ecc 3:17 — "there is a time there for every purpose (chêphets) and for every work" - Ecc 8:6 — "to every purpose (chêphets) there is time and judgment" - Ecc 5:8 — "marvel not at the matter (chêphets)"

5. Valuable / Desirable Thing¶

A concrete object of delight — precious stones, wisdom as treasure. - Prov 3:15 — "all the things thou canst desire (chêphets) are not to be compared unto her" - Prov 8:11 — "all the things that may be desired (chêphets) are not to be compared to it" - Isa 54:12 — "all thy borders of pleasant (chêphets) stones"

6. Sabbath Self-Denial / Sabbath Delight¶

One's own pleasure contrasted with God's holy day. - Isa 58:3 — "in the day of your fast ye find pleasure (chêphets)" - Isa 58:13 — "from doing thy pleasure (chêphets) on my holy day... nor finding thine own pleasure (chêphets)"

7. Vessel Without Value¶

Negated form — a person or nation devoid of worth or usefulness. - Jer 22:28 — "a vessel wherein is no pleasure (chêphets)" - Jer 48:38 — "I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure (chêphets)" - Hos 8:8 — "Israel... as a vessel wherein is no pleasure (chêphets)"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
כֹּל (kôl)	H3605	20× (53%)	"all my/his/thy pleasure/desire" — totality of divine will or human wish
יְהֹוָה (YHWH)	H3068	9× (24%)	"pleasure of the LORD," divine will as subject
אָמַר (ʼâmar)	H559	9× (24%)	"said/saying" — chêphets appears in reported speech about what God or a king wills
עָשָׂה (ʻâsâh)	H6213	6× (16%)	"do my/his pleasure" — executing the stated will
אֶרֶץ (ʼerets)	H776	6× (16%)	"delightsome land" or "in the earth/land"
נָתַן (nâthan)	H5414	5× (13%)	"gave... all her desire" — fulfilling someone's wish
שְׁלֹמֹה (Shᵉlômôh)	H8010	5× (13%)	Solomon as fulfiller of desires (1 Kings narratives)

Word Family / Cognates¶

H2654 חָפֵץ (châphêts) — root verb: to incline to, be pleased with, desire (75v)
H2657 חֶפְצִי בָהּ (Chephtsiybahh) — "my delight is in her" (proper name, Isa 62:4)

Synonyms¶

From SDBH semantic domain [002001002018] Love and [002004002001001] Wish: - H183 אָוָה (ʼâvâh) — to desire, long for (active longing/craving) - H7522 רָצוֹן (râtsôwn) — acceptance, favor, delight, will (gracious acceptance shown toward someone) - H2530 חָמַד (châmad) — to desire, covet, take pleasure in (visual/aesthetic attraction) - H8378 תַּאֲוָה (taʼăvâh) — longing, craving, desire (appetite-driven craving)

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
חָפֵץ (châphêts)	H2654	"pleasure," "delight"	H2654 is the verb ("to delight in"); H2656 is the noun ("delight/pleasure/purpose")
רָצוֹן (râtsôwn)	H7522	"pleasure," "delight," "desire"	râtsôwn = gracious acceptance/favor shown toward someone; chêphets = concrete delight, will, or purpose regarding a thing or matter
נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh)	H5315	"desire"	nephesh = the whole person/appetite; chêphets = the object or content of desire
חָמַד (châmad)	H2530	"desire," "things desired"	châmad = visual/covetous attraction; chêphets = volitional pleasure or settled purpose

LXX Mapping¶

Greek Equivalent	Co-occurrences	PMI Score	Notes
θέλημα (thelema) G2307	19	8.26	Primary equivalent — "will, purpose, desire"
πρᾶγμα (pragma) G4229	4	5.70	When chêphets = "matter, affair" (Ecclesiastes)
χρεία (chreia) G5532	3	7.64	"need, necessity" — occasional rendering
καιρός (kairos) G2540	4	3.22	"appointed time" — Ecclesiastes "purpose" usage

The dominant LXX rendering θέλημα (G2307, 19×) confirms chêphets as a word of will and purpose, not merely emotion. The LXX translators consistently chose the Greek word for "determination, settled will" over hedonic terms.