Read Ps89 this morning, and a word in v1 made me wish I had blogged sermon notes years ago. Heard a sermon a while back on the meaning and importance of one word -- the word "lovingkindness". This word exists in the NASB, the only real translation (we have covered this) outside of KJV for aesthetics. KJV uses "mercies" and the abominable NIV uses "great love". Both don't get to the heart of the Hebrew word "checed".
The only point I recall from the years-ago sermon is that "checed" is this contractual promise kind of love from God similar to the Abrahamic covenant. It is a covenant love, an eternal truth that He has guaranteed to love you, and act on that love by always ensuring He has a great plan for you, plans for your welfare.
"Lovingkindness" appears 182 times in the NASB. Not an uncommon word for a word that seems to be a made-up word brought about by the collision of two separate words. But that's the great thing about God, no? That no single word can describe Him, and so you end up having to throw multiple words together into a singular description. The wonder is that the word is lovingkindness rather than something like lovingkindnessgraciousmercifulalmightygloriouswonder.
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2 comments:
52 letter word, nice! Now I am interested to go find out which word the ESV uses. I think I will go do that now.
ESV uses "faithfulness". Faithfulness describes the promise part of "checed" but misses out on the love aspect. I tell you, these other translations seek to cover the fullness of the beauty that is Scripture.
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