Full of Grace and Truth (John 1:14)
One of the most important terms in the Bible is grace. There is no more central concept to the life of a Christian than grace. We do not deserve grace, but we cannot live without it. Our flaws are erased, our hearts are softened only by means of the grace of God. What is the original Hebrew way of expressing this?
The Authentic Word for Grace
The Hebrew word for grace is chesed (חסד). The first time it appears in the Bible is in Genesis 19:19, when Lot thanks the angels of the Lord for warning him before they destroy Sodom and Gomorrah: “…you have shown me great kindness in saving my life.” The “kindness” that the angels have shown is chesed. This is precisely what grace means: compassion with no expectation of reward. chesed is a very rich word, appearing hundreds of times in the Bible. Chesed is the free and unmerited love bestowed by God on human beings, which is the ethical core of so many biblical stories.
OUR BIBLICAL HEBREW COURSE
This is an example for how understanding the original Hebrew meaning of the Holy Scriptures gives you a new insight about a central term that thought you understand. Learning the original language of the Biblical texts helps us grasp the teachings and context much better than we could before. Join our live online Biblical Hebrew course. By being able to read your favorite biblical passages in Hebrew you will break the monotony and re-discover the Holy Scriptures.
