Chesed in the Beginning

Let’s start tracing how chesed-חֶסֶד is used in Genesis. When we read these narratives, we get the opportunity to discover its meaning. 

The first time chesed-חֶסֶד is found in the Tanach is in the story of Lot and his family’s rescue. 

Commanded to leave Sodom, Lot hesitated. Two angels grabbed his and his family’s hands and brought them out of the city. (May it be, should we hear a command from heaven and hesitate, that we would receive the same mercy.) The angels instructed him to flee to the hills. Lot was now a city dweller with no affinity for the wilderness. He pleaded with them. He said, 

Look, please, your servant has found favor in Your eyes and You have magnified Your merciful chesed-חֶסֶד, which You have shown me by letting me live. But I can’t escape to the hill country—for the disaster will overtake me and I’ll die! (Genesis 19:19) 

Chesed-חֶסֶד was done to Lot when he and his family were rescued. 

In the Septuagint, chesed-חֶסֶד is generally translated “eleos” (mercy).

Next, we read of the sneaky way Abraham and Sarah sought to save Abraham’s life, and how God acted to preserve the Messianic line. 

When Abraham was in Gerar he feared that its ruler, Abimelech, might kill him and force Sarah into his harem. So, Abraham and Sarah connived to con this king.

Then, one night, God visited Abimelech and revealed the reality of the situation. 

God came to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “Behold, you are as good as dead, because of the woman whom you have taken—since she is a married woman.” 

Abimelech remonstrated.

Didn’t he say to me, ‘She’s my sister’? And she herself even said, ‘He’s my brother.’ I did this with integrity of my heart and guiltlessness of my hands.” 

God confirmed Abimelech’s innocence in this matter. Then the king called Abraham on the carpet. Here’s the record of their interaction.

Then Abimelech called to Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us, and how have I sinned against you, that you brought great sin upon me and my kingdom? You’ve done to me things that should not be done!” 

Abimelech also said to Abraham, “What motivated you to do this thing?” 

Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘There is certainly no fear of God in this place, so they’ll kill me, because of my wife.’ … So when God made me wander away from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is your chesed-חֶסֶד that you must show me: in every place we go, say of me, ‘He is my brother.’ ” (Genesis 20:3,5,9–11,13) 

Sarah showed (did) chesed-חֶסֶד when she shaded the truth to shield her husband. Abraham confessed to this half-truth and Abimelech responded:

Then Abimelech took sheep, cattle, male slaves and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. 

Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Dwell wherever it pleases you.” At the same time he said to Sarah, “Look, I’ve given a thousand shekels to your brother. Look, it is compensation for everything that happened—so to everyone with you, you are vindicated.” 

Then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his female slaves so that they could bear children. For Adonai had completely locked up every womb in Abimelech’s household because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. (Genesis 20:14–18) 

What Abimelech did provides the context for the next use of chesed-חֶסֶד which is found in chapter 21.