HEBREW WORD STUDY – PRECIOUS ONE   CHAMAD   חמד  

Song of Solomon 2:3: “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons.  I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. “

It is interesting that the writer uses the word  chimadeti for great delight which is used only once in the Song of Solomon. The root word is chamad which is the same root as the word used in Exodus 20:17 tachmod for covet. In modern Hebrew chamadeti means my precious one.   How the Hebrew managed to meander around the guilt inducing word covet to the Modern Hebrew my precious one proves to be an interesting study.  

Early rabbinic literature showed a sexual connotation to chamed as chamdam  is a reference to a lustful person.  Chimmud is even more blunt as a reference to a sexual appetite.  As a verb chamed means to be excited or hot. The Hebrew Jewish grammarian David Kimhi (Radak) states that it is no coincidence that the word cham (hot), makes up two thirds of the root word chamed hot burning desire.  He points out that lechem chamudot is taken by some to mean fresh, hot tasty bread.   

Song of Solomon 2:3. The trees of the woods is an expression of the royal vineyard and to eat of the fruit of those trees was forbidden by those outside the royal court. The Shulamite woman was betroth to another man, a shepherd and thus her desire for the king was forbidden.  Just as we belong to the enemy and because of our sin God’s desire for us is forbidden. But His son Jesus paid the price for those sins through his death so He can now claim us as His own. Thus, because of God’s chamed for us, we are allowed to partake of the fruits of His vineyard. Chamed having the idea of intimacy or totally possessing and consuming. 

Yes the word covet comes from the root word chamed, but coveting is not all that bad if it is God who covet’s (chameds) us, for we are in His chamdeti, His precious ones.