Steadfast love, covenant kindness — one of the Bible's great untranslatables, first here on Lot's lips (19:19). The word behind the Psalms' 'mercy,' and — paired with 'truth' (chesed ve-emet, see emet) — behind John's 'grace and truth' (see charis). It saturates Genesis 24, where the servant asks God to 'do chesed' with Abraham (24:12) and designs a sign that tests it — not the girl's beauty but her spontaneous kindness to a stranger and his ten thirsty camels. → first discussed at Gen 19:19