חָשַׁק

From the study of Isaiah 38:17

Range of meaning

To be attached to, cling to, set one's affection on, desire strongly. It is used of a man's attachment to a woman (Shechem for Dinah, Gen 34:8; Deut 21:11), of God setting his love on Israel by free choice (Deut 7:7; 10:15), and of Solomon's desire to build (1 Kgs 9:19).

Against the English

KJV "thou hast in love to my soul [delivered it]" has to add a verb in italics to make English sense. BSB "Your love has delivered" and ESV "in love you have delivered" do the same. RSV and NRSV "held back" follow a proposed correction and lose the love-word entirely.

Used elsewhere in the period

Deut 7:7 and 10:15 use the word for God's elective love: he attached himself to Israel because he chose to, not because they deserved it. Job 33:18 has a very close phrase with a different verb: "he keeps back (yachsokh) his soul from the pit (mishachat)." The LXX renders the verb here "you chose" (heilou).

From the study of Psalm 91:14

Range of meaning

To be attached to, cling to, set one's desire or love on something or someone by choice. It covers strong desire (a man's longing for a woman, Gen 34:8; Deut 21:11), a determined wish to do something (Solomon's 'desire' to build, 1 Kgs 9:19), and, theologically most important, God's free, electing love for Israel (Deut 7:7; 10:15). A related noun in the tabernacle instructions names the metal bands or connecting rods joining the pillars (Exod 27:10–11), which many lexicons connect to a basic idea of being joined or bound.

Against the English

BSB and NIV 'loves' is correct but flattens it into the most general English word, which Hebrew would normally express with 'āhav. KJV/WEB 'set his love upon' keeps the deliberate, directed quality. ESV 'holds fast to me in love' brings out the clinging. YLT 'delighted' leans toward emotion and loses the commitment.

How it drifted

English 'love' has become chiefly a word for feeling. Hebrew ḥāshaq is less about emotional warmth than about where one has fixed one's attachment and loyalty.

Used elsewhere in the period

Deut 7:7: 'Not because you were more numerous… did YHWH set his love (ḥāshaq) on you and choose you.' Deut 10:15 pairs it with choosing. The Greek Septuagint renders our verse 'he hoped in me' (ēlpisen), reading it as trust. Jerome's translation from the Hebrew has 'he clung to me' (mihi adhaesit).

From the study of Exodus 27:17

Range of meaning

The noun ḥashuq (only in Exod 27:10–11; 36:38; 38:10–19, 28) names a piece of fitting on the tabernacle posts: a 'band', 'ring' or 'connector'. The passive verb here means 'fitted with ḥashuqim' or 'banded'. Strong's H2836 also covers a verb ḥashaq meaning 'to be attached to, to set one's love on' (Deut 7:7; 10:15; Gen 34:8). Lexicons such as BDB and HALOT either treat these as two separate homonyms or see a shared basic idea of 'clinging, being joined'.

Against the English

KJV, WEB and ESV say 'filleted with silver'. 'Fillet' is an old word for a narrow band, as in a headband or an architectural moulding, but most modern readers think of a boneless cut of meat. BSB and NASB have 'silver bands'. Some versions and commentators picture connecting rods running between the posts.

How it drifted

In the 1600s 'fillet' was the ordinary English word for a band. It has since narrowed in common speech to cooking, so the KJV wording has become hard to follow.

Used elsewhere in the period

The term appears only in the tabernacle building texts. Exodus 38:17, 19 describes the finished courtyard posts as having silver ḥashuqim and also 'overlay of their tops' in silver. Exodus 38:28 says 1,775 shekels of silver were used for the hooks, for overlaying the tops of the posts, and for the ḥashuqim. The Greek and Latin translators were plainly guessing at a rare technical word (see textual notes).