מַחְמָד

1 Kings 20:6 מַחְמַ֣ד <the> desirable thing of

But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and the houses of your servants. They will seize and carry away all that is precious to you.’”

2 Chronicles 36:19 מַחֲמַדֶּ֖יהָ preciousness<es> its

Then the Chaldeans set fire to the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned down all the palaces and destroyed every article of value.

Here: "Her delights / her desirable things." From the root for desiring or coveting: the things Jerusalem treasured and took pleasure in. The same word is used in Lamentations 1:10–11 and Isaiah 64:11 for what the enemy seized or ruined.

Song of Songs 5:16 מַחֲמַדִּ֑ים [is] desirableness<es>

His mouth is most sweet; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

Here: From the root ḥ-m-d, "to desire, to want for oneself." The same root gives "you shall not covet" (Exod 20:17). The plural makes it stronger: every part of him is something to long for. It rhymes with mamtaqqîm.

Isaiah 64:11 מַחֲמַדֵּ֖ינוּ pleasant things our

Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that was dear to us lies in ruins.

Here: From the verb "to desire" (the same root as "you shall not covet"). It means what the people loved and longed for: precious things and delights. It probably means the temple's precious objects first (compare 2 Chronicles 36:19), and more widely everything Jerusalem held dear.

Lamentations 1:10 מַחֲמַדֶּ֑יהָ precious things her

The adversary has seized all her treasures. For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary—those You had forbidden to enter Your assembly.

Here: Things she longed for and delighted in. The word comes from the root for 'desire, covet', so it means much more than 'pleasant'. In this context it points above all to the temple's treasures, and it also carries the overtone of what is intimate and cherished.

Lamentations 1:11 מַחֲמַדֵּיהֶ֛ם precious things their

All her people groan as they search for bread. They have traded their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. Look, O LORD, and consider, for I have become despised.

Lamentations 2:4 מַחֲמַדֵּי־ [the] delights of

He has bent His bow like an enemy; His right hand is positioned. Like a foe He has killed all who were pleasing to the eye; He has poured out His wrath like fire on the tent of the Daughter of Zion.

Here: From chamad, 'to desire, take delight in'. It means whatever a person treasures. In 1:10–11 it is used of precious goods. Here, with 'killed', it means the beloved people of the city: children, young men and women, the beautiful and the strong.

Ezekiel 24:16 מַחְמַ֥ד [the] desire of

“Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow.

Here: "What is delightful or treasured." It comes from the verb "to take pleasure in, desire." It is not lust or craving. It is the thing or person most precious to him. Verse 18 reveals that it is his wife.

Ezekiel 24:21 מַחְמַ֥ד [the] desire of

Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul. And the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.’

Here: 'The delight of': what the eyes love to rest on. It is the exact phrase used of Ezekiel's wife in v. 16, which ties the sign to its meaning.

Ezekiel 24:25 מַחְמַ֤ד [the] desire of

And you, son of man, know that on the day I take away their stronghold, their pride and joy—the desire of their eyes which uplifted their souls—and their sons and daughters as well,

Hosea 9:6 מַחְמַ֣ד treasure

For even if they flee destruction, Egypt will gather them and Memphis will bury them. Their precious silver will be taken over by thistles, and thorns will overrun their tents.

Here: Something longed for and prized. It stands first in its clause for emphasis: 'Their silver treasures, the things they so desired…'

Hosea 9:16 מַחֲמַדֵּ֥י [the] precious things of

Ephraim is struck down; their root is withered; they cannot bear fruit. Even if they bear children, I will slay the darlings of their wombs.

Here: 'The treasures of,' 'the delights of.' It comes from the verb 'to desire, take pleasure in.' It names children as what parents prize most, which makes the loss as deep as loss can go.

Joel 3:5 וּמַֽחֲמַדַּי֙ and desirable things my

For you took My silver and gold and carried off My finest treasures to your temples.

Here: 'And my coveted things.' It comes from the root ḥ-m-d, 'to desire, covet' (the root of 'you shall not covet'). It means objects people prize and long for. Elsewhere it is used for the treasures and vessels of the Jerusalem temple that enemies carried off (Lam 1:10; 2 Chr 36:19).