God's Loving-Kindness Towards Israel
Biblical researchers and intellectuals have protested that the word chesed in the Hebrew Bible is difficult to translate into English, because, it really has no precise equivalent in our language. That would make it a transliterated word and things get really off-center when this takes place.
English versions usually try to represent it with such words as "loving-kindness," "mercy," "steadfast love," and sometimes "loyalty," but the full meaning of the word cannot be conveyed without an explanation. We will try. If you are sweating a bit, don’t be concerned, chesed is a Biblical word.
It is a carry-over into the English versions of the Bible. It is one of the words used in the Psalms 23 times and also in Hosea 2:19. Usage of the Hebrew word chesed is usually employed when it refers to GOD's love for His people, Israel. Otherwise, He used '"mercy", "goodness", and "great kindness."
This will be seen in the Psalms for GOD's attitude toward man.
In books other than the Psalms, such words as "mercy", "goodness" or "favor" for GOD's attitude to man, and "kindness" for man's attitude to man.
GOD's loving-kindness is that sure Love which will not let Israel go. Not all Israel's persistent waywardness could ever destroy it. Though Israel be faithless, yet GOD remains faithful--still. This steady, persistent refusal of GOD to wash His hands of wayward Israel is the essential meaning of the Hebrew word which is at best translated loving-kindness.
In Jeremiah 2:2 the word chesed is rendered 'kindness,' the reference being to “the gentleness of thy youth”, and this phrase is paralleled by “the love of your spouse”. The meaning is not that Israel was more tender in her attitude towards GOD, or in her affections, but that in the first days after the rescue from Egypt, she was faithful to the marriage-covenant with Him.
The widening of the meaning of the Hebrew chesed, used as the covenant word and especially of the covenant between GOD and Israel, is due to the history of GOD's dealings with His covenant-people.
There is no reference to any sentimental kindness, and no suggestion of mercy apart from repentance. In any case where the Hebrew original is chesed, His demand for righteousness is demanding, and it is always at the maximum intensity. The loving-kindness of GOD means that His compassion is greater even than that. The word stands for the wonder of His unfailing love for the people of His choice, and the resolution of the obstacle of the relation between His Righteousness and His Loving-Kindness passes BEYOND human comprehension."