נחמד

Hebrew

Root
ח־מ־ד (ḥ-m-d)

Adjective

נֶחְמָד • (nekhmád) (feminine נֶחְמָדָה or נֶחְמֶדֶת, masculine plural נֶחְמָדִים, feminine plural נֶחְמָדוֹת)

1. (of a thing) nice, pleasant, lovely
   • Tanach, Genesis 2:9, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיַּצְמַח יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים מִן־הָאֲדָמָה כָּל־עֵץ נֶחְמָד לְמַרְאֶה וְטוֹב לְמַאֲכָל וְעֵץ הַחַיִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן וְעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע׃

     vayatsmákh YHVH 'elohím min-ha'adamá kol-'éts nekhmád l'mar'é v'tóv l'ma'akhál v'éts hakhayím b'tókh hagán v'éts hadá'at tóv vará'.
     wayyaṣmaḥ YHWH ʾĕlōhīm min-hāʾăḏāmā kol-ʿēṣ neḥmāḏ ləmarʾe wəṭōḇ ləmaʾăḵāl wəʿēṣ haḥayyīm bəṯōḵ haggān wəʿēṣ haddáʿaṯ ṭōḇ wārāʿ.

     And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

   • Tanach, Proverbs 21:20, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     אוֹצָר נֶחְמָד וָשֶׁמֶן בִּנְוֵה חָכָם וּכְסִיל אָדָם יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ׃

     'otsár nekhmád vashémen bin'vé khakhám ukh'síl 'adám y'val'énu.
     ʾōṣār neḥmāḏ wāšémen binəwē ḥāḵām ūḵəsīl ʾāḏām yəḇalləʿénnū.

     There is desirable treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man swalloweth it up.

   • 1891, Hayim Nahman Bialik, “אל הציפור” (“To the Bird”; poem):

     שָׁלוֹם רָב שׁוּבֵךְ, צִפּוֹרָה נֶחְמֶדֶת,

     shalóm ráv shuvékh, tsiporá nekhmédet,

     Welcome back you lovely bird,

2. (of a person or action) nice, kind, friendly, pleasant

Usage notes

• According to The New Dictionary, the feminine singular form נחמודת / נֶחְמֹדֶת is also attested, in affectionate language.

References

• “נֶחְמָד” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שׁוֹשָׁן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ (ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), →ISBN, volume 2 of 3 (ל to צ), →ISBN, page 843.

Verb

נֶחֱמַד • (nekhemád) third-singular masculine past (nif'al construction)

1. to be wanted by others, or to be such that others would envy
   • Tanach, Psalms 19:11, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     הַנֶּחֱמָדִים מִזָּהָב וּמִפַּז רָב וּמְתוּקִים מִדְּבַשׁ וְנֹפֶת צוּפִים׃

     hanekhemadím mizaháv umipáz ráv um'tukím mid'vásh v'nófet tsufím.
     hanneḥĕmāḏīm mizzāhāḇ ūmippaz rāḇ ūməṯūqīm middəḇaš wənṓp̄eṯ ṣūp̄īm.

     More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

References

• “נֶחֱמַד” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שׁוֹשָׁן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ (ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), →ISBN, volume 1 of 3 (א to כ), →ISBN, page 402.