Hesed is a Hebrew word whose rich meaning makes it necessary to translate it in several different ways. In the OT it is most often associated with the covenant between Yahweh and his people. The term “steadfast love” is commonly used in the RSV and NRSV to refer to Yahweh’s covenant love for his people, as in the statement that Yahweh is “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exod. 34:6; cf. Ps. 136:1). When it describes the relationship between members of the covenant