חֶפְצִי בָּהּ
Cheptsi-bah, a fanciful name for Palestine
Definition
Cheptsi-bah (חֶפְצִי בָּהּ) is a symbolic proper name meaning 'my delight is in her.' It appears in two distinct contexts in the Old Testament. In 2 Kings 21:1, it is the personal name of King Manasseh's mother, Hephzi-bah, a queen of Judah. In Isaiah 62:4, the term is used prophetically as a new, symbolic name for the land of Zion (Jerusalem), signifying God's restored favor and delight in His people after a period of judgment, contrasting with its former name 'Forsaken.'
Biblical Usage
This term is used only twice in the Old Testament. First, as a historical personal name for a queen mother (2 Kings 21:1). Second, and more significantly, it is used in prophetic literature (Isaiah 62:4) as part of a divine promise of restoration. Here, it functions not as a personal name but as a symbolic title for Jerusalem, declaring God's renewed covenantal love and delight in His people, replacing the name 'Azubah' (Forsaken).
Etymology
The name is a Hebrew phrase constructed from the noun חֵפֶץ (chephets, H2656), meaning 'delight, pleasure, desire,' plus the first-person singular possessive suffix 'י' ('my') and the third-person feminine singular prepositional suffix 'בָּהּ' ('in her'). It literally translates to 'my delight is in her.'
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it vividly portrays God's covenantal, relational love for His people. In Isaiah 62:4, it moves beyond a personal name to become a divine declaration over Zion. It underscores the themes of redemption and restoration, showing that God's ultimate stance toward His people is one of delight and favor, not abandonment. Understanding this Hebrew phrase enriches the reading of Isaiah's promises, highlighting the intimate, joyful relationship God desires with Jerusalem.
In its original context, bestowing a new name signified a change in identity, status, or destiny. For a person, a name like Hephzi-bah may have reflected parental joy. In prophecy, renaming a city from 'Forsaken' to 'My Delight Is in Her' was a powerful, public metaphor for a complete reversal of fortune, declaring an end to exile and divine displeasure and the beginning of a new era of blessing.
רָצוֹן (ratson, H7522) — Often translated 'favor' or 'acceptance,' focusing more on goodwill or being pleased rather than personal delight. חֵשֶׁק (chesheq, H2836) — Denotes 'delight' or 'desire,' sometimes with a stronger connotation of longing or attachment.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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