che.phets denotes what is delighted in, desired, pursued, or purposed in the verse’s setting.

The word most often marks delight or personal preference toward people, actions, or possessions; it also identifies what someone seeks or wants, an intended purpose, and, in several Ecclesiastes clauses, a matter or undertaking set within its time.

1. Delight or personal preference · dominant

   In 1 Samuel 15:22 the masculine singular absolute form occurs in Samuel’s contrast between offerings and obeying the LORD; the APB renders the clause, “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices.” In Psalm 1:2 it stands in the statement that a person’s orientation is toward the LORD’s instruction, while Malachi 1:10 uses it in the LORD’s declaration, “I have no pleasure in you.” The same use can describe enjoyment in particular days or objects, as in Ecclesiastes 12:1 and Hosea 8:8.

   1 Samuel 15:22Psalm 1:2Malachi 1:10Ecclesiastes 12:1Hosea 8:8Psalm 16:3
2. What is sought or wanted · common

   Construct forms identify what is wanted or obtained: in 1 Kings 10:13 the APB says that the queen received “all her desire that she asked,” and 1 Kings 9:11 connects Hiram’s supply with Solomon’s desire. Psalm 107:30 similarly ends with arrival at “their desired haven,” and Job 31:16 places the term in the concern not to withhold from the poor.

   1 Kings 10:131 Kings 9:112 Chronicles 9:12Psalm 107:30Job 31:16Proverbs 31:13
3. Intended purpose or will · occasional

   In Isaiah 44:28, the construct form is tied to Cyrus fulfilling what is attributed to the speaker, followed by commands that Jerusalem be built and the temple founded. Isaiah 46:10 places it beside the declaration, “My counsel shall stand,” and “I will accomplish all my pleasure”; Isaiah 53:10 likewise says that the LORD’s will “shall prosper in his hand.”

   Isaiah 44:28Isaiah 46:10Isaiah 48:14Isaiah 53:102 Samuel 23:5
4. A matter, undertaking, or desirable thing · occasional

   In Ecclesiastes 3:1, the singular absolute form is placed in the statement that everything has a time; Ecclesiastes 3:17 and Ecclesiastes 8:6 similarly connect every matter or work with a time. In comparisons, plural forms designate things set against wisdom in Proverbs 3:15 and Proverbs 8:11, while Isaiah 54:12 describes border stones with the APB phrase “stones of pleasure.”

   Ecclesiastes 3:1Ecclesiastes 3:17Ecclesiastes 8:6Proverbs 3:15Proverbs 8:11Isaiah 54:12

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB varies among “delight,” “pleasure,” “desire,” “will,” “matter,” and “desired haven” in the surrounding clauses. These renderings show the verse contexts rather than establishing a separate English equivalent in every instance.