Hesed

..the word hesed, a word not attested outside Hebrew, comes to be used as the descriptor par excellence of God in the Old Testament. The word speaks of a completely undeserved kindness and generosity done by a person who is in a position of power. This was the Israelites' experience of God. He revealed himself to them when they were not looking for him, and he kept his covenant with them long after their persistent breaking of it had destroyed any reason for his continued keeping of it. Ultimately they came to understand that God's holiness, that which in common ancient Near Eastern terms separated a god from a human, was most to be seen in his character. Unlike humans, this deity was notfickle, undependable, self-serving, and grasping. Instead he was faithful, true, upright, and generous—always. So the typical description of him, found throughout the Old Testament, is that he is patient, slow to get angry, merciful, kind, and true. He is just in that he does not suspend cause and effect for his favorites, But he does limit those effects to three or four generations, whereas he extends the effects of obedience to thousands of generations.—The Bible Among Other Myths, page 71

<idle musing>
Hesed has got to be the most wonderful word in the Hebrew language! Pull out TDOT some day and read the article. Then, go find a copy of TWOT by Harris, Archer, and Waltke and read their article. Both of them together give you a good idea of the meaning of the word.
</idle musing>