נָחַם
nâcham · H5162 · Hebrew · 108 occurrences
Meanings
-
to comfort, to console, to reassure, to express sympathy, to bring relief
Causative action by which humans or deities seek to make (other) humans feel relief after a time of grief, anxiety, or fear
ExamplesGenesis 5:29 And he named him Noah, saying, “This one will give us comfort from our work and from the hard labor of our hands caused by the ground which the LORD has cursed.”
Genesis 37:35 Then all his sons and all his daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.
-
to find comfort
Process by which humans find relief again after a time of grief
ExamplesGenesis 24:67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; so Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
Genesis 38:12 Now after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
-
to satisfy oneself, to get satisfaction
Action by which humans or deities seek to find relief by taking revenge on the cause of their anger or grief
ExamplesGenesis 27:42 Now when the words of her elder son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she sent word and called her younger son Jacob, and said to him, “Behold your brother Esau is consoling himself concerning you by planning to kill you.
Deuteronomy 32:36 “For the LORD will vindicate His people, And will have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their strength is gone, And there is none remaining, bond or free.
-
State by which humans or deities are having second thoughts about past actions or plans for the future (to regret, to change (one's) mind (about something))
ExamplesGenesis 6:6 So the LORD was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
Genesis 6:7 Then the LORD said, “I will wipe out mankind whom I have created from the face of the land; mankind, and animals as well, and crawling things, and the birds of the sky. For I am sorry that I have made them.”
How it’s used In 12 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
93 occurrences in 27 groups
- Not stated: I 17
- Not stated: he, she or it 14
- יְהֹוָהthe LORD, YHWH 13
- Not stated (infinitive) 13
- Not stated: you (one person) 7
- Not stated: you (more than one) 5
- Other words · 19 groups that occur once or twice (21) 21
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
40 occurrences in 14 groups
- נִיme 10
- וֹhim 9
- עַםpeople 3
- Other words · 11 groups that occur once or twice (18) 18
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
42 occurrences in 32 groups
- עַלon, upon, over, against+ רַעevil, bad 10
- אֵלto, toward+ רַעevil, bad 5
- עַלon, upon, over, against+ עֶבֶדservant, slave 3
- Other words · 29 groups that occur once or twice (30) 30
With adverbsAdverbs
9 occurrences in 3 groups
- לֹאnot 7
- כֵּןthus 1
- עוֹדstill, again, yet 1
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- עָמָלtoil, trouble 1
- כֶםyou 1
Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- שׁוּבto return, to turn back 1
Named alongside itApposition
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- הוּאhe, she, it 1
What it doesIt is the subject
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- רָחַקto be far 1
What is done to itIt is the object
6 occurrences in 5 groups
- שָׁלַחto send, to send away 2
- בָּקַשׁto seek, to search, to look for 1
- לָאָהto be weary, to weary 1
- מָאֵןto refuse 1
- אָמַרto say 1
What it is said to bePredicate
6 occurrences in 1 groups
- אַיִןthere is no, not 6
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- כֶםyour 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
12 occurrences in 2 groups
- לto/for 11
- בin/on/with 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
In the other Testament 2 words
- παρακαλέω parakaléō · G3870 · to ask for (earnestly), to request, to plead for
- Greek παρακαλέω primarily renders the comfort/consolation sense of Hebrew נָחַם (not the repentance sense, which typically maps to μετανοέω), representing the interpersonal consolation aspect rather than the divine relenting or human self-comfort nuances.
- μετανοέω metanoéō · G3340 · to repent, to change one’s way, repentance
- נָחַם (nâcham, H5162) נָחַם encompasses both comfort and repentance senses in Hebrew; μετανοέω (metanoéō, G3340) μετανοέω specializes in the repentance/change-of-mind sense, representing the semantic component of נָחַם that LXX translators rendered when the Hebrew verb denoted divine or human reconsideration or moral reformation rather than consolation.
Semantic domains 2 entries
- Relief002001002023
- נָחַם denotes being comforted or consoled, as Isaac was "comforted after his mother's death" (Genesis 24:67) and Noah's name is explained as bringing "comfort from our work" (Genesis 5:29), tying the word to relief from grief or hardship.
- Think002004002013
- The word also denotes changing one's mind or regretting a course of action, as the LORD "was sorry" (regretted) having made mankind (Genesis 6:6-7), tying the term to a reconsidered mental disposition toward a prior decision.
Word family 5 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H5162. nacham [נחם] verb Niph`al be sorry, console, oneself, etc. (only in derived…
[נחם] verb Niph`al be sorry, console, oneself, etc. (only in derived species) (Late Hebrew Pi`el comfort; Phoenician in proper name Lzb322; ᵑ7 Pa`el = Late Hebrew, and derivatives; Christian-Palestinian Aramaic, Pa`el id., SchwIdioticon 54; Arabic breathe pantingly (of horse)); — Niph`al Perfect נִחַם Amo 7:3-4t.; נִח֑ם Jer 20:16 Jer 20:2t.; 1 singular נִחַמְתִּי Gen 6:7-8t.; נִחָ֑מְתִּי Zec 8:14; Zec 8:2masculine plural נִחַמְתֶּם Eze 14:22; Imperfect יִנָּחֵם Exo 13:17 Exo 13:6t.; וַיִּנָּ֫תֶם Gen 6:6 Gen 6:6t.; + 5 t. Imperfect; Imperative הִנָּחֵם Exo 32:12; Psa 90:13.; Infinitive הִנָּחֵם Jer 31:15; 1Sa 15:29; Participle נִחָם Jdg 21:15 Jdg 21:3t.; —
1 be sorry, moved to pity, have compassion, for others, absolute Jer 15:6; with על Psa 90:13; אֶל Jdg 21:6; לְ Jdg 21:15; מִן Jdg 2:18.
2 be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent, of one's own doings, absolute Exo 13:17 (E), Psa 106:45; Jer 20:16; Joe 2:14; Zec 8:14; || שׁקּר 1Sa 15:29 (twice in verse); מאס Job 42:6; שׁוב Jer 4:28; Jer 31:19; Jon 3:9; חוּס Eze 24:14; נ ׳לא, || נשׂבע Psa 110:4; c.עַל Amo 7:3, Amo 7:6; Jer 8:6; Jer 18:10; עלהֿרעה for ill done to others Exo 32:12, Exo 32:14 (J), Jer 18:8; Joe 2:13; Jon 3:10; Jon 4:2; אלהֿרעה 2Sa 24:16 = 1Ch 21:15 (על), Jer 26:8, Jer 26:13, Jer 26:19; Jer 42:10; כְּי Gen 6:6-7, (J), 1Sa 15:11, 1Sa 15:35.
3 comfort oneself, be comforted: absolute Gen 38:12 (J) Psa 77:3; Eze 31:16; with עַל 2Sa 13:39; Jer 31:15; הרעה על, concerning the evil Eze 14:22; Eze 32:31; אחרי Gen 24:67 (J).
4 comfort oneself, ease oneself, by taking vengeance with מן Isa 1:24; על Isa 57:6.
Piel Perfect נִחַם Isa 49:13; Isa 49:8t. Perfect; Imperfect יְנַחֵם Job 29:25; Job 29:3masculine plural יְנַחֲמוּ Job 42:11; יְנַחֵמ֑וּן Zec 10:2 13t. Imperfect; Imperative נַחֲמוּ Isa 40:1 (twice in verse); Infinitive נַחֵם Isa 61:2; suffix נַחֲמוֺ Gen 37:35 Gen 37:9t. Infinitive; Participle מְנַחֵם Lam 1:2, plural מְנַחֲמִים Psa 69:21. + 11 t. Participle — comfort, console, absolute Gen 37:35 (J), 1Ch 19:3 = 2Sa 10:3; Psa 69:21; Ecc 4:1 (twice in verse); Zec 10:2; Nah 3:7; Lam 1:16; with accusative of person Gen 50:21 (E) 2Sa 12:24; 1Ch 7:21; 1Ch 19:2; Job 2:11; Job 7:13; Job 21:34; Job 29:25; Rth 2:13; Psa 23:4; Psa 71:21; Psa 119:76; Psa 119:82; Isa 12:1; Isa 22:4; Isa 40:1 (twice in verse); Isa 51:3 (twice in verse); Isa 51:12, Isa 51:19; Isa 61:2; Isa 66:13 (twice in verse); Eze 14:23; Eze 16:54; Zec 1:17; Lam 2:13; || עזר Psa 86:17; רַחֵם Isa 49:13; גאל Isa 52:9; שׂמּח Jer 31:13; מן of thing Gen 5:29 (J); על Jer 16:7; Jer 42:11; אל 2Sa 10:2 = על 1Ch 19:2; עמל מְנִחֲמֵי Job 16:2; לְ מְנַחֵם אֵין Lam 1:2, Lam 1:9, Lam 1:17, Lam 1:21.
Pual Perfect נֻחָ֑מָה Isa 54:11; Imperfect תְּנֻחָ֑מוּ Isa 66:13; be comforted, consoled.
Hithpa. Perfect 1 singular וְהִנֶּחָ֑מְתּי (for ׳הִתְנ; but strike out Co) Eze 5:13; Imperfect יִתְנֶחָ֑ם Deu 32:36 Deu 32:2t.; 1 singular אֶתְנֶח֑ם Psa 119:52; Infinitive הִתְנַחֵם Gen 37:35; Participle מִתְנַחֵם Gen 27:42 —
1 be sorry, have compassion עַלעֲֿבָדָיו upon his servants Deu 32:36 = Psa 135:14.
2 rue, repent of, || כזּב, Num 23:19 (poem).
3 comfort oneself, be comforted, absolute Gen 37:35 (J), Psa 119:52.
4 ease oneself, by taking vengeance Eze 5:13 (?); with לִ person Gen 27:42 (JE): compareQal 4.
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 2 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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