רָחַם
râcham · H7355 · Hebrew · 47 occurrences
Meanings
-
to love
State in which humans feel affection for others
ExamplesPsalm 18:1 “I love You, LORD, my strength.”
-
to be merciful or have compassion
A state in which humans or deities feel compassion for others, caused by affection or by the other's lack of well-being, usually translated into action such as forgiving an offence or refraining from or revoking punishment
ExamplesExodus 33:19 And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion to whom I will show compassion.”
Deuteronomy 30:3 then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you.
1 Kings 8:50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their wrongdoings which they have committed against You, and make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, so that they will have compassion on them
-
to find mercy, to receive mercy, to obtain mercy
A process by which humans are treated with compassion by others, and so are forgiven, spared, or avoid punishment
ExamplesProverbs 28:13 One who conceals his wrongdoings will not prosper, But one who confesses and abandons them will find compassion.
Hosea 2:1 Say to your brothers, “Ammi,” and to your sisters, “Ruhamah.”
Hosea 14:3 “Assyria will not save us, We will not ride on horses; Nor will we say again, ‘Our god’ To the work of our hands; For in You the orphan finds mercy.”
How it’s used In 10 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
41 occurrences in 13 groups
- Not stated: I 16
- Not stated: he, she or it 10
- Not stated: they 4
- Other words · 10 groups that occur once or twice (12) 12
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
30 occurrences in 18 groups
- הֶםthem 5
- בַּיִתhouse, household 3
- ךָּyou 3
- וֹhim 3
- Other words · 14 groups that occur once or twice (18) 18
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
8 occurrences in 9 groups
- Other words · 9 groups that occur once or twice (9) 9
With adverbsAdverbs
10 occurrences in 1 groups
- לֹאnot 10
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- ךְyou 1
- הֶםthem 1
Named alongside itApposition
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- יְהֹוָהthe LORD, YHWH 1
What it doesIt is the subject
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- נָהַגto lead 1
- אָמַרto say 1
What is done to itIt is the object
4 occurrences in 3 groups
- רָחַםto have compassion, to have mercy 2
- זָכַרto remember 1
- יָסַףto add 1
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- אֱלֹהִיםGod, gods 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
3 occurrences in 3 groups
- מִןfrom 1
- כlike/as 1
- לto/for 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.
Near synonyms 4 words
- חוּס chûwç · H2347 · to have pity, to spare, to mind
- Both חוּס ("pity, regard, spare") and רָחַם ("have compassion, mercy, pity") denote emotional attitudes of compassion and mercy that could substitute for each other in many contexts.
- חַנּוֹת channôwth · H2589 · to be kindly disposed, to be generous, to be merciful
- Both words belong to the range of divine or human favor, describing overlapping but distinct nuances of compassionate action or disposition.
- חָנַן chânan · H2603 · to be kindly disposed, to be generous, to be merciful
- These are true near-synonyms: two distinct Hebrew roots (חנן vs. רחם) expressing overlapping "mercy/compassion" senses, genuinely substitutable in context.
- אָהַב ʼâhab · H157 · to love, friend, companion
- אָהַב (ʼâhab, H157) denotes general affectionate love or attachment; רָחַם (râcham, H7355) denotes compassionate, tender love rooted in mercy or pity.
In the other Testament 2 words
- ἐλεέω eleéō · G1653 · to show mercy, to be merciful toward, to have mercy on
- Greek ἐλεέω renders Hebrew רָחַם as its primary translation equivalent for divine and human compassion, showing mercy through both word and deed.
- οἰκτείρω oikteírō · G3627 · to have mercy, to show compassion, mercy
- Greek οἰκτείρω renders Hebrew רָחַם as the standard LXX equivalent for compassionate action, both denoting active pity or mercy shown toward someone in need.
Semantic domains 2 entries
- Love002001002018
- This domain is not more independently distinguished from Merciful by the sampled citations, which all render the word as compassion shown by God to His people.
- Merciful002001002019
- The word means to have compassion, directly illustrated by the LORD's declaration, "I will show compassion to whom I will show compassion" (Exodus 33:19), His promise to "have compassion on you" after exile (Deuteronomy 30:3), and repeated statements that the LORD "had compassion on them" (1 Kings 8:50; 2 Kings 13:23).
Word family 8 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H7355. racham [רָחַם] verb denominative love. Pi`el have compassion; — Qal Imperfect 1…
[רָחַם] verb denominative love.
Pi`el have compassion; —
Qal Imperfect 1 singular suffix אֶרְחָֽמְךָ Psa 18:2 I love thee (perhaps gloss; see not in || 2Sa 22:2; Hi Ch SS Gerber read אֲרֹמִמְךָ).
Pi`el Perfect3masculine singular רִחַם Psa 103:13 +; suffix וְרִחַמְךָ consecutive Deu 13:18, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יְרַחֵם Isa 9:16 +; suffix יְרַחֲמֵהוּ Isa 55:7, etc.; Infinitive absolute רַחְֵ Jer 31:20; Hab 3:2; construct רַחֵם Isa 49:15; Psa 103:13; suffix רַחֶמְכֶם Isa 30:18; Participle מְרַחֵם Psa 116:5, etc.; — have compassion, compassionate; —
1 usually of God: with accusative of his people, Exo 33:19 (twice in verse) (J) Deu 13:18; Deu 30:3; 2Ki 13:23; Isa 9:16; Isa 14:1; Isa 27:11; Isa 30:18; Isa 49:10, Isa 49:13; Isa 54:8, Isa 54:10; Isa 55:7; Isa 60:10; Jer 12:15; Jer 30:18; Jer 31:20 (twice in verse); Jer 33:26; Eze 39:25; Hos 1:6-7, Hos 2:6; Hosea 2:25; Mic 7:19; Zec 1:12; Zec 10:6; Psa 102:14; with עַל Psa 103:13; absolute Jer 13:14; Hab 3:2; Psa 116:5; Lam 3:32.
2 of man, usually a conqueror: with accusative 1Ki 8:50; Jer 42:12; absolute Jer 6:23; Jer 21:7; Jer 50:42; elsewhere of children, with accusative Isa 13:18; Isa 49:15; with עַל Psa 103:13.
Pu`al Perfect3feminine singular רֻחָ֑מָה Hos 2:3; Hosea 2:25 (Ges§ 152a N. Köi. 270); — Imperfect3masculine singular יְרֻחַם Hos 14:4; יְרֻחָ֑ם Pro 28:13; be shewn compassion, compassionated: of orphans Hos 14:4; children of Israel wife of Yahweh Hos 2:3; Hosea 2:25 (compare ׳לארֿ Hos 1:6, Hos 1:8, p. 520); penitent sinner Pro 28:13.
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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