Lexical Summary
rachum: Compassionate, Merciful
Original Word:רַחוּם
Part of Speech:Adjective
Transliteration:rachuwm
Pronunciation:ra-khoom'
Phonetic Spelling:(rakh-oom')
KJV: full of compassion, merciful
NASB:compassionate, merciful
Word Origin:[fromH7355 (רָחַם - have compassion)]
1. compassionate
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
full of compassion, merciful
Fromracham; compassionate -- full of compassion, merciful.
see HEBREWracham
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
rechemDefinitioncompassionate
NASB Translationcompassionate (11), merciful (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — always of God:
Deuteronomy 4:31,
Exodus 34:6 (J) =
Psalm 86:15;
Psalm 103:8; later 2Chronicles 30:9;
Nehemiah 9:17,31;
Joel 2:13;
Jonah 4:2;
Psalm 111:4;
Psalm 112:4;
Psalm 145:8;
Psalm 78:38.
Topical Lexicon
Rachum (Strong’s Hebrew 7349 רַחוּם)Concept and Theological Depth
Rachum describes the stirring of tender mercy within God’s own being. The word conveys the warmth of parental compassion, a mercy that is neither detached nor reluctant but eager to relieve misery and restore fellowship. Every occurrence attaches the quality to the LORD Himself, forming a golden thread that binds the Law, the Writings, and the Prophets into a single portrait of divine grace.
First Revelation:Exodus 34:6
Moses, sheltered in the cleft of the rock, hears the foundational creed of Israel’s faith: “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and truth” (Exodus 34:6). Rachum heads the list, declaring that mercy is not an occasional mood in God but an essential attribute. From this self-revelation, every later use either echoes or amplifies the same assurance.
Covenant Assurance in Deuteronomy and the Historical Books
When Israel faces the prospect of exile, Moses promises that rachum will govern the LORD’s response to repentance: “For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not abandon you” (Deuteronomy 4:31). Centuries later Hezekiah relies on that pledge, exhorting the northern refugees, “The LORD your God is gracious and compassionate; He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him” (2 Chronicles 30:9). Nehemiah records the same pattern during the post-exilic revival (Nehemiah 9:17, 31): repeated rebellion meets repeated compassion, proving the durability of the covenant.
Psalms: The Language of Worship
The Psalmists transform doctrine into doxology.
• “Yet He was compassionate; He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them” (Psalm 78:38).
• “But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15).
• “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion” (Psalm 103:8; cf.Psalm 111:4; 112:4; 145:8).
These hymns teach Israel to approach God with confidence, grounding praise and petition alike in rachum. The character of God becomes the liturgical heartbeat of the nation.
Prophets: Warning and Hope
Joel summons a penitent assembly by appealing to the same truth: “Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion” (Joel 2:13). Jonah acknowledges it even while resenting its breadth: “I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion, One who relents from sending disaster” (Jonah 4:2). In each case rachum tempers judgment with the possibility of renewal. The prophetic call to repentance rests on the certainty that God would rather forgive than punish.
Christological Trajectory
While rachum is an Old Testament term, its essence blossoms in the ministry of Jesus Christ, who is “moved with compassion” toward the crowds (Matthew 9:36) and embodies the Father’s merciful heart. The Incarnation does not introduce a new quality in God but manifests the same rachum that defined Him at Sinai.
Pastoral and Practical Implications
1. Assurance of Forgiveness: Believers confess sin on the firm ground that God’s compassion precedes and prompts their return (1 John 1:9 reflects the same pattern).
2. Model for Ministry: Shepherds, parents, and leaders mirror the divine rachum when they correct with tenderness and restore with eagerness (Ephesians 4:32).
3. Missional Outlook: Jonah’s struggle warns against limiting rachum to familiar circles; the Great Commission extends God’s compassionate offer to all nations.
Intercessory and Missional Outlook
Prayer that pleads rachum aligns with God’s revealed will. Whether interceding for prodigals, nations, or the persecuted church, the intercessor stands on an attribute that God delights to honor. Evangelism likewise presents the gospel not as reluctant clemency but as the overflow of the Father’s steadfast compassion, now sealed through the cross and resurrection of Christ.
Rachum, therefore, is more than a lexical entry; it is the living heartbeat of redemptive history, inviting every generation to trust, worship, and imitate the God who is forever compassionate.
Forms and Transliterations
וְרַח֔וּם וְרַח֖וּם וְרַח֛וּם וְרַח֣וּם וְרַחוּם֙ ורחום רַח֖וּם רַח֣וּם רַח֨וּם ׀ רַחוּם֙ רחום ra·ḥūm raChum raḥūm veraChum wə·ra·ḥūm wəraḥūm
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