Lexical Summary
rechem: womb, birth, maiden
Original Word:רֶחֶם
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:rechem
Pronunciation:REH-khem
Phonetic Spelling:(rekh'-em)
KJV: matrix, womb
NASB:womb, birth, maiden, maidens, mother, wombs
Word Origin:[fromH7355 (רָחַם - have compassion)]
1. the womb
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
matrix, womb
Fromracham; the womb (compareracham) -- matrix, womb.
see HEBREWracham
see HEBREWracham
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionwomb
NASB Translationbirth (3), born* (1), maiden (1), maidens (1), mother (1), womb (22), wombs (1).
Topical Lexicon
Semantic Range and Thematic Coreרֶחֶם (rechem) denotes the physical womb and, by extension, the tender mercy that springs from it. The term appears about twenty-six times, almost always emphasizing either (1) the mysterious sanctuary in which God fashions life or (2) the life-affirming claim that the Lord lays upon what “opens the womb.” The concrete and the metaphorical remain inseparable: because the womb shelters the helpless, rechem becomes a window into the heart of God, whose compassion protects and nurtures His people.
Literary Distribution
• Torah: Concentrated in legislation on the firstborn (Exodus 13:2, 12, 15; 34:19;Numbers 3:12; 8:16; 18:15).
• Historical and Poetic Books: Proverbs of blessing and lament (Genesis 49:25;Job 3:11; 31:15; Psalms 22:10; 71:6; 110:3).
• Prophets: Vocational call narratives and promises of restoration (Isaiah 44:2, 24; 49:1, 5;Jeremiah 1:5;Ezekiel 20:26).
The Womb as Sanctuary of Life
From the start, Scripture regards the womb as a holy place where the Creator acts directly.
•Psalm 22:10: “From my mother’s womb You have been my God.”
•Job 31:15: “Did not He who made me in the womb make him, and did not the same One fashion us in the womb?”
Such texts present life in utero as God’s personal craftsmanship. Consequently, to harm life in the womb is to oppose the Creator’s handiwork—an ethic that undergirds biblical opposition to violence against the innocent (compareExodus 21:22-25).
“Opening the Womb” and the Firstborn
Eight occurrences join rechem with פֶּטֶר (peter, “one who opens”), establishing the principle that the first issue of every womb belongs to the LORD.
•Exodus 13:2: “Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me.”
•Numbers 18:15: “The firstborn of every womb, whether man or beast… is Mine.”
Historically this ordinance proclaimed (1) God’s deliverance in the plague of the firstborn, (2) His ownership of all life, and (3) a foreshadowing of the true Firstborn, Jesus Christ, later identified inLuke 2:23 as fulfilling “every firstborn male shall be called holy to the Lord” (citingExodus 13:2).
Rechem and Prophetic Calling
Several prophets trace their vocation to God’s action in the womb, affirming both divine sovereignty and human dignity.
•Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart.”
•Isaiah 49:1: “The LORD called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me.”
These texts assure believers that God’s purposes precede birth, encouraging surrender to His call and supporting ministries that defend the unborn and nurture children toward their God-given destinies.
Metaphorical Extension to Compassion
Though other forms of the root more frequently express “mercy,” the very choice of rechem for womb implies that compassion is womb-like: warm, protective, self-giving. When Scripture describes God’s mercy, it often links back to this visceral image (for example,Isaiah 49:15 uses the related verb). Human compassion, therefore, is not merely emotional sympathy but a commitment to shelter life as the womb does—an ethic foundational for pastoral care, adoption, foster ministry, and pro-life advocacy.
Christological Fulfillment
Luke deliberately citesExodus 13 to show that Jesus, the true Firstborn, embodies all that rechem signifies. His incarnation begins in Mary’s womb (Luke 1:31), and His redemptive mission secures the release of every “firstborn” who trusts in Him (Hebrews 12:23). Thus, the consecration of the womb’s first issue finds ultimate expression in the consecrated body of Christ.
Practical Ministry Implications
1. Sanctity of Life: Every stage of human development is under divine claim; Christian ethics must protect life from conception to natural death.
2. Parental Dedication: Presenting children to the Lord continues the firstborn principle, recognizing God’s ownership.
3. Pastoral Compassion: As rechem shelters, so the church is called to wrap the vulnerable—unborn, orphan, widow, refugee—in tangible mercy.
4. Vocational Confidence: Believers can serve boldly, trusting that God’s purposes for them were woven “from the womb.”
See Also
• Beten (בֶּטֶן 990): another word for “womb.”
• Racham (7355): verb “to show mercy.”
• Rachamim (7356): plural noun “compassions, mercies.”
Forms and Transliterations
בָּרֶ֥חֶם ברחם וְרַחְמָ֖הֿ ורחמה מֵ֭רֶחֶם מֵרֶ֖חֶם מֵרֶ֣חֶם מֵרֶ֥חֶם מֵרָ֑חֶם מרחם רֶ֖חֶם רֶ֙חֶם֙ רֶ֜חֶם רֶ֠חֶם רֶ֣חֶם רֶ֨חֶם ׀ רַחְמָ֑הּ רַחְמָֽהּ׃ רחם רחמה רחמה׃ bā·re·ḥem baRechem bāreḥem mê·rā·ḥem mê·re·ḥem meRachem mêrāḥem meRechem mêreḥem rachMah raḥ·māh raḥmāh re·ḥem Rechem reḥem verachMah wə·raḥ·māh wəraḥmāh
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