H4263 H4263
Compassion, object of pity; that which evokes care and protective feelings
This term appears in Ezekiel 24:21, where God announces He will profane the temple, described as 'the desire of your eyes and the compassion of your soul.' The word captures what the soul feels protective tenderness toward, what evokes care and merciful concern. God's shocking statement—that He will destroy what His people most cherish and feel compassion for—intensifies the judgment's horror. The term emphasizes emotional attachment beyond mere desire, suggesting parental or protective feelings. The temple was not just valued but loved with compassionate care.
Senses
1. sense 1 — An object that evokes protective compassion and tender care, appearing in Ezekiel's prophecy about the temple's desecration. The term describes what the soul regards with merciful concern, not just desire but caring attachment. God's announcement that He will profane 'the compassion of your soul' makes the judgment devastating—destroying not just what is valued but what is lovingly protected. The emotional vocabulary intensifies the horror. 1×
AR["وَشَفَقَةَ"]·ben["এবং-দয়া"]·DE["[ומחמל]"]·EN["and-compassion-of-"]·FR["et-compassion"]·heb["ו-מחמל"]·ID["dan-kerinduan"]·IT["[ומחמל]"]·jav["lan-ingkang-dipun-welas"]·KO["그리고-사모함을"]·PT["e-compaixão-de"]·RU["желание"]·ES["y-compasión-de"]·SW["na-huruma-ya"]·TR["ve-şefkatini"]·urd["اور-رحم"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [מַחְמָל] n.[m.] thing pitied, object of compassion, only cstr. מַחְמַד עיניכם וּמַחְמַל נַפְשְׁכֶם Ez 24:21 object of your eyes’ desire, and of your soul’s compassion.