H7349 H7349
Compassionate, merciful; a divine attribute paired with 'gracious,' defining God's covenant character.
Almost exclusively a divine epithet, this adjective forms part of the great creedal formula first proclaimed at Sinai: 'The LORD, the LORD, a God compassionate and gracious' (Exod 34:6). That pairing — רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן — echoes through Scripture like a liturgical refrain (Ps 86:15; 103:8; 111:4; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Neh 9:17, 31; 2 Chr 30:9). The root רחם connects to the womb, giving this compassion a visceral, maternal quality. Spanish misericordioso and German barmherzig both capture the deep mercy involved. Only once (Ps 112:4) is it applied to a human — modeling divine character in human life.
Senses
1. and compassionate — Full of compassion, deeply merciful — rooted in רחם (womb), evoking a visceral, almost maternal tenderness. Used almost exclusively of God as part of the creedal formula רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן ('compassionate and gracious,' Exod 34:6), which reverberates through psalms (86:15; 103:8; 111:4; 145:8), prophets (Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2), and post-exilic literature (Neh 9:17, 31; 2 Chr 30:9). The single human application (Ps 112:4) presents the righteous person as a mirror of God's own character. Spanish compasivo/misericordioso and German barmherzig consistently render the covenantal warmth of this term. 13×
AR["رَحيم", "رَحيمٌ", "رَحِيمٌ", "وَ-رَحيم", "وَ-رَحيمٌ", "وَ-رَحِيمٌ", "وَرَحِيمٌ"]·ben["আর-করুণাময়", "এবং-করুণাময়", "ও-করুণাময়", "ও-দয়াময়", "করুণাময়"]·DE["[ורחום]", "barmherzig", "compassionate", "und-compassionate"]·EN["and-compassionate", "and-merciful", "compassionate"]·FR["compassionate", "compatissant", "et-Rehum", "et-compatissant", "et-miséricordieux"]·heb["ו-רַחוּם", "ו-רחום", "רחום"]·HI["और-कृपालु", "और-दयालु", "दयालु", "दयालु-होकर"]·ID["dan-berbelas-kasihan", "dan-penyayang", "dan-penyayang,", "penyayang"]·IT["[ורחום]", "compassionate", "compassionevole", "e-Rehum", "e-misericordioso", "misericordioso"]·jav["Welasan", "ingkang-welas-asih", "lan-kagungan-kawelasan", "lan-mirah", "lan-sih-piwelas", "lan-welas-asih", "welas-asih", "welasan"]·KO["궍휴하시고", "그리고-자비로우시고", "그리고-자비로우시다", "그리고-자비로우시도다", "그리고-자비로우시며", "그리고-자비로우신", "그리고-자비하시며", "꺍어여기는", "자비로우신"]·PT["Compassivo", "compassivo", "e-compassivo", "e-misericordioso", "misericordioso"]·RU["Щедр", "и-милосерден", "и-сострадателен", "и-сострадательный", "и-щедр", "милосердный", "милостивый"]·ES["Compasivo", "compasivo", "misericordioso", "y-compasivo", "y-misericordioso"]·SW["mwenye-huruma", "mwenye-rehema", "na-mwenye-huruma", "na-mwenye-rehema", "wrachwּm"]·TR["merhametli", "ve-merhametli", "ve-şefkatli"]·urd["اور-رحم-کرنے-والا", "اور-رحمدل", "اور-رحمدل-ہے", "اور-رحیم", "رحم-کرنے-والا", "رحمدل", "رحیم"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† רַחוּם adj. compassionate; usually of God: אֵל רַחוּם Dt 4:31, ר׳ וְחַנּוּן Ex 34:6 (J) = ψ 86:15; 103:8; later חַנּוּן ור׳ 2 Ch 30:9; Ne 9:17, 31; Jo 2:13; Jon 4:2 ψ 111:4; 145:8; והוא ר׳ 78:38. Once of man ψ 112:4.