נָחַם
nâcham · naw-kham'
properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly; by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself)
Lexicon
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly; by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself)
- properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly
- by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to pity, console or (reflexively) rue
- or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself)
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: comfort (self), ease (one's self), repent(-er,-ing, self).
Letters
- נNun50
Picture: a sprouting seed, or a fish in water
- Concrete
- seed · sprout · fish · offspring
- Extended
- life · continuation · heir · to perpetuate
- חHet8
Picture: courtyard wall or enclosure
- Concrete
- wall · fence · tent wall
- Extended
- to separate · protection · the inside vs. the outside · private
- מMem40
Picture: waves of water
- Concrete
- water · sea · blood · liquid
- Extended
- chaos · mighty and uncontrollable · the masses · from / out of
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
the seed, life continuing › to separate and protect › water, chaos, the mighty deep
The seed, life continuing that works to separate and protect of water, chaos, the mighty deep.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of נָחַם above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
108 occurrences · 108 OT · 0 NT · 90 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- repented10 · 19%
- to comfort7 · 13%
- and repent4 · 7%
- comforters4 · 7%
- to be comforted3 · 6%
- that he should repent2 · 4%
- and repented2 · 4%
- was comforted2 · 4%
- they comfort2 · 4%
- shall comfort2 · 4%
- hath comforted2 · 4%
- for it repenteth1 · 2%
- with him and to comfort1 · 2%
- as touching thee, doth comfort1 · 2%
- and he repented1 · 2%
- and it repented1 · 2%
- comforted1 · 2%
- nor repent1 · 2%
- it repenteth1 · 2%
- for that thou hast comforted1 · 2%
- for it repented1 · 2%
- for he was comforted1 · 2%
- repent1 · 2%
- and he comforted1 · 2%
- this same shall comfort1 · 2%
Where it is used, by book.
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.