Original Word: חַנּוֹת
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: channowth
Pronunciation: khan-NOTH
Phonetic Spelling: (klan-noth')
KJV: be gracious, intreated
Word Origin: [from H2603 (חָנַן - To be gracious) (in the sense of prayer)]

1. supplication

be gracious, entreat

From chanan (in the sense of prayer); supplication -- be gracious, intreated.

see HEBREW chanan

Word Origin
infinitive construct of chanan, q.v.

Canonical Occurrence

The noun חַנּוֹת appears only once in the Hebrew canon, in Psalm 77:9. Its solitary placement accentuates its weight, drawing attention to the psalmist’s anguished question: “Has God forgotten to be gracious; has He in anger shut off His compassion? Selah” (Psalm 77:9).

Literary Setting in Psalm 77

Psalm 77 is an individual lament that moves from despair to renewed confidence in God. Verses 7–9 stack six piercing interrogatives that climax with חַנּוֹת, the “being gracious” of God. The lamenter reviews divine acts of old (verses 10–20) to answer the doubt raised by this term. By bookending distress with remembrance of salvation history, the psalm illustrates how honest questioning serves faith rather than undermines it.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Graciousness

Scripture consistently affirms the Lord as “compassionate and gracious” (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 103:8). The psalmist’s question therefore exposes an apparent conflict between present experience and revealed character. The momentary dissonance highlights, by contrast, the enduring reality that grace remains central to God’s dealings with His people.

2. Covenant Memory

The lament anchors its resolution in covenant history—particularly the Exodus (Psalm 77:16–20). By recalling past grace, the psalmist answers the fear that God’s חַנּוֹת might be exhausted. Old Testament worshipers were thus invited to rehearse redemption history as an antidote to present anxiety, a pattern carried forward when New Testament believers remember the cross and resurrection (Romans 5:8; Titus 2:11).

3. Rhetorical Device

The Hebrew interrogatives are not expressions of doctrinal uncertainty but of rhetorical emphasis. The psalmist implies, “Of course God has not forgotten,” turning apparent doubt into a platform for praise (Psalm 77:13–15). This device legitimizes lament in corporate and private prayer while steering the lamenter back to trust.

Historical and Ministry Implications

• Worship and Liturgy

Jewish and Christian liturgies have long used Psalm 77 to give voice to communal suffering. The presence of חַנּוֹת in this liturgical context teaches congregations to balance candid lament with confidence in divine grace.

• Pastoral Counseling

Counselors can draw on Psalm 77:9 to reassure believers wrestling with feelings of divine abandonment. The verse models honest questioning yet ultimately condemns the assumption that God’s grace can lapse (compare Lamentations 3:21–23).

• Missions and Evangelism

The term underscores that Israel’s God is intrinsically gracious, countering pagan conceptions of capricious deities. In evangelism, the psalm provides a bridge from Old Testament grace to the fullness revealed in Jesus Christ (John 1:14, 17).

Christological Trajectory

The fear that grace might cease finds its resolution in the incarnation. Jesus embodies the unwavering חַנּוֹת of God—“grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). The solitary occurrence in Psalm 77 anticipates the climactic display of grace at Calvary (Ephesians 2:4–9), where divine favor is irrevocably secured.

Practical Application

1. Prayer: Believers may incorporate the language of Psalm 77:9 in intercession, moving from lament to remembrance of God’s past faithfulness.
2. Study: Meditating on the psalm alongside narratives of deliverance (Exodus 14; Judges 6–7) reinforces the theme that grace persists despite appearances.
3. Worship: Songs and readings that echo Psalm 77 help congregations articulate both anguish and hope, nurturing a mature, honest faith.

Conclusion

חַנּוֹת functions as a theological fulcrum within Psalm 77, lifting the worshiper from despair to remembrance of God’s immutable grace. Though the word appears only once, its rich resonance permeates the biblical message, culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ, through whom divine graciousness is eternally assured.

חַנּ֣וֹת חנות chanNot ḥan·nō·wṯ ḥannōwṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts