Original Word: רָחַם
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: racham
Pronunciation: rah-KHAM
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-kham')
KJV: have compassion (on, upon), love, (find, have, obtain, shew) mercy(-iful, on, upon), (have) pity, Ruhamah, X surely
NASB: have compassion, has compassion, have mercy
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to fondle
2. (by implication) to love
3. (especially) to compassionate

have compassion on, upon, love, find, have, obtain, show merciful, on,

A primitive root; to fondle; by implication, to love, especially to compassionate -- have compassion (on, upon), love, (find, have, obtain, shew) mercy(-iful, on, upon), (have) pity, Ruhamah, X surely.

Word Origin
denominative verb from racham
Definition
to love, have compassion
NASB Translation
compassion (1), compassionate (1), find compassion (1), finds mercy (1), had (2), had compassion (2), has compassion (4), have compassion (20), have had compassion (1), have mercy (2), have pity (1), have...compassion (3), have...mercy (2), love (1), mercy (1), obtained compassion (1), Ruhamah (1), show compassion (2), surely have mercy (1).

[רָחַם] verb denominative love.

Pi`el have compassion; —

Qal Imperfect 1 singular suffix אֶרְחָֽמְךָ Psalm 18:2 I love thee (perhaps gloss; see not in "" 2 Samuel 22:2; Hi Ch SS Gerber read אֲרֹמִמְךָ).

Pi`el Perfect3masculine singular רִחַם Psalm 103:13 +; suffix וְרִחַמְךָ consecutive Deuteronomy 13:18, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יְרַחֵם Isaiah 9:16 +; suffix יְרַחֲמֵהוּ Isaiah 55:7, etc.; Infinitive absolute רַחְֵ Jeremiah 31:20; Habakkuk 3:2; construct רַחֵם Isaiah 49:15; Psalm 103:13; suffix רַחֶמְכֶם Isaiah 30:18; Participle מְרַחֵם Psalm 116:5, etc.; — have compassion, compassionate; —

1 usually of God: with accusative of his people, Exodus 33:19 (twice in verse) (J) Deuteronomy 13:18; Deuteronomy 30:3; 2 Kings 13:23; Isaiah 9:16; Isaiah 14:1; Isaiah 27:11; Isaiah 30:18; Isaiah 49:10,13; Isaiah 54:8,10; Isaiah 55:7; Isaiah 60:10; Jeremiah 12:15; Jeremiah 30:18; Jeremiah 31:20 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 33:26; Ezekiel 39:25; Hosea 1:6,7; Hosea 2:6; Hosea 2:25; Micah 7:19; Zechariah 1:12; Zechariah 10:6; Psalm 102:14; with עַל Psalm 103:13; absolute Jeremiah 13:14; Habakkuk 3:2; Psalm 116:5; Lamentations 3:32.

2 of man, usually a conqueror: with accusative 1 Kings 8:50; Jeremiah 42:12; absolute Jeremiah 6:23; Jeremiah 21:7; Jeremiah 50:42; elsewhere of children, with accusative Isaiah 13:18; Isaiah 49:15; with עַל Psalm 103:13.

Pu`al Perfect3feminine singular רֻחָ֑מָה Hosea 2:3; Hosea 2:25 (Ges^{§ 152a} N. Kö^{i. 270}); — Imperfect3masculine singular יְרֻחַם Hosea 14:4; יְרֻחָ֑ם Proverbs 28:13; be shewn compassion, compassionated: of orphans Hosea 14:4; children of Israel wife of Yahweh Hosea 2:3; Hosea 2:25 (compare ׳לארֿ Hosea 1:6,8, p. 520); penitent sinner Proverbs 28:13.

Semantic Range and Imagery

רָחַם (racham) expresses deep, tender affection that issues in concrete acts of kindness. Etymologically linked to רֶחֶם (rechem, “womb”), the verb paints a picture of the protective, nurturing compassion a mother has for an infant (compare Isaiah 49:15). Hence the term denotes far more than momentary pity; it conveys steadfast, covenant-grounded mercy that moves the heart to intervene for the helpless.

Canonical Distribution

The verb occurs forty-seven times, scattered throughout the Law, the Writings, and the Prophets. It appears eight times in the Pentateuch (chiefly in Exodus and Deuteronomy), five times in the Historical Books, eleven times in the Psalms and Wisdom literature, and twenty-three times in the Prophets. The concentration in prophetic oracles of judgment and restoration underscores racham as a decisive divine response in moments of crisis.

Racham as a Divine Attribute

1. Yahweh’s self-revelation: “I will show mercy on whom I will have mercy” (Exodus 33:19). The verb stands beside חָנַן (chanan, “be gracious”), showing that compassion and grace work in tandem within God’s character.
2. Covenantal loyalty: “Then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity and have compassion on you” (Deuteronomy 30:3). Even after severe covenant curses, racham guarantees the possibility of restoration.
3. Fatherly kindness: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:13). Divine racham is personal and relational, springing from a parent-child bond created by the covenant.
4. Unfailing in affliction: “Though He causes grief, He will have compassion according to His abundant loving devotion” (Lamentations 3:32). Jeremiah highlights racham as the final word over judgment.
5. Hope for the nations: “I will show compassion to them and bring them back to their own land” (Jeremiah 12:15). Post-exilic oracles extend racham beyond Israel, foreshadowing universal mercy fulfilled in the Gospel.

Human Participation in Compassion

Scripture calls God’s people to mirror His racham.
• “Whoever confesses and forsakes them will find mercy” (Proverbs 28:13) links divine compassion to repentance and ethical transformation.
• In royal administration, “The LORD was gracious to them, had compassion on them, and turned toward them” (2 Kings 13:23), modeling the ideal of compassionate leadership.
• Joseph’s yearning for Benjamin and “his compassion burned within him” (Genesis 43:30, noun derived) illustrates racham flowing from family bonds; God expects the same tenderness among covenant brothers and sisters.

Covenantal and Redemptive Themes

Racham frames the drama of exile and return. Prophets repeatedly anchor restoration in Yahweh’s compassion:
• “I will restore Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings” (Jeremiah 30:18).
• “My heart churns within Me… I will not destroy Ephraim, for I am God… I will not come in wrath” (Hosea 11:8-9; verb implied).
• “I will sow her for Myself in the land; I will have compassion on Lo-Ruhamah” (Hosea 2:23), turning a name that once meant “No Compassion” into a living testimony of divine mercy.

Christological and Eschatological Trajectory

The Septuagint consistently renders racham with ἐλεέω (eleeō), the verb later used of Jesus Christ: “Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes” (Matthew 20:34). The Gospel writers therefore present Christ as the embodied racham of Yahweh. New-covenant believers experiencing divine mercy (1 Peter 1:3) fulfill prophetic expectations such as Zechariah 10:6, “I will strengthen the house of Judah… for I have compassion on them.”

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

• Preaching: Racham offers a vocabulary for proclaiming the balance of holiness and mercy. Sermons on Exodus 33 or Psalm 103 can highlight God’s willingness to forgive without compromising justice.
• Counseling: The womb-imagery encourages believers to rest in God’s nurturing care, especially those wounded by abandonment or shame.
• Worship: Songs and prayers that celebrate covenant mercy (e.g., Lamentations 3:22-23) cultivate gratitude and humility.
• Missions and social action: The prophetic linkage of racham to restoration calls the church to practical compassion for the oppressed, refugees, and the unborn—mirroring the “womb-love” of God in tangible service.

Key Passages for Meditation and Teaching

Exodus 33:19; Deuteronomy 30:3; 2 Kings 13:23; Psalm 103:13; Proverbs 28:13; Lamentations 3:32; Jeremiah 31:20; Hosea 2:23; Micah 7:19; Zechariah 10:6.

Racham thus threads through Scripture as a golden cord binding God’s holiness to His love, summoning His people to receive and reflect the same steadfast compassion in every sphere of life and ministry.

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