---
title: רָחַם — love · The Tanakh dictionary
description: רָחַם (7355), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 47 times: love. BDB 1906: vb.denom. love Pi. have compassion. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# רָחַם

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«רָחַם» in the Tanakh dictionary: **love** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 47 times · **Key:** 7355 · **BDB:** רָחַם

### Glosses

I (7); I.will.have.compassion.on (6); he (5)

### Meaning (OSHB)

love [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/7355/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb.denom. love Pi. have compassion [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/7355/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb.denom. love Pi. have compassion;— Impf. 1 s. sf. אֶרְחָֽמְךָ ψ 18:2 I love thee (perhaps gloss; v. not in ‖ 2 S 22:2; Hi Ch SS Gerber read אֲרֹמִמְךָ). Pf. 3 ms. רִחַם ψ 103:13 +; sf. וְרִחַמְךָ consec. Dt 13:18, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יְרַחֵם Is 9:16 +; sf. יְרַחֲמֵהוּ Is 55:7, etc.; Inf. abs. רַחֵם Je 31:20; Hb 3:2; cstr. רַחֵם Is 49:15 ψ 103:13; sf. רַחֶמְכֶם Is 30:18; Pt. מְרַחֵם ψ 116:5, etc.;—have compassion, be compassionate;— usually of God: c. acc. of his people, Ex 33:19(×2) (J) Dt 13:18; 30:3; 2 K 13:23; Is 9:16; 14:1; 27:11; 30:18; 49:10, 13; 54:8, 10; 55:7; 60:10; Je 12:15; 30:18; 31:20(×2); 33:26; Ez 39:25; Ho 1:6, 7; 2:6, 25; Mi 7:19; Zc 1:12; 10:6 ψ 102:14; c. עַל 103:13; abs. Je 13:14; Hb 3:2 ψ 116:5 La 3:32. of man, usually a conqueror: c. acc. 1 K 8:50; Je 42:12; abs. 6:23; 21:7; 50:42; elsewhere of children, c. acc. Is 13:18; 49:15; c. עַל ψ 103:13. Pf. 3 fs. רֻחָ֑מָה Ho 2:3, 25 (Ges§ 152 a. n. Köi, 270);—Impf. 3 ms. יְרֻחַם Ho 14:4; יְרֻחָ֑ם Pr 28:13; be shewn compassion, compassionated: of orphans Ho 14:4; children, of Israel wife of Yahweh 2:3, 25 (cf. לא־ר׳ 1:6, 8, p. 520); penitent sinner Pr 28:13.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 43 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (11 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (8 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «רָחַם» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/7355/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 18:2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.18.2/)

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וַיֹּאמַ֡ר אֶרְחָמְךָ֖ יְהוָ֣ה חִזְקִֽי׃

*Word for word:* and he.said I love.you O.Yahweh strength my

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[Psalms 116:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.116.5/)

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חַנּ֣וּן יְהֹוָ֣ה וְצַדִּ֑יק וֵ֖אלֹהֵ֣ינוּ מְרַחֵֽם׃

*Word for word:* \[is\].gracious Yahweh and righteous and God our \[is\].having.compassion

*JPS 1917:* Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is compassionate.

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- ← previous: [רָחֵל](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/7354.md)
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