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נִחוּם

𐤍𐤇𐤅𐤌

nichûwm

H5150 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נחם to comfort, to console, to change one's mind, to feel regret

Definition

A state or expression of consolation, comfort, or relief from grief or distress; also, in some contexts, denotes the experience or act of feeling regret, sorrow, or repentance. The term covers both active comfort offered to others and inward experiences of remorse or a change of heart.

Semantic Range

comfort, consolation, solace, act of consoling, state of being comforted, act of feeling remorse or regret, state of repentance

Root / Etymology

From the root נחם, which fundamentally means 'to comfort, to console, to feel regret, to change one's mind.' The abstract noun form נִחוּם expresses the idea of the state, act, or process of consoling or being consoled, or, by extension, experiencing repentance or regret.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, נִחוּם primarily denotes consolation or comfort after loss or distress, often connected with mourning rituals or expressions of grief (e.g., Jeremiah 16:7). In a smaller number of contexts, it may also signify the experience of regret, sorrow, or 'repentance'—a shift in emotional or mental state, though typically as a human affect rather than formalized religious penitence. The noun is less common than the verb נחם and is nearly always abstract. In later post-biblical Hebrew and rabbinic usage, the association with both comfort and repentance persists, but biblical usage is weighted toward the sense of consolation. English translations may render it as 'comfort' or 'solace,' while the nuance of 'repenting' is context-specific and relatively rare. Unlike related terms such as תנחומים (expressed consolations) or verbs like לשוב (to return, often used for repentance), נִחוּם is centered on the inward or communal process of comfort or regret. Usage does not shift significantly across pre-exilic and exilic periods but becomes more introspective in later Hebrew literature.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or נִחֻם; from נָחַם; properly, consoled; abstractly, solace; comfort(-able), repenting.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נחם (n-ḥ-m) — to comfort, to console, to feel regret, to change one's mind

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4505 מְנַחֵם Comforter
H5100 נְהָמָה like roaring of
H5149 נְחוּם Comforted One
H5151 נַחוּם Comforted-one
H5162 נָחַם I will deeply comfort you

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5150-02 נִֽחֻמִ֛ים nichumim HNcmpa comforting consolations 2
H5150-01 נִחוּמָֽ/י nichumay HNcmpc/Sp1cs my compassions my consolations 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5150-02 Isaiah 57:18 נִֽחֻמִ֛ים nichumim HNcmpa comforts consolations
H5150-01 Hosea 11:8 נִחוּמָֽ/י nichumay HNcmpc/Sp1cs my compassions my consolations
H5150-02 Zechariah 1:13 נִחֻמִֽים nichumim HNcmpa comforting consolations
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