רְחוּם
𐤓𐤇𐤅𐤌
Rechum
H7348 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Rechum (רְחוּם) is a personal name used for several individuals in the Hebrew Bible, referring to both Israelites and a Persian official. It functions as a proper noun and does not carry a concrete lexical meaning beyond its use as a name. When understood as a formation related to a root meaning 'compassionate,' it may connote 'the compassionate one,' but in biblical usage it is simply a name attached to various persons.
Semantic Range
personal name, possibly 'compassionate'; used for both Israelite and non-Israelite individuals; functions exclusively as a proper noun referring to several persons in post-exilic texts
Root / Etymology
From the root רָחַם (r-ḥ-m), meaning 'to have mercy, show compassion.' The form רְחוּם (Rechum or Rehum) is a noun or name formation from this root, but as is common with biblical names, it is a theophoric or attributive element, not a simple verb or adjective.
Historical & Contextual Notes
רְחוּם appears as the name of at least four individuals: (1) a returned Israelite exile who signed the covenant in Nehemiah 10:25; (2) a Levite in Nehemiah 3:17; (3) a leader among temple servants (Ezra 2:2, Nehemiah 7:7); (4) a Persian official—'chancellor' or 'governor'—in Ezra 4:8, indicating non-Israelite usage as well. The persistence of the name across different ethnic and historical contexts suggests its meaning was accessible and not exclusively confined to Israelite circles. English translations typically transliterate rather than translate the name, and translation as 'Rehum' or 'Rechum' does not convey the possible underlying sense of compassion, which may have been present but is not contextually evident in biblical narratives. The name is somewhat distinct from the more common רַחוּם (Rachum), but may be a variant spelling or dialectal form. Care should be taken not to read subsequent religious connotations or to conflate with English 'Rehum/Jew' terminology.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a form of רַחוּם; Rechum, the name of a Persian and of three Israelites; Rehum.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רחם (r-ḥ-m) — have mercy, show compassion, feel pity
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3395 | יְרֹחָם | He-will-be-shown-compassion |
| H3396 | יְרַחְמְאֵל | to El-will-show-compassion |
| H3819 | לֹא רֻחָמָה | Not-shown-compassion |
| H7349 | רַחוּם | compassionate |
| H7355 | רָחַם | I will show him deep compassion |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7348-01 |
רְח֣וּם | rechum | HNp |
Rehum | Rechum | Rechum | 8 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7348-01 |
Ezra 2:2 | רְח֣וּם | rechum | HNp |
Rehum | Rechum | Rechum |
H7348-01 |
Ezra 4:8 | רְח֣וּם | rechum | ANp |
Rehum | Rechum | Rechum |
H7348-01 |
Ezra 4:9 | רְח֣וּם | rechum | ANp |
Rehum | Rechum | Rechum |
H7348-01 |
Ezra 4:17 | רְח֤וּם | rechum | ANp |
Rehum | Rechum | Rechum |
H7348-01 |
Ezra 4:23 | רְח֛וּם | rechum | ANp |
Rehum | Rechum | Rechum |
H7348-01 |
Nehemiah 3:17 | רְח֣וּם | rechum | HNp |
Rehum | Rechum | Rechum |
H7348-01 |
Nehemiah 10:26 | רְח֥וּם | rechum | HNp |
Rehum | Rechum | Rechum |
H7348-01 |
Nehemiah 12:3 | רְחֻ֖ם | rechum | HNp |
Rehum | Rechum | Rechum |