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תַּחֲנוּן

𐤕𐤇𐤍𐤅𐤍

tachănûwn

H8469 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חנן to show favor, to have mercy, to be gracious

Definition

An appeal for mercy, a plea or supplication—especially a humble or urgent request for favor or compassion, often addressed to a deity or person of higher status. The term generally implies a petition made from a position of dependence or vulnerability, seeking benevolence or reprieve. While primarily used in the sense of a prayerful entreaty to YHWH for graciousness, it also can refer to human appeals for clemency or leniency.

Semantic Range

supplication; appeal for mercy; earnest plea; prayer for favor; humble entreaty; request for clemency

Root / Etymology

From the root חנן (ḥ-n-n), which means 'to show favor, be gracious, have mercy.' תַּחֲנוּן is a noun form denoting 'entreaty for favor, act of supplication.' Related to the verb’s sense of bestowing kindness or grace, the noun signifies the act of earnestly seeking such favor.

Historical & Contextual Notes

תַּחֲנוּן appears in contexts of earnest prayer or appeal, usually highlighting the suppliant's humility and reliance on the addressee's compassion. In the Hebrew Bible, it often refers to prayers to YHWH for forgiveness, healing, or deliverance (see e.g., 1 Kings 8:28–30; Daniel 9:3). Unlike more general terms for 'prayer' (e.g., תְּפִלָּה, tefillah), תַּחֲנוּן carries a more specific sense of urgent plea for mercy, and is frequently paralleled with words denoting crying out or seeking grace. Over time, in later Hebrew (especially liturgical contexts), תַּחֲנוּן became a technical term for particular petitions or additional supplicatory prayers recited after the main prayer service. While often translated as 'supplication' or 'entreaty,' these renderings in English do not always capture the term’s emphasis on unmerited favor or the deep humility of the speaker. In post-biblical usage, the word increasingly refers to set prayers of supplication, but this institutionalized sense is not present in early biblical texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (feminine) תַּחֲנוּנָה; from חָנַן; earnest prayer; intreaty, supplication.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

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Root Family

חנן (ḥ-n-n) — to show favor, to be gracious, to have mercy

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1135 בֶּן־חָנָן he showed favor
H2433 חִין and beauty-of
H2580 חֵן favor
H2581 חֵן and to Favor
H2583 חָנָה Favored One (feminine)

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8469-01 תַּ֭חֲנוּנַ/י tachanunay HNcmpc/Sp1cs of my supplications my pleas for favor 7
H8469-09 וְ/תַ֣חֲנוּנִ֔ים vetachanunim HC/Ncmpa and supplications and appeals for mercy 2
H8469-03 תַחֲנוּנֵ֖י tachanuney HNcmpc supplications pleas for favor of 2
H8469-06 תַּחֲנוּנִ֥ים tachanunim HNcmpa supplications earnest pleas for favor 2
H8469-04 תַּחֲנוּנֶ֜י/ךָ tachanuneykha HNcmpc/Sp2ms your supplications your pleas for favor 1
H8469-02 תַּ֣חֲנוּנָ֔י/ו tachanunayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his supplications his pleas for favor 1
H8469-05 תַּחֲנוּנֵ֨י/נוּ֙ tachanuneynu HNcmpc/Sp1cp our supplications our pleas for favor 1
H8469-07 תַּחֲנוּנוֹתָֽ/י tachanunotay HNcmpc/Sp1cs of my supplications my pleas for favor 1
H8469-08 וּֽ/בְ/תַחֲנוּנִים֮ uvetachanunim HC/R/Ncmpa and with supplications and with pleas for favor 1

Occurrences in Scripture

18 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8469-03 Jeremiah 3:21 תַחֲנוּנֵ֖י tachanuney HNcmpc and supplications pleas for favor of
H8469-08 Jeremiah 31:9 וּֽ/בְ/תַחֲנוּנִים֮ uvetachanunim HC/R/Ncmpa and with supplications and with pleas for favor
H8469-09 Zechariah 12:10 וְ/תַ֣חֲנוּנִ֔ים vetachanunim HC/Ncmpa and supplications and appeals for mercy
H8469-01 Psalms 28:2 תַּ֭חֲנוּנַ/י tachanunay HNcmpc/Sp1cs of my supplications my pleas for favor
H8469-01 Psalms 28:6 תַּחֲנוּנָֽ/י tachanunay HNcmpc/Sp1cs of my supplications my pleas for favor
H8469-01 Psalms 31:23 תַּחֲנוּנַ֗/י tachanunay HNcmpc/Sp1cs of my supplications my pleas for favor
H8469-07 Psalms 86:6 תַּחֲנוּנוֹתָֽ/י tachanunotay HNcmpc/Sp1cs of my supplications my pleas for favor
H8469-01 Psalms 116:1 תַּחֲנוּנָֽ/י tachanunay HNcmpc/Sp1cs my supplications my pleas for favor
H8469-01 Psalms 130:2 תַּחֲנוּנָֽ/י tachanunay HNcmpc/Sp1cs of my supplications my pleas for favor
H8469-01 Psalms 140:7 תַּחֲנוּנָֽ/י tachanunay HNcmpc/Sp1cs of my supplications my pleas for favor
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