Hebrew · H7355, G3627 · unreviewed

Racham

To fondle ; by implication, to love , especially to compassionate · to exercise pity

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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant

רָחַם H7355 to fondle ; by implication, to love , especially to compassionate

Pronunciation rāḥam

Physical tenderness toward the vulnerable grounds God's merciful love—compassion rooted in deep emotional attachment, not abstract duty.

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οἰκτείρω G3627 to exercise pity

Pronunciation oikteírō

Compassion expressed through merciful action; distinct from general pity by implying active relief of suffering.

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What does racham (racham) mean in the Bible?

רָחַם · οἰκτείρω is a Hebrew word meaning "to show mercy, have compassion".

Full entry for racham (H7355, G3627) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to show mercy, have compassion

Grammatical Forms

How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.

Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 19×

Imperfect Exod 33:19 · Hos 1:6 · Hos 1:7 · Hos 2:6 · Jer 13:14 · Jer 30:18 · Isa 9:16 · Isa 14:1 · Isa 49:13 · Jer 21:7 · Isa 13:18 · Jer 6:23 · Jer 50:42 · Ps 102:14 · Zech 1:12 15×

Infinitive absolute Hab 3:2 · Jer 31:20 2×

Perfect Ps 103:13 1×

Participle active Ps 116:5 1×

Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 3×

Imperfect Hos 14:4 · Prov 28:13 2×

Perfect Hos 2:3 1×

Hebrew Verb Forms

How this verb appears across 22 occurrences in the Hebrew OT (OSHB Leningrad Codex).

Aspect / Form

Imperfect 17 Infinitive absolute 2 Perfect 2 Participle 1

Stem

Piel 19 Pual 3

Mood

Indicative/jussive 11 Indicative/cohortative 6 Indicative 2

OT Occurrences

Aspect in Hebrew reflects grammatical form, not tense. "Perfect" (Perfective) typically denotes completed action; "Imperfect" (Imperfective) denotes incomplete or ongoing action. Stem modifies the action type (Qal=simple, Niphal=passive, Piel=intensive, etc.).

Morphology: OSHB WLC (Open Scriptures, CC BY 4.0) · STEPBible TEHMC (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0)

Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

Romans 9 — God’s Faithfulness, Sovereign Mercy, and Israel’s Stumbling Over Christ

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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