a favor-showing one
| Root | חנן (ḥ-n-n) |
| Core Meanings | to show favor, to be gracious, to grant mercy, to bestow kindness |
| Semantic Range | gracious, merciful, compassionate, favor-disposing, inclined to show kindness |
| Conceptual Significance | חַנּוּן is a key covenantal attribute of YHWH, especially in formulaic descriptions (e.g., "compassionate and favor-showing"). It expresses the divine inclination to extend unearned favor and mercy, grounding Israel’s hope in His benevolent character rather than human merit. |
| Morphological Notes | Adjective, masculine singular absolute (often used substantively); from the verbal root חנן. Strong’s H2587/H2586. Occurs as a descriptive title, frequently of YHWH. |
| Rendering Rationale | The term חַנּוּן is a masculine singular adjective derived from the root חנן, "to show favor or be gracious." Rendering it as "a favor-showing one" preserves the active sense of extending favor inherent in the root while reflecting its masculine singular form, which often functions substantively ("one who shows favor"). |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)