נַחוּם
𐤍𐤇𐤅𐤌
Nachum
H5151 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'compassionate' or 'comforted.' Used specifically as the name of an Israelite prophet active during the Assyrian period. While the name draws from the sense of comfort or consolation, in its actual usage, it functions solely as a proper noun referring to a historical individual.
Semantic Range
proper noun—personal name referring to the prophet Nahum; by extension, 'comforted,' 'compassionate' as the intended meaning embedded in the name
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root נָחַם (nacham), meaning 'to be sorry, to console, to comfort.' The form נַחוּם is a Qal passive participle, meaning 'comforted' or 'consoled,' but as a personal name, it denotes 'he who is comforted' or 'compassionate.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
נַחוּם appears exclusively as a personal name in the Hebrew Bible, most notably referring to the prophet credited with the Book of Nahum, who prophesied against Nineveh in the late 7th century BCE. The name reflects Israelite naming practices, often expressing desired qualities or divine actions ('comforted by [God]'). The term is not used as a common noun or adjective in the biblical corpus. In English translations the name is rendered as Nahum, and later tradition associates the name closely with the minor prophetic book. The meaning and use are distinct from similar roots connoting physical rest or other types of comfort, and its original meaning as a name ('comforted, compassionate') is preserved throughout biblical and later usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נָחַם; comfortable; Nachum, an Israelite prophet; Nahum.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נחם (n-ḥ-m) — to comfort, to console, to show compassion
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4505 | מְנַחֵם | Comforter |
| H5100 | נְהָמָה | like roaring of |
| H5149 | נְחוּם | Comforted One |
| H5150 | נִחוּם | my consolations |
| H5162 | נָחַם | I will deeply comfort you |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5151-01 |
נַח֖וּם | nachum | HNp |
of Nahum | Comforted-one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5151-01 |
Nahum 1:1 | נַח֖וּם | nachum | HNp |
of Nahum | Comforted-one |