Menahem
/ˈmɛnəˌhɛm/noun
A Hebrew masculine given name meaning “comforter,” also borne by a king of Israel in the Hebrew Bible.
Did you know?Menahem, king of Israel, is described in 2 Kings as violently suppressing rebellion and later paying tribute to the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*n-ḥ-m
“A reconstructed root associated with consolation, regret, and relief after distress; the exact earliest sense is debated.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
נחם (naḥam)
“To be sorry, relent, console, or bring comfort, depending on context.”
9th Century BCE
Hebrew
מְנַחֵם (Menaḥem)
““Comforter” or “one who comforts”; the name of a king of Israel.”
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Koine Greek
Μαναήμ (Manaēm)
“Greek biblical rendering of the Hebrew personal name.”
1st Century CE
Latin
Manahem
“Latin biblical form of the name.”
Modern English
English
Menahem
“A Hebrew personal name, especially associated with the biblical king and later Jewish figures.”