Nacham
/naˈχam/noun
A transliteration of the Biblical Hebrew verb נָחַם, meaning to comfort, relent, or change one’s mind.
Did you know?The Hebrew root נחם appears to describe both human consolation and God’s relenting from a declared action, showing that “comfort” and “change” were linguistically intertwined.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*naḥam
“Reconstructed root associated with consolation or relief; the precise earliest sense is debated.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
נָחַם (nāḥam)
“To be sorry, relent, repent, or comfort, depending on context.”
Ancient Hebrew Bible
Hebrew
נִחַם (niḥam)
“A derived form meaning to be comforted or consoled.”
Ancient Greek
Septuagint Greek
παρακαλέω / μετανοέω
“Common translation equivalents conveying comfort, encouragement, repentance, or a change of mind.”
Medieval Jewish Scholarship
Hebrew
נחם (naḥam)
“The consonantal root preserved in Hebrew grammatical and rabbinic interpretation.”
Modern English
English
nacham
“An English scholarly transliteration used in Biblical Hebrew studies, theology, and discussions of Hebrew names.”