נְחוּם
Nechum, an Israelite
Definition
נְחוּם (Nechum) is a proper name meaning 'comforted' or 'consolation.' It appears only once in the Old Testament as the name of a man, Nehum, listed among the exiles who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel (Nehemiah 7:7). As a personal name, it reflects the Hebrew concept of receiving comfort, likely from God. The name is a passive participle form, indicating one who has been comforted, paralleling other biblical names derived from the same root, like Nehemiah ('Yahweh has comforted').
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively as a proper noun for an individual in a single historical list. It occurs in Nehemiah 7:7, within a register of returning exiles, placing it in a post-exilic context of restoration. There are no other usages or variations in the biblical text.
Etymology
The name נְחוּם (H5149) is derived from the root נָחַם (H5162), meaning 'to comfort,' 'to console,' or 'to relent.' It is a passive participle form, literally 'comforted one.' This root is central to many significant biblical concepts, including God's compassion and repentance. Cognate names include Nehemiah (נְחֶמְיָה) and the place name Nahum (נַחוּם).
Semantic Range
While the name itself is a single historical reference, its etymological connection to the root נָחַם (nacham) is theologically significant. This root is often used to describe God's compassionate character (e.g., Isaiah 40:1, 'Comfort, comfort my people') and His relenting from judgment (e.g., Exodus 32:14). The name Nechum, borne by a returning exile, subtly embodies the post-exilic hope of God's comfort and restoration for His people, a key theme in books like Isaiah and Nehemiah.
In ancient Israelite culture, personal names often carried meaningful declarations about God's character or the circumstances of a child's birth. A name like Nechum ('comforted') likely expressed parental hope or gratitude for divine consolation, possibly in a time of hardship. Its appearance in a list of returning exiles highlights the community's identity as those restored and comforted by God after the Babylonian captivity.
נְחֶמְיָה (Nechemyah, H5166) — A related proper name meaning 'Yahweh has comforted,' borne by the prophet and governor Nehemiah. נַחוּם (Nachum, H5151) — Another proper name, meaning 'comfort,' belonging to the prophet Nahum. Both share the same root but have different grammatical constructions.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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