נֹ֫חַם (no.cham)
no.cham
repentance
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun no.cham in Hosea 13:14 carries the weight of deep sorrow or grief, rather than the active turning associated with its Hebrew verb cousin, nicham. Here it appears in a stark rhetorical question from God, asking if He will ransom people from the power of Sheol or redeem them from death. The word highlights the profound distress and lament inherent in the situation, emphasizing the gravity of mortality.
Its single occurrence in this context underscores the tension between divine judgment and mercy. By using a term rooted in sorrow, the text frames the potential redemption not as a casual act, but as one born from deep emotional engagement with human suffering. This usage distinguishes it from mere regret, pointing instead to a heavy-hearted response to loss.
Translators often render this word as "repentance" or "sorrow" depending on the broader narrative flow, though in Hosea 13:14, it functions as an object of God’s potential action. The choice reflects the ancient understanding that divine compassion is intertwined with grief over human frailty. This nuanced meaning invites readers to consider the emotional depth behind biblical statements about redemption.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word no.cham in Hosea 13:14 carries a heavy weight of sorrow rather than active change. It describes a deep grief that God feels over human mortality and the power of death. This is not a casual regret but a profound emotional response to the reality of Sheol.
When God asks if He will ransom people from death, the question highlights the tension between judgment and mercy. The term suggests that divine compassion is intertwined with grief over human frailty. It frames redemption as an act born from deep emotional engagement with suffering.
This understanding invites us to see God not as distant but as deeply moved by our plight. His potential redemption is rooted in a sorrow that acknowledges the gravity of our condition. It offers a glimpse into the heart of a God who cares deeply about our struggle against death.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- compassion1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נֹ֖חַם1×
Key Verses
-
Hosea 13:14
I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death! Death, where are your plagues? Sheol, where is your destruction? “Compassion will be hidden from my eyes.
The word functions as an object of God’s potential action, highlighting the tension between divine judgment and mercy through a rhetorical question about ransoming from Sheol.