7362. rachamani
Lexical Summary
rachamani: Compassionate, merciful

Original Word: רַחְמָנִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: rachmaniy
Pronunciation: rah-khah-mah-nee
Phonetic Spelling: (rakh-maw-nee')
KJV: pitiful
NASB: compassionate
Word Origin: [from H7355 (רָחַם - have compassion)]

1. compassionate

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
pitiful

From racham; compassionate -- pitiful.

see HEBREW racham

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from the same as rechem
Definition
compassionate
NASB Translation
compassionate (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[רַחֲמָנִי] adjective id.; — plural feminine נָשִׁים רַחֲמָנִיּוֺת Lamentations 4:10 compassionate women.

Topical Lexicon
Overview of the Term

Rachmani describes a person who is tender-hearted, compassionate, or merciful. In Scripture the word appears only once, yet it carries a profound weight because it is used at the precise moment when every natural instinct for mercy is being crushed by siege and starvation.

Historical Context of Lamentations 4:10

Jerusalem has fallen to Babylon. Starvation inside the walls has reached such depths that the prophet records: “The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children; they became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people” (Lamentations 4:10). The single occurrence of rachmani is thus framed by the most heartbreaking scene imaginable. Mothers, ordinarily the embodiment of mercy, are driven to break the very essence of maternal compassion. The term is chosen to underscore just how severe the judgment has become: even the compassionate have been forced beyond the limits of compassion.

The Paradox of Compassion and Catastrophe

1. Natural affection perverted

Scripture often highlights maternal compassion as the strongest human bond (Isaiah 49:15). The calamity in Lamentations shows that sin’s consequences can distort even that most sanctified relationship.

2. Divine judgment justified

The depth of horror validates earlier covenant warnings (Deuteronomy 28:53). The single use of rachmani thus operates as a prophetic signpost: the curses foretold by Moses are now fulfilled, authenticating the Word of God.

3. Reminder of divine compassion

The very root idea behind rachmani (compassion) echoes the Lord’s own character (Psalm 103:13). By depicting its absence, the text drives the reader to seek the only unfailing source of mercy—God Himself.

Canonical Resonances

Deuteronomy 28:53; 2 Kings 6:28-29 – Earlier accounts of siege cannibalism establish a biblical pattern of judgment.
Isaiah 49:15 – Human compassion may fail, but the Lord’s will not.
Hosea 11:8 – God’s heart of compassion restrains His wrath, forming a contrast to the mothers in Lamentations who could not restrain their desperation.
Luke 23:28-29 – Jesus warns of days when mothers will say, “Blessed are the barren,” reflecting the same motif.

Theological Significance

1. Sin’s corrosive power – Even the most virtuous human qualities collapse under the weight of unrepented sin and divine judgment.
2. Trustworthiness of Scripture – The precision with which covenant curses unfold affirms the reliability of both Law and Prophets.
3. Foreshadowing redemption – The scenes of failed compassion heighten the need for a perfect Savior whose compassion never fails (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Pastoral and Ministry Application

• Intercession – Rachmani urges believers to pray for communities drifting toward judgment, lest natural bonds be broken by sin’s consequences.
• Counseling – When ministering to those who doubt God’s goodness amid suffering, this passage reminds them that human compassion is limited, but divine compassion is limitless.
• Preaching – The stark image of failed mercy provides a vivid illustration of why the gospel is necessary: only Christ can restore what sin destroys.

Liturgical and Devotional Use

During seasons of repentance such as Lent or the Days of Awe, Lamentations 4:10 may be read responsively with prayers of confession, prompting worshipers to mourn sin’s cost and to cling to the mercy of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Forms and Transliterations
רַחֲמָ֣נִיּ֔וֹת רחמניות ra·ḥă·mā·nî·yō·wṯ rachaManiYot raḥămānîyōwṯ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Lamentations 4:10
HEB: יְדֵ֗י נָשִׁים֙ רַחֲמָ֣נִיּ֔וֹת בִּשְּׁל֖וּ יַלְדֵיהֶ֑ן
NAS: The hands of compassionate women
KJV: The hands of the pitiful women
INT: the hands women of compassionate Boiled children

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 7362
1 Occurrence


ra·ḥă·mā·nî·yō·wṯ — 1 Occ.

7361
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