Lexical Summary rachamani: Compassionate, merciful Original Word: רַחְמָנִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance pitiful From racham; compassionate -- pitiful. see HEBREW racham NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom 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 TermRachmani 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. Theological Significance 1. Sin’s corrosive power – Even the most virtuous human qualities collapse under the weight of unrepented sin and divine judgment. Pastoral and Ministry Application • Intercession – Rachmani urges believers to pray for communities drifting toward judgment, lest natural bonds be broken by sin’s consequences. 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 raḥămānîyōwṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman'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 |
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