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Meaning, origin and etymology of the name Nahum


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Nahum Nahum

Nahum is the name of a minor prophet who also authored the Book of Nahum, a.k.a. the burden of Nineveh. From Nah 1:1 we learn that the author is from Elkosh. Where that was exactly is unknown, although several locations have been opted. One of the options is the town better known as Capernaum (which means City Of Nahum), but that remains contested.

The name Nahum is the shortened form of Nehemiah. Both names come from the fabulously interesting root naham (naham 1344), which means either sorrow, repentance or comfort, depending on the context. That this root came to denote such a wide array of meanings may have to do with its origin, which, according to TWOTOT , was to reflect the idea of breathing deeply. When the verb means to repent, the subject is most often God! This word is used in such enigmatic statements as Gen 6:6-7 (God regrets having made man), Ex 32:14 (God changes His mind upon Moses' plea) or 1 Sam 15:11 (God regrets having made Saul king).

'Repent' is probably not even a very accurate word but for lack of a better one, it serves. Perhaps there is only one action to the verb naham but two perspectives. The second perspective then is that of how humans perceive this action: comfort. Most famously the verb occurs in Isaiah 40:1, "Comfort, O comfort My people...," and in Psalm 23:4, "Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me."

Derivations of the verb naham are: naham (noham 1344a), sorrow, repentance; nihum (nihum 1344b), comfort (Isa 57:18), compassion (Hos 11:8); nehama (nehama 1344c), comfort; tanhum (tanhum 1344d), consolation.

The name Nahum means Comfort or Compassion.



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