ra.chum describes a merciful, gracious disposition, especially in portrayals of God’s restraint and forgiveness.

The adjective consistently describes a merciful and gracious disposition, most often ascribed to God in declarations of forgiveness, restraint from destruction, and willingness to receive those who return. The same descriptive use also appears in a statement about the upright in Psalm 112:4.

1. Merciful and gracious disposition · dominant

   All supplied forms are masculine singular absolute adjectives. In Exodus 34:6 the term occurs in a proclamation about God alongside graciousness, patience, kindness, and truth; in Psalm 78:38 the APB renders the clause with forgiveness of iniquity, refusal to destroy, and restraint of anger. The same description frames God’s response to return in Deuteronomy 4:31 and Joel 2:13, while Psalm 112:4 applies it within a description of the upright.

   Exodus 34:6Psalm 78:38Deuteronomy 4:31Joel 2:13Nehemiah 9:17Psalm 112:4

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the adjective as “compassionate” in these descriptions, while Nehemiah 9:31 uses “merciful.” Those English terms show the verse-level presentation rather than a precise one-to-one rendering.