English · KJV
H7360

רָחָם

râchâm /raw-khawm'/ Ask about this word
Rootor (feminine) רָחָמָה · from רָחַם
Meaninga kind of vulture (supposed to be tender towards its young)
KJV usagegier-eagle.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of râchâm — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word râchâm H7360 identifies a type of vulture known as the gier-eagle. It appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. The name is derived from a root suggesting that the bird is tender towards its young.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical text, H7360 is mentioned exclusively within lists of unclean birds. Its appearances are part of the dietary laws given to the Israelites, which forbade them from eating certain animals. The gier-eagle is named as an unclean bird in both the initial giving of the law Leviticus 11:18 and its later restatement Deuteronomy 14:17.

Related Words & Concepts

The word is always listed alongside other unclean birds, establishing its context within a specific category of forbidden animals:

  • H8580 tanshemeth (mole, swan): This word, for a creature described as a "hard breather," appears with the gier-eagle in the list of unclean fowl Leviticus 11:18.
  • H6893 qâʼath (cormorant): Identified as the pelican, this bird is listed with the gier-eagle in both of its scriptural appearances (Leviticus 11:18, Deuteronomy 14:17).
  • H7994 shâlâk (cormorant): This term for a bird of prey is also listed as unclean and appears next to the gier-eagle in the list found in Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 14:17.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H7360 is entirely connected to the Old Testament laws of ritual purity.

  • Dietary Restriction: The primary role of the term is to identify a specific creature that is not to be eaten, reinforcing the divine instructions for what is considered clean and unclean Leviticus 11:18.
  • Symbol of Holiness: By being designated as unclean, the gier-eagle serves as part of the larger legal framework that was meant to separate the nation of Israel and mark them as a people set apart for God.
  • Categorical Impurity: Its consistent grouping with other birds of prey and waterfowl helps to define a whole class of animals deemed ritually impure under the Mosaic Covenant Deuteronomy 14:17.

Summary

In summary, râchâm H7360 is a specific term for the gier-eagle found only in the context of Old Testament dietary law. Its limited usage firmly places its importance not in narrative or prophecy, but in its function as a marker of uncleanliness, contributing to the biblical concepts of holiness and separation.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • רָחָמָ
  • רָחָם

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H8580 תַּנְשֶׁמֶת from נָשַׁם; properly, a hard breather, i.e. the name of two unclean creatures, a lizard and abird (both perhaps from ch H6893 קָאַת from קוֹא; probably the pelican (from vomiting); cormorant. H7994 שָׁלָךְ from שָׁלַךְ; bird of prey, usually thought to be the pelican (from casting itself into the sea); cormorant.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Leviticus and Deuteronomy (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

1
Leviticus
1
Deuteronomy

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.