Classical Hebrew: רחמים

[𒍑 𒉺𒋼𒋛 𒄑𒆵𒆠𒆤 𒉆 𒅗]

Hi

It is said that רחמים is only used in plural. It means compassion. But is it really only ever used in plural (plurale tantum)? What about this

זְכֹר־רַחֲמֶ֣יךָ יְ֭הוָה וַחֲסָדֶ֑יךָ כִּ֖י מֵעֹולָ֣ם הֵֽמָּה׃
(Psalms 25:6)

Look at the vowels and ending of it. Compare it with חֲסָדֶ֑יךָ which is obviously plural. Is it right that רַחֲמֶ֣יךָ is singular here?

 

[shalom00]

They are both plural.

 

[Ali Smith]

If רחמיך is plural, why isn't it vocalized רְחָמֶ֫יךָ? See pg. 89 of Lambdin (attached).

 

[Drink]

Because it's רַחֲמִים and not רְחָמִים.

 

[GeriReshef]

As far as I know the original meaning of the word was love, and it is derived from רחם (uterus) because people believed that the mother's love came from there (today it is common to relate the love to the heart).
As you said - רחמים is always in plural like some other words (שמים, נעורים, פלילים..), though it probably had a a singular which disappeared.

 

[גולם]

Because it's רַחֲמִים and not רְחָמִים.

Why? What is its base? Isn't it segolate?

 

[Drink]

רַחֲמִים is the base form.

 

[גולם]

Yes, that means it's segolate. Look at the vowels.

 

[Drink]

Segolate is only a meaningful category for singular nouns.

 

[גולם]

What kind of pattern does it have?

 

[Drink]

Why does it need a pattern?