'Mercy' means 'Womb'

I’m not the smartest guy I know, yet I’ve learned to pay attention to patterns.

On a recent road trip, I put in my earbuds and zoned out. I had hours of podcasts to catch up on, some months old. The content somehow lands differently when I binge podcasts. Somewhere between Cracker Barrel and the gator-jerky-roadside-stand, I heard 3 different podcasters provide a definition of ‘mercy’ that I had never heard: womb.

Mercy is derived from the Hebrew word ‘rachamin,’ which pulls from the word ‘rechem’ or ‘womb.’

Mercy = womb.

As one site notes: “ This is where the strongest connection of compassion and love are bonded between the mother and the baby, respectively.”

I grew up understanding ‘mercy’ in the context of withholding judgement: the officer showed mercy and only gave me a warning rather than writing me a ticket for speeding. While true, I’d offer that it misses the grace and intimacy of it all completely.

Mercy is based in deep intimacy, holding one close as if two were one -- like a mother does with a child in utero or at the breast. Intimacy between two people so deep they may be one (because they once were).

With that reframing, think about the use of the word mercy, particularly in the Biblical context. Jeremiah 42:12: "I will grant you mercy (racham), that he may have mercy (racham) on you and let you remain in your own land."

Think about the impact of this: The God of the heavens shows the mercy of a nursing mother to those in his image. Sure, the OT God demonstrated a 'withholding of justice' in Genesis 18, but the same God in Luke 3 called us 'beloved,' "most favorite."

My grandmother had the ability to make each of her 12+ grandkids and great-grandkids feel like we were 'most favorite.' (Her favorite was actually my sister, but as the only girl in the family, my brother and I got used to that being the case). Regardless, there was nothing like the bear hugs we experienced as kids -- fully immersive, nose buried deep in her lap with the distinct smell of fried chicken and Avon's latest. These hugs healed miles between us, seasons apart, skinned knees and broken hearts.

This is the feeling I hope God intends when the Scriptures speak of 'rachamin' -- an intimacy birthed from being seen and being fully known. That feeling overlaid on the theologies of forgiveness marry a believer's mind and heart in a way that is immensely appealing and welcoming.