B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

We have just read today
הוֹי אֶנָּחֵם מִצָּרַי וְאִנָּקְמָה מֵאוֹיְבָי
KJV: "Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies"

It seems to me that in this repetition Isaiah hints that both נחם NXM and נקם NQM (related to נהם NHM) carry the same sense of alleviation.

Also related to these two roots are קם, עקם and כמה
Ps. 63:2(1)
צָמְאָה לְךָ נַפְשִׁי כָּמַהּ לְךָ בְשָׂרִי
NIV: "I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you"


Isaac Fried, Boston University

In other words, the נִקְמַת דַּם of Ps. 79:10
לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ הַגּוֹיִם אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם יִוָּדַע בַּגֹּיִים לְעֵינֵינוּ נִקְמַת דַּם עֲבָדֶיךָ הַשָּׁפוּךְ
NIV: "Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.
is actually נִחְמַת דַּם, 'the calming of the blood, the quieting of the blood'.
Compare Gen. 4:10
קוֹל דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ צֹעֲקִים אֵלַי מִן הָאֲדָמָה
NIV: "Your brother’s cries out to me from the ground."

Isaac Fried, Boston University