A rare verb meaning to heal or remove pain, appearing primarily in Proverbs. It relates to the restorative, curative work that brings relief from suffering — whether physical illness, emotional sorrow, or spiritual wound.
Gahah captures the gentle work of healing that addresses hidden pain. Proverbs 17:22 declares, 'A joyful heart is good medicine (gahah), but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.' The word connects joy to the healing process — not as superficial happiness, but as the deep gladness that flows from right relationship with God and others. The root appears alongside words for the heart, suggesting that true healing is interior before it is exterior. The Great Physician who heals all diseases (Psalm 103:3) works precisely this way: He addresses the crushed spirit, filling it with the gladness of salvation before the body is renewed.