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Bible Dictionaries
Mercy, Merciful
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
or MERCY, MERCIFUL
Mercy (French merci ) is traced, through ecclesiastical Latin, to merces (reward); it seems to have got its meaning from the exclamation of the alms-receiver, ‘Merci!’ i.e . ‘Reward to you (in heaven)!’ ‘May God reward you!’ the expression passing from the acknowledgment made to the bounty given, and then to the spirit prompting it. Thus mercy is by derivation allied to merit, merchant, mercenary, amerce .
1. In the OT, noun and adjective render two quite different Hebrew terms. (1) meaning primarily bowels (see Genesis 43:30 , 1 Kings 3:26 ), then compassion or yearning , occurs as noun, adjective, or verb (‘have mercy,’ ‘show mercy’), with the tr. [Note: translate or translation.] ‘mercy’ over 60 times ( Genesis 43:14 , Exodus 34:6 , Habakkuk 3:2 , are typical examples), often ‘mercies’ or ‘tender mercies’ for the noun, imitating the Hebrew plural. In 5 instances the EV [Note: English Version.] translates by ‘pity,’ ‘pitiful’ (see Psalms 103:13 , Lamentations 4:10 ), in 17 by ‘compassion.’ In Genesis 19:16 ‘merciful’ renders a synonym of the above, which appears elsewhere ( 2 Samuel 12:8 , Isaiah 63:9 etc.) as ‘pity.’
(2) is a familiar OT word, occurring passim in the Psalms, denoting kindness or benignity , almost confined to the noun-form in this sense. It is rendered 43 times by kindness (often on the part of men ), and 30 times by ‘lovingkindness’ (always of God , and mostly in Ps.), by mercy some 150 times in AV [Note: Authorized Version.]; other renderings ‘goodness,’ ‘favour,’ and ‘pity’ are occasional RV [Note: Revised Version.] frequently, the American Revisers uniformly, substitute ‘ lovingkindness ’ (wh. see) for ‘mercy’ where God is the subject. This attribute of J″ [Note: Jahweh.] lies nearer to the ‘grace’ (wh. see) than the ‘mercy’ of the NT, without implying necessarily, like the former, ill-desert in the object. It is associated frequently with ‘truth’ (wh. see) in J″ [Note: Jahweh.] ‘lovingkindness (mercy) and truth’ being the regnant qualities of His dealings with Israel and with ‘covenant’ ( Deuteronomy 7:9 , 1 Kings 8:23 , Nehemiah 1:6; Nehemiah 9:32 , Psalms 89:28 , Isaiah 55:8 , Daniel 9:4 ), as well as with ‘goodness’ and ‘compassion’ (above); while it is contrasted with ‘anger,’ ‘judgment,’ and ‘sacrifice’ ( Micah 7:18 , Psalms 101:1 , Hosea 6:6 ). The word describes what one may call the characteristic temper of J″ [Note: Jahweh.] , His gracious disposition towards His chosen regarded in their dependence and necessities, His readiness to help, bless, relieve, forgive them J″ [Note: Jahweh.] ’s ‘leal love’ (G. A. Smith).
(3) A third root, the noun of which is translated ‘grace’ (wh. see) and its adjective ‘gracious,’ appears in the verb 16 times as ‘be gracious’ or the like, and 16 times as ‘have’ or ‘show mercy’ in AV [Note: Authorized Version.] (Deuteronomy 7:2 , Psalms 4:1 etc.), thrice as ‘pity.’ This term seems to imply more of inclination, and (2) more of active disposition.
(4) The expression ‘be merciful’ in AV [Note: Authorized Version.] of Deuteronomy 21:8; Deuteronomy 32:43 is corrected by RV [Note: Revised Version.] to ‘forgive’ and ‘make expiation.’
2 . Mercy in NT plays a part subordinate to that of love (wh. see). It represents a pair of Greek synonyms, both chiefly, but not exclusively, applied (in Scripture) to God. ( a ) As used in the LXX [Note: Septuagint.] , the ordinary term (noun, adjective, and verb) in its noun-form reproduced commonly (2) of the Hebrew words above indicated; but in adjective and verb more often (3), less frequently (1). It denotes compassion as a temper and motive of action rather than a sentiment eleçmosynç (alms) is one of its derivatives; like ‘mercy,’ the Greek eleos regards its objects as weak or suffering, and is therefore narrower in range than the Hebrew (2) above defined. Out of the 27 examples of this noun in NT, 9 occur in OT allusions, 7 in salutations or benedictions; other examples are Matthew 5:7 , Luke 16:24 , Rom 9:23 , 2 Corinthians 4:1 , James 3:17 . The verb is more frequent. ( b ) The second of the Greek synonyms verb, noun, and adjective is more pathetic, and corresponds to (1) of the OT terms; hence the Hebraizing combinations of Philippians 2:1 , Colossians 3:12 , James 5:11 (Hebraistic equivalents replace the regular Greek terms in Ephesians 4:32 , 1 Peter 3:8 ). This tenderer significance ‘mercy’ hears in Luke 6:36 , Romans 12:1 , 2 Corinthians 1:3 , Hebrews 10:28 , also in Matthew 18:33 (RV [Note: Revised Version.] , where AV [Note: Authorized Version.] reads ‘pity’). ( c ) ‘Of tender mercies’ in James 5:11 (AV [Note: Authorized Version.]; RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘merciful’) represents a Hebraistic compound nearly the same as that rendered ‘tender-hearted’ in Ephesians 4:32 and 1 Peter 3:8 (RV [Note: Revised Version.]; AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ‘pitiful’). Akin to these adjectives is the verb occurring 12 times in the Synoptic Gospels, which is rendered ‘moved with compassion’ (moved to mercy), describing the emotion stirred in the breast of Jesus e.g. by the cry, ‘Have mercy on us,’ of Matthew 20:31-34 .
G. G. Findlay.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Mercy, Merciful'. Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdb/m/mercy-merciful.html. 1909.
