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Bible Encyclopedias
Pitiful
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
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pit´i - fool : As found in Scripture, means "full of pity"; it is expressed by רחמני , raḥămānı̄ , from raḥămı̄m (plural of raḥam ), "bowels," "compassion" ( Lamentations 4:10 the King James Version, its only occurrence in the Old Testament), "The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children." In James 5:11 , we have the beautiful saying, The Lord is very pitiful (the Revised Version (British and American) "full of pity") and of tender mercy," where "very pitiful" is the translation of polúsplagchnos , literally, "of many bowels," a word which does not occur elsewhere; it might be translated "large-hearted" or "tender-hearted." In Ecclesiasticus 2:11, we have "The Lord, is ... very, pitiful" (oiktirmṓn ); eúsplagchnos , well-hearted," "compassionate," "full of pity," occurs in 1 Peter 3:8 , "Love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous," the Revised Version (British and American) "loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humble-minded." The word is found in The Prayer of Manasseh 7; Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, Zeb 8 2.
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Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Pitiful'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/p/pitiful.html. 1915.
