v. Compassion, Mercy, Mercy
Rth 3:10 you have done better your last b than the
2Ch 6:41 God .. your saints rejoice in your b
Psa 25:7 remember me, by your b, O Lord
Psa 31:19 how great is your b, that you have kept
Psa 68:10 by your b, O God, you have provided for the poor
Psa 145:7 will proclaim the memory of your immense b
Pro 20:6 men proclaim each his own b
Zec 9:17 how great is his b, and .. his beauty!
Rom 11:22 behold therefore the b and the severity of God
Rom 15:14 that .. you are full of b, full of
2Co 6:6 in b, in the Holy Spirit, in love
Gal 5:22 joy, peace, patience, kindness, b, faith
Eph 2:7 in his b toward us in Christ
Eph 5:9 fruit of the Spirit is in all b, righteousness
2Th 1:11 fulfill every purpose of by all
Tit 3:4 but when the b of God was manifested
Kindness (Heb. tôb or tôbâh and tûb; chesed, “mercy”, “goodness”; Gr. agathí‡sún’; jr’stós, “kind”, “benign”, “merciful”, “morally good”, “honorable ”; jr’stót’s, “benevolence”, “goodness”’, “the good”, “the good”; agathós, “good”, “capable”, “suitable for a particular purpose”; tó agathón, “the good” , “what is good”, “what is fair”, “what is beneficial”; philanthrí‡pía, “kindness”, “hospitality”, “love towards men”; filanthpopí‡s, “considerately”, “kindly”). Goodness is moral or religious excellence; a virtue, the quality of being good. The related word, “well”, is the good, favorable or convenient; well-being or happiness; the virtue formed by everything that is morally good; everything a person owns. In general, the Hebrew and Greek words emphasize what is good, benign (kind), and good. In the OT, tôb, ‘tôbâh and tûb -3 words closely related in derivation and meaning- refer to what possesses desirable qualities or excellence of character. Typical examples of tûb are Neh 9:25, 35; Psa 27:13 In Exo 33:19 (BJ) it seems to encompass all the virtues and kindness of God. Normally tôb is used as an adjective, but occasionally it is used in a sense almost identical to that of tûb (Num 10:32, NIV; Jdg 8:35, NIV; Psa 23:6, NIV). Occasionally “goodness” is translated from Heb. chesed, a word that emphasizes 175 kindness and mercy* (Exo 34:6, LPD; Psa 86:15, LPD, etc.). In the NT, agathí‡sún’ (Rom 15:14; Gal. 5:22), hr’stós (Rom 2:4) and hr’stót’s (Rom 2:4; 11:22) are close to the idea of “goodness” in a general sense, although the last 2 lean more towards benignity. On the other hand, philanthí‡pía and philanthropí‡s refer to the humanitarian (Act 28:2; Tit. 2:4; 3:4), and agathós and tó agathón to the good and good in general (Mat 12: 35; Rom 2:7; Heb 10:1).
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
Quality of good, moral excellence, virtue. In true goodness there is no trace of evil or corruption. It is a positive quality, a natural inclination to do good, an active interest in the welfare of others. Jehovah God is the best example of goodness, and he shows it in many different ways, even to the ungrateful and wicked, thus encouraging them to repentance. (Lu 6:35; Ro 2:4; 11:22; Tit 3:4, 5) The words most frequently used in the Bible for “good” are the Hebrew tohv and the Greek a·ga· thos; the latter is usually used in a moral or religious sense.
“Kindness” (or “readiness to reason”; literally, “compliance”; Gr., e·pi·ei·kiʹa) is a very important characteristic of Jesus Christ. (2Co 10:1) The Maltese treated Paul with extraordinary “human kindness” (literally, “affection for mankind”; Gr., fi·lan·thro·pi·a). (Acts 28:2, note.)
Jehovah’s goodness. Jehovah God is totally and absolutely good. The Scriptures say: “The Lord is good and upright” (Ps 25: 8), and they exclaim: “O how great is his goodness.” (Zech 9:17) Although Jesus Christ had this quality of moral excellence, he did not want to accept the title of † œgood †. When someone addressed him as ‘Good Teacher’, he replied: ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good, but only one, God† . (Mr 10:17, 18) In this way he recognized Jehovah as the supreme model of what is good.
When Moses asked to see His glory, Jehovah replied: “I myself will cause all my goodness to pass before your face, and I will certainly declare the name of Jehovah before you.” Jehovah shielded Moses from seeing his face, but as he passed by, he declared (probably through his angelic representative): “Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth, who Preserves loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving error and transgression and sin, but will by no means exempt from punishment† . (Ex 33:18, 19, 22; 34:6, 7)
It follows from the above that goodness implies mercy, loving-kindness, and truth, but does not condone or cooperate with evil in any way. On this basis, David was able to pray to Jehovah to forgive his sins † ˜because of his goodness † ™. (Ps 25: 7) Jehovah showed his kindness and his love by giving his Son as a sacrifice for sins. In this way he provided a means to help those who wanted what is truly good, and at the same time condemned evil and laid the foundation for satisfying justice and righteousness. (Ro 3:23-26) “Love is kind.”—1Co 13:4.
Fruit of the spirit. Kindness is a fruit of God’s spirit and the light that comes from his Word of truth (Gal 5:22; Eph 5:9), a quality that the Christian has to put on. (Col 3:12; Eph 4:32) In this way he recommends himself as a minister of God. (2Co 6: 4-6) Goodness grows as a result of obeying Jehovah’s commandments, for no man has goodness on his own merit. (Ro 7:18) The psalmist appeals to God as the Source of goodness: “Teach me kindness, good sense and knowledge themselves, because in your commandments I have exercised faith,” and: “You are good and you are doing good . Show me your regulations† . (Ps 119:66, 68)
Kindness brings benefits. Kindness can also mean beneficence, that is, giving good things to others. Jehovah wishes to express kindness to his people, as is evident from the apostle Paul’s prayer for the Christians in Thessalonica: “We always pray for you, that our God may consider you worthy of your calling and fully execute all that pleases him in the goodness and the work of faith with power† . (2Th 1:11) Examples of God’s abundant goodness to those who look to Him are many. (1Ki 8:66; Ps 31:19; Isa 63:7; Jer 31:12, 14) For on the other hand, “Jehovah is good to all, and his mercies are over all his works.” (Ps 145: 9) He is good to all for one purpose: that his goodness may prompt many to serve him and thus gain life. Similarly, the person who shows kindness is a blessing to those who are with him. (Proverbs 11:10)
As God’s servants and imitators of God, Christians are commanded to try what is God’s good and perfect will for them (Rom 12:2), to adhere to what is good (Rom 12:9), do good (Ro 13:3), do what is good (Ro 2:10), pursue it (1Th 5:15), be zealous for what is good (1Pe 3:13), imitate it (3Jn 11) and overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21). Christians are to do good especially to those associated with them in the Christian faith, although they are also to show kindness to all others. (Ga 6:10.)
Related terms. There is another term, ka los, which is similar to the Greek word for good (a ga thós), and denotes that which is intrinsically good, beautiful, well suited to its circumstances or purposes (such as excellent soil or ground, Mt 13:8, 23), and that which is of excellent quality, including that which is ethically good, upright, or honorable (such as God’s name). (Jas 2:7.) It is synonymous with †˜good†™, and can be translated as †œexcellent† , †œcorrect† or †˜honorable†™. (Mt 3:10; Jas 4:17; Heb 13:18; Ro 14:21)
From another related Greek term, kkhre stos, is derived the noun kkhre sto tes, rendered “goodness” in the New World Translation in most cases and “kindness” once, at Galatians 5:22.
The loving kindness of God. Kindness is often mentioned in both the Hebrew and Christian Greek Scriptures. The Hebrew word he·sedh is used in relation to kindness 245 times. The related verb cha·sádh means “to act in loyalty (or loving-kindness),” and although it encompasses sentiments derived from love, such as tender consideration or kindness, it has a broader meaning. (Ps 18:25, ftn) Che·sedh-kindness lovingly clings to something or someone until its intended purpose is accomplished. According to the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, he·sedh “is active, social, and enduring. It not only always designates a human attitude, but also the act that emerges from that attitude. It is an act that preserves and fosters life. It is an intervention in favor of someone who suffers misfortune or anguish. It is a demonstration of friendship or mercy. Pursue good and not evil† (ed. GJ Botterweck and H. Ringgren, 1986, vol. 5, p. 51). Therefore, che sedh can be more clearly rendered “loving-kindness”; furthermore, because it implies fidelity and loyalty, another appropriate translation would be “loyal love”. In the plural it can be rendered “loving kindness”, “acts of loyal love”, “full loving kindness” or “full loyal love”. (Ps 25:6; Isa 55:3; notes.)
Loving-kindness is a precious quality of Jehovah that he delights in and that he manifests in all his dealings with his servants. (Ps 36:7; 62:12; Mic 7:18) Otherwise, mankind would have perished long ago. (Lam 3:22) Consequently, Moses was able to plead on behalf of rebellious Israel on the basis of Jehovah’s great name and his being a God of loving-kindness. (Nu 14:13-19.)
As the Scriptures show, Jehovah’s loving-kindness or loyal love manifests itself in various ways and under different circumstances: by delivering and keeping alive his loyal ones (Ps 6:4; 119:88, 159), by being a safeguard for them and protection (Ps 40:11; 61:7; 143:12) and by being the one who alleviates their problems. (Ruth 1:8; 2:20; Ps 31:16, 21) Because of this quality, it is possible to recover from sin (Ps 25:7) and be sustained by Jehovah. (Ps 94:18; 117:2) Through loving-kindness, God helps his chosen ones. (Ps 44:26) God’s loving-kindness was especially manifest in the cases of Lot (Ge 19:18-22), Abraham (Mic 7:20), and Joseph. (Ge 39:21) His influence in the choice of a wife for Isaac was also recognized. (Ge 24:12-14, 27)
Jehovah’s loving-kindness in connection with his covenant continued to flourish with the formation of the nation of Israel and its subsequent history. (Ex 15:13; De 7:12) So it was with David (2Sa 7:15; 1Ki 3:6; Ps 18:50) and with Ezra and his companions (Ezra 7:28; 9 :9), as well as…