How would you define mercy from a biblical perspective?

[Just_Another_Guy]

How would you define mercy from a biblical perspective? Is mercy something that is attributable to being demonstrative to the power one wields, and their ability to just simply being gracious..or is it something more than that? This is not meant for debate..just discussion. Please feel free to post any comments.

[David Taylor]

Let's look as some scriptures involving mercy...see if we can draw a common theme or understanding from them.


Exodus 20:6 "And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. "

Exodus 33:19 "And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy."

Exodus 34:7 "Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin"

Numbers 14:18 "The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people"

Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him"

I Kings 8:23 "LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart"

Job 6:2 "Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak"

Psalm 33:18 "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul"

Psalm 51:1 "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. "

Psalm 86:5 "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. "

Psalm 147:11 "The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy."

Proverbs 16:6 "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged"

Daniel 9:3 "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments"

Micah 6:8 "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? "

Luke 1:77 "To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God"

Ephesians 2:4 "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ"

I Timothy 1:16 "Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting."

Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour"

Jude 1:21 "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."


So how do these scripture come together, and show us from a biblical perspective, how mercy is defined?

What is their common theme?

Mercy is given by God to those:

• who love Him, and keep His commandments
• who will proclaim the name of the LORD
• who are His servants who walk before Him with all their heart
• who ask of Him acknowledging they are weak
• who seek Him for deliverance
• who ask forgiveness
• who call upon the Lord
• who do justly and are humble before Him
• who pattern themselves after Christ
• who remain in the love of God

and in more scriptures than any, this them is repeated...

• those who have been forgiven iniquity and transgression and sin by Him.

[theBelovedDisciple]

How would you define mercy from a biblical perspective? Is mercy something that is attributable to being demonstrative to the power one wields, and their ability to just simply being gracious..or is it something more than that? This is not meant for debate..just discussion. Please feel free to post any comments.

If one does a word study on the Word 'mercy' in the Hebrew you'll find that it is translated in different passages differntly:

#2603 #2617#7355
it can mean goodness, kindness, faithfulness, to show pity, show favour, be gracious, be considerate, show compassion, love, have tender affection,
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in the Greek its translated as:
#1656 #1653

mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them
a) of men towards men: to exercise the virtue of mercy, show one's self merciful
b) of God towards men: in general providence; the mercy and clemency of God in providing and offering to men salvation by Christ
c) the mercy of Christ, whereby at his return to judgment he will bless true Christians with eternal life


Mercy from God is something He does.. He shows, He demonstrates...... Its 'active'... His Mercy in Action was Sending His Own Son to die on that bloody tree..

The Cross is Mercy in Action...

As a Christian you 'show' mercy as your Led of the Lord.. Jesus had mercy on those who others frowned on , disregarded, rejected, those deemed unfit... lepers, publicans, tax collectors, devil possessed, harlots, thieves, drunkards, Jews and Gentiles... Jesus showed Mercy because He did what He saw His Father doing... You saw Jesus you saw the Father..

now the unsaved will show mercy too... and in Proverbs it says the

the tender mercies of the 'wicked' are cruel..

One would have to really look at one's intent on being merciful.. is it from the heart and directed of God Himself .. or is it based on the flesh..

Personally, when I was unsaved... I looked down on alot of people.. accusing and thinking I'm better than they were.. they were 'badder' people than me... living out hypocrisy in full force.. but since I've known Jesus the Christ.. He has changed my heart.. and those I used to condemn and condone.. I can now 'love' and 'show mercy' too.. always remembering the 'state' I was in.. and how He had mercy on me..... and this 'act of mercy' is done thru the power of the Holy Ghost and abiding in Him.. 'knowing' His Heartbeat.. and seeing with His Eyes and Hearing with His ears..

Just the other day I had a customer in who just in the past 10 days lost his stepson in a car accident.. dead at the age of 21... tragic accident.. I discerned when he came in he was hurting.. I talked with him some and didn't preach at him.. as he spoke to me I could discern a tremble of sorrow in his voice.. we continued talking and finsihed up our conversation... as he walked out I looked upon him and as he was walking out tears began to well up in my eyes...I knew he was hurting .. I didnt even pray outloud but asked Jesus in my inner man.. to help him and give Him strength.. Help Him to understand You Lord... Was I showing Mercy? was that Mercy in Action.. I know I was praying for Him.. but I could understand why he was hurting and sad... and Asked God to have Mercy on Him and help Him to understand Him..... This is just a recent example from my life... Hope this helps... TBD

[crossnote]

How would you define mercy from a biblical perspective? Is mercy something that is attributable to being demonstrative to the power one wields, and their ability to just simply being gracious..or is it something more than that? This is not meant for debate..just discussion. Please feel free to post any comments.

Mercy's fundamental ingredient is forgiveness.
It's eternal Source flows down a wooden cross lodged in the sin cursed ground.

Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
(Lev 16:15)