The meaning of Kindness in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
kind'-nes (checedh; chrestotes): "Kindness" in the Old Testament is (with one exception) the translation of checedh, "kindness," "favor," "mercy," etc., used chiefly of man but also of God (Genesis 20:13; Genesis 40:14; I Samuel 15:6; I Samuel 20:14-15; II Samuel 9:3; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalms 141:5; Isaiah 54:8, Isaiah 54:10, etc.); Tobh, "good," is once so translated (II Samuel 2:6). In the New Testament chrestotes, "usefulness," "beneficence," is rendered "kindness" 4 t in the King James Version (II Corinthians 6:6; Ephesians 2:7; Colossians 3:12; Titus 3:4, and in Galatians 5:22 the Revised Version (British and American)); see GENTLENESS; GOODNESS. Philanthropia, "love of mankind," is translated "kindness" Acts 28:2), and philadelphia, "love of the brotherhood" (II Peter 1:7, the English Revised Version "love of the brethren," the American Revised Version margin "Gr, love of the brethren").
For "kindness" (Psalms 31:21) the Revised Version (British and American) has "lovingkindness," and the American Standard Revised Version in other places where the reference is to God; for "shew," "shewed kindness" (Joshua 2:12) "deal," "dealt kindly"; for "The desire of man is his kindness" (Proverbs 19:22) the American Standard Revised Version has "That which maketh a man to be desired is his kindness," the English Revised Version "The desire of man is (the measure of) his kindness," like the American Standard Revised Version in m; for "merciful kindness" (Psalms 117:2) the American Standard Revised Version has "lovingkindness," the English Revised Version "mercy "; both have "lovingkindness" (Psalms 119:76); for "of great kindness" (Nehemiah 9:17; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2) the American Standard Revised Version has "abundant in lovingkindness," the English Revised Version "plenteous in mercy"; the Revised Version (British and American) has "kindness" for "mercy" (Genesis 39:21); for "pity" (Job 6:14); for "goodness" (Proverbs 20:6); "favor and kindness" the American Standard Revised Version, for "grace and favor" (Esther 2:17).
See LOVINGKINDNESS; MERCY.
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