Look in a dictionary and you will see that mercy can also mean: “A blessing regarded as a manifestation of compassion” and “compassionate treatment of the unfortunate.” Yes, and these definitions come closer to the basic meaning of mercy as that quality is expressed in the ancient languages used to write the Bible.

INVESTIGATING THE BIBLICAL MEANING

Describing God’s personality, Psalm 145:8, 9 says: “Jehovah is gracious and merciful, . . . Jehovah is good to all, and his mercies are over all his works.” To present God’s wonderful quality of mercy the Hebrew writer here used the word ra·hhamʹ. Of course, we know that Jehovah does show mercy when he forgives repentant wrongdoers and shows forbearance to opposers. (Compare Psalm 51:1, 2; 103:3, 4; Daniel 9:9.) But is that the basic meaning of the word the psalmist used? Let us see.

Some Hebrew scholars believe the original source of ra·hhamʹ is a word meaning basically “to be soft and gentle.” They connect it with the word for “womb” (re·hhemʹ). So one Lexicon defines ra·hhamʹ as meaning “to glow, to feel warm with tender emotion; . . . to be compassionate.” How grand to know that this is a distinguishing quality of our God! He is merciful. And because mercy can be said to be the active expression of pity or compassion, this same Hebrew word is sometimes translated “pity.”

For example, at Isaiah 49:15 God says: “Can a wife forget her suckling so that she should not pity [ra·hhamʹ] the son of her belly?” What depth of feeling a mother normally has for the child of her womb! But what calls forth this quality as described in the Hebrew text by ra·hhamʹ? Has her suckling infant committed an offense so that the mother has to decide whether to show clemency or not? Not likely. Evidently this merciful feeling is stirred by her baby’s need, perhaps it being hungry, ill or experiencing some other cause of suffering. So she exercises tender compassion toward it. God shows mercy in similar expressions of compassion.

Take another example, that of Joseph in Egypt. On their second trip to Egypt in search of food, Joseph’s ten half brothers brought along Benjamin, his only full brother (from the same womb [re·hhemʹ] as Joseph was). On seeing Benjamin after so many years, Joseph’s “inward emotions [plural of ra·hhamʹ] were excited” toward his younger brother and Joseph left the room and gave way to tears. Was this a case of showing “compassionate treatment to an offender or adversary”​—one of the meanings of mercy? No, for although Joseph’s half brothers were guilty of personal offense, Benjamin was not. Instead, Joseph’s act was one born of deep affection and merciful concern for this younger brother of his. What a richness this example gives to that Hebrew word that describes God’s mercy as well!​—Gen. 43:30; 37:12-28; compare 1 Kings 3:25-27.

So, then, are you merciful in the Bible sense? You can see that mercy is not expressed just by holding back​—as when refraining from punishing to the limit another’s offense or showing forbearance to an opposer. Rather it primarily relates to the compassion you feel and express toward those in difficulty, in need or at some disadvantage.

THE MERCIFUL WILL BE SHOWN MERCY

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said: “Happy are the merciful, since they will be shown mercy.” (Matt. 5:7) Surely we want to be shown divine mercy. So we should want to know what is included in being merciful. That means finding out what the meaning of the word is as used in this text in the Christian Greek Scriptures.

Here the Gospel writer used forms of the Greek word eʹle·os to describe mercifulness. We can see how closely it corresponds to the Hebrew word (just considered) by this definition in W. E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: “ELEOS (ἔλεος) ‘is the outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it.’” Other Greek words (such as oi·ktir·mosʹ and splagʹkhnon) convey the strong feeling of pity or warm kindness of which eʹle·os (“mercy”) is the active expression.

It is not enough to feel compassion; we must express it if we would be merciful. In Jesus’ parable of the neighborly Samaritan, the Samaritan found a traveler lying beside the road, robbed and beaten. He was not only “moved with pity,” but he also “acted mercifully toward him,” treating his wounds and caring for him. Again we may note that no forgiveness of wrongdoing or judicial proceedings were involved. It was a case of feeling “sympathy with the misery of another, and especially sympathy manifest in act”​—one of the definitions of the verb form of eʹle·os.​—Luke 10:33-37.

These few examples help us to appreciate how much is involved in being merciful. Must we wait until someone causes us some personal offense or until someone violates some rule or law to show mercy? By no means, but we can show it to any in need of help, to complete strangers as well as to friends and those we love. Mercy is indeed compassion in action.