Kindness

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 (Gen 20:13; Gen 40:14; 1 Sam 15:6; 1 Sam 20:14; 1 Sam 20:15; 2 Sam 9:3; Neh 9:17; Ps 141:5; Isa 54:8; Isa 54:10, etc.); Tobh, "good," is once so translated (2 Sam 2:6). In the New Testament chrestotes, "usefulness," "beneficence," is rendered "kindness" 4 t in the King James Version (2 Cor 6:6; Eph 2:7; Col 3:12; Titus 3:4, and in Gal 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" (2 Pet 1:7, the English Revised Version "love of the brethren," the American Revised Version margin "Gr, love of the brethren").

For "kindness" (Ps 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" (Josh 2:12) "deal," "dealt kindly"; for "The desire of man is his kindness" (Prov 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" (Ps 117:2) the American Standard Revised Version has "lovingkindness," the English Revised Version "mercy "; both have "lovingkindness" (Ps 119:76); for "of great kindness" (Neh 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" (Gen 39:21); for "pity" (Job 6:14); for "goodness" (Prov 20:6); "favor and kindness" the American Standard Revised Version, for "grace and favor" (Esth 2:17).

See LOVINGKINDNESS; MERCY.