ἔλεος,
-ου,
ὁ,
mercy: that of God toward sinners,
Titus 3:5;
ἔλεον λαμβάνειν, to receive
i. e. experience,
Hebrews 4:16; that of men: readiness to help those in trouble,
Matthew 9:13 and
Matthew 12:7 (from
Hosea 6:6);
Matthew 23:23. But in all these passages
L T Tr WH have adopted the neuter form
τὸ ἔλεος (which see), much more common in Hellenistic writings than the masculine
ὁ ἔλεος, which is the only form in classic Greek [Sophocles (Lexicon, under the word) notes
τὸ ἔλ. in Polybius 1, 88, 2; and Pape in Diodorus Siculus 3, 18 variant]. The Greek manuscripts of the
O. T. also frequently waver between the two forms. Cf. [
WHs Appendix, p. 158]; Winers Grammar, 66 (64); Buttmann, 22 (20).
ἔλεος,
-ους,
τό (a form more common in Hellenistic Greek than the classic
ὁ ἔλεος, which see),
mercy; kindness or good will toward the miserable and afflicted, joined with a desire to relieve them;
1. of men toward men:
Matthew 9:13;
Matthew 12:7;
Matthew 23:23 (in these three passages, accusatives to L T Tr WH);
James 2:13;
James 3:17;
ποιεῖν ἔλεος, to exercise the virtue of mercy, show oneself merciful,
James 2:13; with the addition of
μετά τίνος (in imitation of the very common Hebrew phrase
עָשָׂה חֶסֶר עִם פ״ Genesis 21:23;
Genesis 24:12;
Judges 1:24, etc.; cf. Thiersch, De Pentateuchi vers. Alex., p. 147; [Winer's Grammar, 33 (32); 376 (353)]), to show, afford, mercy to one,
Luke 10:37.
2. of God towards men;
a. universally:
Luke 1:50; in benedictions:
Galatians 6:16;
1 Timothy 1:2;
2 Timothy 1:2; [(probably)
Titus 1:4 R L];
2 John 1:3;
Jude 1:2.
ἐμεγάλυνε κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτῆς, magnified his mercy toward her, i. e. showed distinguished mercy to her (after the Hebrew, see
Genesis 19:19),
Luke 1:58.
b. especially the mercy and clemency of God in providing and offering to men salvation by Christ:
Luke 1:54;
Romans 15:9;
Ephesians 2:4; [
Titus 3:5 L T Tr WH;
Hebrews 4:16 L T Tr WH];
1 Peter 1:3;
σπλάγχνα ἐλέους (the genitive of quality [cf. Winers Grammar, 611 (568)]), wherein mercy dwells,—as we should say,
the heart of mercy,
Luke 1:78;
ποιεῖν ἔλεος μετά τινος (see 1 above),
Luke 1:72;
σκεύη ἐλέους, vessels (fitted for the reception) of mercy, i. e. men whom God has made fit to obtain salvation through Christ,
Romans 9:23;
τῷ ὑμετέρῳ έλέει, by (in consequence of, moved by) the mercy shown you in your conversion to Christ,
Romans 11:31 [cf. Winers Grammar, § 22, 7 (cf. § 61, 3 a.); Buttmann, 157 (137)].
3. the mercy of Christ, whereby at his return to judgment he will bless true Christians with eternal life:
Jude 1:21; [
2 Timothy 1:16,
18 (on the repetition of
κύριος in
2 Timothy 1:18 cf.
Genesis 19:24;
1 Samuel 3:21;
1 Samuel 15:22;
2 Chronicles 7:2;
Genesis 1:27, etc. Winer's Grammar, § 22, 2); but Prof. Grimm understands
κύριος here as referring to God; see
κύριος, c. α.]. [Cf. Trench, § xlvii.; and see
ἐλεέω at the end.]
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
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BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's