LOVINGKINDNESS. Two ideas are blended in this expressive word; it denotes kindness which springs from the loyalty of love . It is the frequent tr. [Note: translate or translation.] (30 times in the AV [Note: Authorized Version.] , 42 times in the RV [Note: Revised Version.] ) of the Heb. word chesedh , which G. A. Smith renders ‘leal love’ ( Book of the Twelve Prophets , i. 243 n). The EV [Note: English Version.] most frequently tr. [Note: translate or translation.] chesedh ‘ mercy ’ and not seldom ‘ kindness .’ The Amer. RV [Note: Revised Version.] gives ‘lovingkindness’ uniformly when the reference is to God’s love to man. The adoption of this helpful suggestion would bring out the connexion between ‘lovingkindness’ as a fundamental attribute of the Divine nature ( Exodus 34:6 f. etc.), its poetic personification ( Psalms 42:8; Psalms 57:3; Psalms 89:14 ), and the appeal to God to be true to Himself, to save and to redeem ‘for His lovingkindness’ sake’ ( Psalms 6:4; Psalms 44:26; Psalms 115:1 ). For the combination of ‘lovingkindness’ with ‘faithfulness’ see Psalms 89:1-52 , where each word occurs seven times, and cf. Lamentations 3:22 f., Isaiah 55:3 . Cf. also Love.
J. G. Tasker.