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Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary Greek Lexicon
Strong's #1656 - ἔλεος
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- mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them
- of men towards men: to exercise the virtue of mercy, show one's self merciful
- of God towards men: in general providence; the mercy and clemency of God in providing and offering to men salvation by Christ
- the mercy of Christ, whereby at his return to judgment he will bless true Christians with eternal life
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ἔλεος, ὁ,
I pity, mercy, compassion, Il. 24.44, etc.: also in pl., Pl. R. 6c6 c, D. 25.83; μ' ἔ. τινος ἐσῆλθε pity for.., E. IA 491; ἔλεον ποιήσασθαι ἐπί τινι D. 24.111; ἐλέου τυχεῖν παρά τινος Antipho 1.27: — later ἔλεος, τό, Plb. 1.88.2, LXX Genesis 19:19, etc.:pl., ἐλέη, τά, ib. Psalms 17:7(16).7; ἐ. ποιεῖν μετά τινος ib. Genesis 24:12, al. (but masc. is also found, ib. Psalms 83:12 (84). 12, Plb. 33.11.3, Agatharch. 83, Phld. Rh. 1.65 S., James 2:13, etc.).
II personified. worshipped at Athens, Sch. S. OC 260; at Epidaurus, IG 4.1282; Ἔ. ἐπιεικὴς θεός Timocl. 31.
III object of compassion, piteous thing, E. Or. 832.
ἔλεος (1), ἐλέου, 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 τό 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 ἔλεος 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).
STRONGS NT 1656: ἔλεος (2) ἔλεος (2), ἐλέους, 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 פּ עִם חֶסֶד עָשָׂה, 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 toward 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 τό 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 τίνος (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 ἐληι, 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 ἐληω at the end.)
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ἔλεος , -ους , τό
(cl. -ου , ὁ , and so Rec., Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7; Matthew 23:23, Titus 3:5, Hebrews 4:16; on the Hellenistic form τό ἔ ., v. WH, App., 158; M, Pr., 60; Mayser, 277; Kühner, i, 515),
[in LXX chiefly for H2617;]
mercy, pity, compassion;
1. of men: Matthew 9:13 (LXX) Matthew 12:7; Matthew 23:23; ποιεῖν ἔ . (and id. seq. μετά , c. gen.; cf. Heb. H5973 H2617 H6213, Genesis 21:23, al.), Luke 10:37, James 2:13; James 3:17.
2. Of God: Luke 1:50; Luke 1:54; Luke 1:58, Romans 15:9, Ephesians 2:4, 2 Timothy 1:16; 2 Timothy 1:18, Titus 3:5, Hebrews 4:16, 1 Peter 1:3; esp. in benedictions, Galatians 6:16, 1 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:2, 2 John 1:3, Judges 1:2; σκευὴ ἐλέους , Romans 9:23; σπλάγχνα ἐλέους , Luke 1:78; ποιεῖν ἔ . (v. supr.), Luke 1:72; τ . ὑμετέρῳ ἐλέει , Romans 11:31.
3. Of Christ: Judges 1:21.†
SYN.: οἰκτιρμός G3628 (see ἐλεέω G1653).
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
The masc. form of this word, which in the NT is wholly rejected by WH, and in the LXX is comparatively rare (e.g. Psa. 83꞉12 [MT Psalms 84:2]) : see further Thackeray Gr. i. p. 158) is found in Syll 376.21 καὶ νῦν δὲ οὐ δι᾽ ἔλεον ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ δι᾽ εὔνοιαν εὐεργετῶ, Nero’s address to the Greeks at Corinth : the Emperor’s composition master took care that he atticized properly in this great oration. For the word see also P Magd 18.6 (a petition—B.C. 221) ἵνα ὦ, βασιλεῦ, διὰ σοῦ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ ἐλέου τετευχὼς εἰς τὸ [λοι ]πὸν τοῦ βίου. The subst. remains neuter in MGr, cf. Hatzidakis Gr. p. 357, and see further Moulton Gr. ii. § 54.
Copyright © 1914, 1929, 1930 by James Hope Moulton and George Milligan. Hodder and Stoughton, London.
Derivative Copyright © 2015 by Allan Loder.