Difference between revisions of "Pity"

&nbsp;Job 19:21&nbsp;Amos 1:11&nbsp;Psalm 90:13&nbsp;Psalm 17:10&nbsp;Psalm 69:20&nbsp;Isaiah 13:18&nbsp;Jeremiah 21:7&nbsp;Deuteronomy 7:16&nbsp;Deuteronomy 13:8&nbsp;Deuteronomy 19:13&nbsp;Psalm 103:13&nbsp;Isaiah 49:10&nbsp;Judges 2:18&nbsp;Psalm 72:13&nbsp;Psalm 102:13&nbsp;Psalm 103:13&nbsp;Isaiah 49:10&nbsp;Jeremiah 13:14&nbsp;Jeremiah 20:16&nbsp;Lamentations 2:17&nbsp;Lamentations 3:43&nbsp;Ezekiel 5:11&nbsp;Ezekiel 16:5 <i> Lo-ruhamah </i> &nbsp;Hosea 1:6&nbsp;Hosea 2:23 <p> Pleas for pity are a common feature of healing narratives (&nbsp;Mark 9:22 [[Nas, Niv, Nrsv;]]  &nbsp; Luke 17:13 NIV). Pity moved Jesus to heal (&nbsp; Matthew 20:34 RSV). Jesus used a compassionate [[Samaritan]] as an unexpected example of active pity (&nbsp; Luke 10:33 NIV). Such active concern for those in need serves as evidence that one is a child of God (&nbsp; 1 John 3:17 NIV). </p>

<p> Is generally defined to be the uneasiness we feel at the unhappiness of another, prompting us to compassionate them, with a desire of their relief. God is said to pity them that fear him, as a father pitieth his children. The father, says Mr. Henry, pities his children that are weak in knowledge, and instructs them; pities them when they are froward, and bears with them; pities them when they are sick, and comforts them, &nbsp;Isaiah 66:13; when they are fallen, and helps them up again; when they have offended, and forgives them; when they are wronged, and rights them. Thus the Lord pitieth them that fear him. &nbsp;Psalms 103:13 . </p> <p> See [[Compassion Of God]] </p>

<p> ''''' pit´i ''''' ( חמל , <i> ''''' ḥāmal ''''' </i> , חוּס , <i> ''''' ḥūṣ ''''' </i> ; ἐλεέω , <i> ''''' eleéō ''''' </i> ): "Pity," probably contracted from "piety," is tender feeling for others in misery or distress. It is allied to compassion (which see), but differs in respect of the object that causes the distress (or feeling). The feeling of pity is excited chiefly by the weakness, miserable or degraded condition of the object; compassion by his uncontrollable and inevitable misfortunes: "We <i> pity </i> a man of weak understanding who exposes his weakness; we <i> compassionate </i> the man who is reduced to a state of beggary and want" (Crabb, <i> English Synonyms </i> ). Pity often becomes allied to contempt; "a pity" is something to be regretted. See [[Pitiful]] . In the Old [[Testament]] "pity" is closely akin to "mercy." It is most frequently the translation of <i> ''''' ḥāmal ''''' </i> , "to pity," "to spare," e.g. in Nathan's parable of the poor man's one lamb, it is said that the rich man was worthy to die because he had "no pity" (&nbsp; 2 Samuel 12:6 ). </p> <p> In &nbsp;Jeremiah 13:14 we have, "I will not pity nor spare, nor have mercy," the Revised Version (British and American) "compassion"; compare &nbsp; Jeremiah 21:7; &nbsp;Lamentations 2:2; &nbsp;Ezekiel 5:11; &nbsp;Ezekiel 7:4 , in all of which passages "pity" stands in a negative connection; we have it positively attributed to God in &nbsp;Ezekiel 36:21 , "I had pity for mine holy name," the Revised Version (British and American) "regard"; &nbsp;Joel 2:18; <i> ''''' ḥūṣ ''''' </i> , probably meaning, primarily, "to cover," "protect," hence, to pity, to spare, is translated "pity" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 7:16; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 13:8; &nbsp;Ezekiel 16:5 , etc., all negative; &nbsp;Jonah 4:10 , positive: "Thou hast had pity on the gourd (the Revised Version (British and American) "regard for") and should not I spare (the Revised Version (British and American) "have regard for," <i> ''''' ḥūṣ ''''' </i> ) Nineveh," etc.); <i> ''''' ḥānan ''''' </i> , "to incline, toward," "be gracious," "pity," is thrice rendered "pity" (&nbsp;Job 19:21 , "Have pity upon me, have pity upon me"; &nbsp;Proverbs 19:17; &nbsp;Proverbs 28:8 , "he that hath pity upon the poor"); <i> ''''' rāḥam ''''' </i> , "to feel warm," "to love," twice (&nbsp;Psalm 103:13 , "like as a father pitieth his children"; &nbsp;Isaiah 13:18 , "no pity"); once in plural <i> ''''' raḥămı̄m ''''' </i> (&nbsp;Amos 1:11 ); other words once so translated are <i> ''''' ḥemlāh ''''' </i> , "pity" (&nbsp;Isaiah 63:9 ); <i> ''''' ḥeṣedh ''''' </i> , "loving-kindness" (&nbsp;Job 6:14 , the Revised Version (British and American) "kindness"); <i> ''''' maḥmāl ''''' </i> , "object of pity" (&nbsp;Ezekiel 24:21 ); <i> ''''' nūdh ''''' </i> ," to move," "bemoan" (&nbsp;Psalm 69:20 ). In the New Testament "pity" occurs once only as the translation of <i> ''''' eleeō ''''' </i> , "to be kind," "tender" (&nbsp;Matthew 18:33 , the Revised Version (British and American) "mercy"). In 2 Macc 3:21 we have (the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American)) "pitied" in the obsolete sense of exciting pity, "Then it would have pitied ( <i> ''''' eleeı́n ''''' </i> ) a man to see the multitude," etc. </p> <p> The Revised Version (British and American) has "pity" for "mercy" (&nbsp;Proverbs 14:21 ); "have pity on" for "spare" (&nbsp;Psalm 72:13 ); for "favour" (&nbsp;Psalm 109:12; &nbsp;Psalm 102:13 , &nbsp;Psalm 102:14 ), "Have pity upon her dust." See [[Mercy]]; [[Compassion]] . </p>

<p> is usually defined to be the uneasiness we feel at the unhappiness of others, prompting us to compassionate them, with a desire for their relief. God is said to pity them that fear him, as a father pitieth his children (&nbsp;Psalms 103:13). Pity is thus a [[Christian]] grace, to the practice of which we are exhorted by the apostle: "Love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous" (&nbsp;1 Peter 3:8). The phrase '''''נָשַׁים''''' '''''רִחֲמִנַיּוֹת''''' , ''Nashim Rachamaniyoth,'' rendered "pitiful women" in our version (&nbsp;Lamentations 4:10), properly refers to the tenderness and affectionate love which is the distinguishing trait of the female character; and that such women should in the "siege and the straitness" be driven to and adopt the terrible expedient of feeding upon their own children, as in this passage they are stated to have done, is an awful instance of the literal fulfillment of the threatenings of the Lord in the event of the disobedience of the house of [[Israel]] (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 28:57). The same horrible expedient was resorted to also in the last siege of Jerusalem, as it had formerly been at the siege of Samaria, in the reign of [[Ahab]] (&nbsp;2 Kings 6:28-29). </p> <p> Pitiful is a word whose derivations have by modern usage been almost limited to the sense of mean, contemptible, or insignificant. In the Bible and Prayerbook the old and primary meaning of full of mercy compassionate, or tender, is retained. The English Prayer-book gives us these examples: "... though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins, yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us." '''''—''''' Occasional Prayer. Again: "Pitifully behold the sorrows of our hearts;" which petition in the [[Litany]] is thus altered in the American Prayer-book, "With pity behold the sorrows of our hearts." In these the original and better sense of the word is alone intended. In the Primer of king [[Edward]] VI there is this expression: "O pitiful Physician, and [[Healer]] both of body and soul, Christ Jesu!" And Latimer, in his sermon on the birth of Christ, remarks: "Preachers exhort us to godliness, to do good works, to be pitiful and liberal unto the poor;" that is, to be compassionate, tenderhearted, and sympathizing to them. </p>