Gracious
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible [1]
Gracious . This Eng. adj. is now used only in an active sense = ‘bestowing grace,’ ‘showing favour.’ And this is its most frequent use in AV [Note: Authorized Version.] , as Exodus 33:19 ‘And [I] will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.’ But it was formerly used passively also = ‘favoured,’ ‘accepted,’ as 1Es 8:20 ‘Yea, when we were in bondage, we were not forsaken of our Lord; but he made us gracious before the kings of Persia, so that they gave us food.’ And from this it came to signify ‘attractive,’ as Proverbs 11:16 ‘a gracious woman retaineth honour,’ lit. ‘a woman of grace,’ that is, of attractive appearance and manner; Luke 4:22 ‘the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth,’ lit., as RV [Note: Revised Version.] , ‘words of grace,’ that is, says Plummer, ‘winning words’; he adds, ‘the very first meaning of charis is comeliness, winsomeness.’
King James Dictionary [2]
GRA'CIOUS, a. L. gratiosus.
1. Favorable kind friendly as,the envoy met with a gracious reception. 2. Favorable kind benevolent merciful disposed to forgive offenses and impart unmerited blessings.
Thou are a God ready to pardon, gracious and
merciful. Nehemiah 9
3. Favorable expressing kindness and favor.
All bore him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded from his mouth. Luke 4 .
4. Proceeding from divine grace as a person in a gracious state. 5. Acceptable favored.
He made us gracious before the kings of Persia. Little used. 1Esdras.
6. Renewed or implanted by grace as gracious affections. 7. Virtuous good. 8. Excellent graceful becoming.
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words [3]
is rendered "gracious" in 1—Peter 2:3 , as an attribute of the Lord. See Easy , Good , Kind.
Philippians 4:8
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [4]
grā´shus ( חנן , ḥānan ; χάρις , cháris ): In general, the word means "to favor," "to show kindness" to an inferior and "to be compassionate." All Old Testament passages are derived from the same root, and yet there are two evident shades of meaning derived from it. (1) As above, "favorable" or, causative, "to cause to be gracious," as "Yahweh make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee" ( Numbers 6:25 ); "And the Lord was gracious unto them" ( 2 Kings 13:23 the King James Version); "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion" ( Psalm 145:8 the King James Version). (2) In a modified sense, "graceful," "winsome" or "attractive," as applied particularly to persons and things. Used thus 3 times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament. "A gracious woman retaineth honor" ( Proverbs 11:16 the King James Version; compare Ecclesiastes 10:12 and Luke 4:22 ).
The word is used once in the New Testament from root of Greek word χρηστός , chrēstós , meaning "useful" as a benefit: "if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious" ( 1 Peter 2:3 ).
In the main, however, the adjective is applied in the Old Testament to Yahweh, as indicative of His favor and mercy, His long-suffering and general inclination of favor and kindness.
