What does the Bible say about mercy? A ton! There are well over 100 Bible verses that directly mention mercy. The prophets discuss mercy. Wisdom literature and historical books share mercy. Jesus discussed it as did the apostles. Mercy is a big deal.
Mercy is the authority of a judge to pardon someone. More simply, mercy is not receiving the punishment deserved. It is the opposite of justice. The atoning sacrifice of Jesus of Nazareth makes mercy available.
Mercy Bible Verses In The Law
Richard Dawkins, an ardent atheist, wrote in his book The God Delusion, that “the God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”
God is often portrayed as merciless. That portrayal doesn’t follow the Bible, however.
Genesis 43:14 And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.
Exodus 33:19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Deuteronomy 13:17-18 …Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors— 18 because you obey the Lord your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.
Mercy Bible Verses In The Historical Books
David, who often faced God’s wrath, stated that His mercy was great. Nehemiah classified God as gracious and merciful.
Despite Dr. Hawkins’s claim on the character of God, those who really knew Him had a much different perspective.
2 Samuel 24:14 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”
I Kings 8:50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy.
Nehemiah 9:31 But in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.
Mercy In The Psalms & Poetry
Psalm 36:7 How precious is Your mercy, God! And the sons of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
Psalm 40:11 You, Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your mercy and Your truth will continually watch over me.
Psalm 69:13 But as for me, my prayer is to You, Lord, at an acceptable time; God, in the greatness of Your mercy, Answer me with Your saving truth.
Psalm 103:8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in mercy.
Psalm 136:1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Lamentations 3:22 The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end, For His compassions do not fail.
Bible Verses About Mercy in the Major Prophets
Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
Ezekiel 39:25 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: “Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on all the house of Israel and I will be jealous for My holy name.”
Daniel 9:18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.
Mercy Bible Verses In The Minor Prophets
What does the bible say about mercy in the minor prophets?
Joel 2:13 And tear your heart and not merely your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and compassionate slow to anger, abounding in mercy And relenting of catastrophe.”
Jonah 4:2 Then he prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was this not what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore in anticipation of this, I fled to Tarshish, since I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy, and One who relents of disaster.”
Micah 7:18 Who is a God like You, who pardons wrongdoing and passes over a rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy.
Habakkuk 3:2 Lord, I have heard the report about You, and I was afraid. Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known. In anger remember mercy.
The Gospels
Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
Mark 5:19 And He did not let him, but He *said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”
Luke 1:78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us.
Mercy In the Pauline Epistles
Paul freely spoke of God’s mercy. He truly understood that he didn’t deserve salvation. God even spoke audibly to Ananias informing him that Paul would suffer for the cause of Christ.
Romans 11:32 For God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.
Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.
The General Epistles
Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
James 5:11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
I Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Jude 20-21 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Benediction
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.