Lexical Summary hileós: Merciful, propitious, gracious Original Word: ἵλεως Strong's Exhaustive Concordance gracious, mercifulPerhaps from the alternate form of haireomai; cheerful (as attractive), i.e. Propitious; adverbially (by Hebraism) God be gracious!, i.e. (in averting some calamity) far be it -- be it far, merciful. see GREEK haireomai HELPS Word-studies 2436 híleōs (an adjective, used back in Attic Greek about appeasing divine wrath) – properly, propitious, describing God's covenant-mercy which rescues the believer by His atonement (bringing divine satisfaction). [NAS dictionary, "2436 (híleōs) is another spelling of hilaos (propitious)."] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originanother spelling of hilaos (propitious, gracious) Definition propitious NASB Translation god forbid (1), merciful (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2436: ἵλεωςἵλεως, ἱλεων (Attic for ἴλαος (cf. Winers Grammar, 22), from Homer down), propitious, merciful: ἔσομαι ἵλεως ταῖς ἀδικίαις, i. e. I will pardon, Hebrews 8:12; Jeremiah 38:34 Topical Lexicon Root and Nuance The adjective carries the sense of God (or, idiomatically, any higher authority) showing Himself “propitious,” “gracious,” or “merciful.” It speaks of a benevolent disposition that removes hostility and opens the way for fellowship. Canonical Occurrences • Matthew 16:22 – Peter, recoiling from the prospect of the cross, cries, “Far be it from You, Lord! This shall never happen to You!”. The phrase literally invokes divine mercy: “May God be merciful to You, Lord!” Contextual Insights Matthew sets the term in the mouth of a disciple who opposes the redemptive plan. Peter’s well-meaning, yet misguided, plea for mercy would have prevented the very act through which divine mercy would flow to the world. Hebrews, by contrast, lifts the same word into the realm of fulfilled promise: the cross Peter once resisted becomes the legal basis on which God can pledge enduring mercy. Old Testament and Septuagint Background In the Greek Scriptures of the Old Testament, cognate forms communicate the idea of God being “propitious” toward His covenant people (for example, Psalm 79:9 LXX; 2 Chronicles 30:9 LXX). The vocabulary is intertwined with sacrificial imagery, especially the yearly Day of Atonement when the high priest sought God’s favor for the nation. Hebrews consciously draws on this backdrop, re-anchoring mercy in the finished priesthood of Christ. Theological Significance in the New Covenant Hebrews 8:12 identifies mercy as the heartbeat of the New Covenant. Divine favor is no longer mediated by repetitive animal offerings but secured once-for-all through the self-offering of the Son (Hebrews 9:12). Mercy, therefore, is not a mere sentiment; it is a covenant reality grounded in an objective, substitutionary sacrifice. Relation to Propitiation and Atonement The word sits in a family of terms that includes “propitiation” (hilastērion, Romans 3:25) and “atoning sacrifice” (hilasmos, 1 John 2:2). Together they form a theological chain: God’s holy wrath is satisfied, sin is covered, and the believer stands in a sphere of perpetual favor. The two New Testament occurrences of this adjective highlight both the human longing for such favor (Peter’s interjection) and God’s definitive granting of it (Hebrews’ proclamation). Christological Perspective Peter’s protest reveals a crossless messiahship in the mind of the early disciples, yet Jesus immediately answers, “Get behind Me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23). Divine mercy could never bypass the cross; it had to travel through it. Thus, the plea “May God be merciful to You” paradoxically denies the very pathway by which mercy would reach Peter himself. Hebrews completes the picture: the risen, exalted Christ now mediates mercy from the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). Practical and Pastoral Applications 1. Assurance of Forgiveness – Believers ground their confidence in God’s declared intention to “remember their sins no more.” Historical Reception and Liturgical Echoes Early church liturgies preserved the cry for mercy in the repeated “Kyrie, eleison” (“Lord, have mercy”). Patristic writers such as Chrysostom linked Jesus’ rebuke of Peter to the necessity of atonement, while seeing in Hebrews the fulfillment of prophetic hope. Throughout the centuries, the church has drawn comfort from God’s sworn oath to act mercifully despite human failure. Connections with Related Terms • hilaskomai – the verb “to propitiate” or “to make atonement” (Hebrews 2:17). These terms collectively unveil the tapestry of redemption: the Father’s merciful heart, the Son’s priestly offering, and the Spirit’s application of saving grace. Summary Strong’s 2436 spotlights the divine readiness to show favor, a readiness anchored in the cross and enshrined in the New Covenant. From Peter’s impulsive plea to the writer of Hebrews’ triumphant proclamation, Scripture traces a straight line from human need to heavenly supply, assuring every believer that the God who once promised to be merciful has, in Christ, kept His word forever. Forms and Transliterations ιλεως ιλεώς ίλεως ίλεώς ἵλεως Ἵλεώς hileos hileōs híleos híleōs Híleṓs ileos ileōsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 16:22 Adj-NMSGRK: αὐτῷ λέγων Ἵλεώς σοι κύριε NAS: Him, saying, God forbid [it], Lord! KJV: saying, Be it far from thee, INT: him saying far be it from you master Hebrews 8:12 Adj-NMS |
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