4184. polusplagchnos
Lexical Summary
polusplagchnos: Compassionate, tender-hearted, merciful

Original Word: πολυσπλαγχνός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: polusplagchnos
Pronunciation: po-loos-PLAHG-kh-nos
Phonetic Spelling: (pol-oo'-splankh-nos)
KJV: very pitiful
NASB: full of compassion
Word Origin: [from G4183 (πολύς - many) and G4698 (σπλάγχνον - heart) (figuratively)]

1. extremely compassionate

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
compassionate, pitiful.

From polus and splagchnon (figuratively); extremely compassionate -- very pitiful.

see GREEK polus

see GREEK splagchnon

HELPS Word-studies

4184 polýsplagxnos (from 4183 /polýs, "many" and 4698 /splágxnon, "a bowel") – properly, "many-boweled," referring to full affection (intense, visceral feeling), used only in Js 5:11.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from polus and splagchnon
Definition
very compassionate
NASB Translation
full of compassion (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4184: πολυεύσπλαγχνος

πολυεύσπλαγχνος, πολυευσπλαγχνον (πολύ and εὔσπλαγχνος), very tender-hearted, extremely full of pity: so a few minuscule manuscripts in James 5:11, where others have πολύσπλαγχνος, which see (Ecclesiastical and Byzantine writings.)

STRONGS NT 4184: πολύσπλαγχνοςπολύσπλαγχνος, πολυσπλαγχνον (πολύς, and σπλάγχνον which see), full of pity, very kind: James 5:11; Hebrew חֶסֶד רַב, in the Sept. πολυέλεος. (Theod. Stud., p. 615.)

Topical Lexicon
Root and Semantic Field

Derived from the compound of πολύς (“much, many”) and σπλάγχνα (“inner organs,” metaphorically “deep feelings, tender mercy”), πολύσπλαγχνος expresses an intensified form of compassionate concern. The imagery moves the seat of mercy from mere sentiment to the deepest recesses of one’s being, presenting compassion as something that stirs the whole person into action.

Usage in Scripture

James 5:11 employs the adjective uniquely in the New Testament: “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:11). James links the attribute to God’s response toward those who persevere under trial, highlighting that divine pity is not abstract but revealed in decisive, redemptive outcomes—here illustrated by Job’s restoration. By reserving the word for God alone, James preserves its superlative force and invites the church to ground patience in the certainty of God’s deep‐seated mercies.

Old Testament Backdrop

The thought world of πολύσπλαγχνος echoes the Hebrew רַחֲמִים (rachamim, “tender mercies”). Passages such as Exodus 34:6, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious,” and Psalm 103:13, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him,” establish a covenant pattern of mercy that James assumes. The Septuagint often renders רַחֲמִים with σπλάγχνα, preparing Hellenistic readers to understand God’s pity as visceral, covenantal, and active.

Christological Connections

The Gospels routinely ascribe σπλαγχνίζομαι (“to be moved with compassion”) to Jesus (Matthew 9:36; 14:14; Mark 1:41). Though the exact form πολύσπλαγχνος does not appear, James’s affirmation coheres with the incarnate ministry of Christ, who embodies the “fullness of deity” and therefore the fullness of divine compassion. Christ’s miracles, parables (e.g., the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:33), and ultimately the cross demonstrate that God’s pity culminates in sacrificial self‐giving.

Theological Significance

1. Attribute of Divine Character: πολύσπλαγχνος safeguards the truth that mercy is intrinsic to God, not merely reactive.
2. Ground for Perseverance: Believers can endure suffering because God’s compassionate nature guarantees just and gracious resolution.
3. Assurance of Judgment Tempered by Mercy: The context of James 5 warns oppressors and consoles the oppressed; God’s pity toward the latter does not nullify His justice toward the former.

Historical and Cultural Insight

In Greco‐Roman ethics, pity (οἰκτιρμός) was sometimes viewed as weakness; Stoics sought apatheia. By selecting πολύσπλαγχνος, James counters that worldview, teaching a community scattered among the nations (James 1:1) that true strength lies in divine compassion. Jewish tradition likewise elevated mercy (Micah 6:8), but James intensifies it by attaching a superlative exclusively to the Lord.

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

• Consolation in Affliction: Pastors may assure sufferers that the same Lord who pitied Job sees and will act.
• Model for Leadership: Spiritual leaders are to reflect God’s deep compassion in counseling, stewardship, and church discipline (Colossians 3:12).
• Evangelistic Appeal: Presenting God as πολύσπλαγχνος confronts misconceptions of a distant deity and invites repentance (Romans 2:4).
• Community Ethics: Mutual compassion becomes a mark of authentic faith, preventing favoritism and fostering practical care for widows, orphans, and the poor (James 1:27; 2:13).

Contemporary Relevance

In an age marked by cynicism and detachment, πολύσπλαγχνος calls the church to recover a robust theology of mercy that engages both emotion and action. Whether addressing trauma, social injustice, or everyday discouragement, believers imitate their Lord when they move beyond sympathy to sacrificial involvement, thus making visible the compassion that resides in God’s own heart.

Forms and Transliterations
πολυσπλαγχνος πολύσπλαγχνός polusplanchnos polysplanchnos polýsplanchnós
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
James 5:11 Adj-NMS
GRK: εἴδετε ὅτι πολύσπλαγχνός ἐστιν ὁ
NAS: dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and [is] merciful.
KJV: is very pitiful, and
INT: you saw that full of tender mercy is the

Strong's Greek 4184
1 Occurrence


πολύσπλαγχνός — 1 Occ.

4183
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