5. The Meaning of Kindness
What is the most important word in the Old Testament? Apart from the name of God, of course, it could certainly be argued that the most important single term is the Hebrew word hesed. Significantly, we find this word twice in the description God gives of himself: "The … compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love [hesed] and faithfulness, maintaining love [hesed] to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin" (Exodus 34:6). The term also appears in many scriptures where God is described by others: "Know therefore that … he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love [hesed] to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments" (Deuteronomy 7:9).
Hesed is not only part of the nature of God – perhaps the most important aspect (compare "love" in the New Testament, 1 John 4:8) – but it is also the basis of God's covenant relationship with human beings. We see this in the covenant made at Sinai – as Deuteronomy 7:9 shows – and we see it in the future, promised, covenant: "In that day I will make a covenant for them … I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love [hesed] and compassion" (Hosea 2:1819). Isaiah shows this word is the basis of the covenant that God offers to make with each one of us: "Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love [hesed] promised to David" (Isaiah 55:3). Time and again the Old Testament pairs God's hesed with the word covenant (Deuteronomy 7:12; 1 Kings 8:23; Nehemiah 1:5; etc.) and summarizes his dealings with us in this combination of words. As we will see, the Bible also shows that just as hesed is the basis of God's relationship with us, we should make it the basis of our relationship with others.
In the verses we looked at above regarding descriptions of God (Exodus 34:6 and Deuteronomy 7:9) the word hesed is translated "love" in the NIV, but in many other verses the NIV translates the word as "kindness," while older translations such as the KJV often translated the word as "mercy." Hesed appears almost 250 times in the Old Testament and there are many instances where the word is translated in other ways – as compassion, goodness, grace, loyalty, righteousness, steadfastness, faithfulness, and other terms.
So how are we to best understand this word that God uses to describe himself and which plays such an important role in the Old Testament? As many biblical scholars have come to realize, it is almost impossible to translate the fullness of hesed with just one word. That is why the translators of the RSV, for example, decided to use two words: "steadfast love," and an even better translation in many cases is "loving kindness." But if we have to limit ourselves to one word, a great many scholars would agree that "kindness" is probably the best choice.
The understanding of hesed as kindness or loving kindness is based on the fact that the word does not in any way suggest an abstract feeling toward others – as the word love by itself often does. Hesed always connotes an action on the part of the person expressing it. So while we can love someone or something without doing anything about it, we cannot be kind to someone without acting kindly toward them. That is why the Hebrew Bible often talks about individuals "doing" or "showing" hesed, and the concrete aspect of the word is especially evident when it is used in the plural as God's "mercies," or "kindnesses." This is also why some Bibles translate the word hesed as "deeds of devotion," "good deeds," or "loyal deeds."
This background helps us understand the underlying meaning of the many instances of hesed that occur in the book. Always practical, Proverbs usually uses the word to stress active, actual love or kindness. We might say that hesed is applied love or loving kindness, and Proverbs shows us how we can apply it in our lives.
Throughout the Old Testament, hesed is not just used of God's actions toward people (Exodus 34:7; etc.), but also for the actions of people toward each other (Genesis 21:23; etc.) and to God (Jeremiah 2:2; etc.). Consider how these multiple dimensions of hesed appear in Proverbs: God's kindness to humanity –
Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD evil is avoided. (Proverbs 16:6) Human kindness to others –
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. (Proverbs 19:17)
Human love to God –
Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. (Proverbs 21:21) But although we see both the "vertical" (between God and people) and "horizontal" (between people) expressions of love and kindness in Proverbs, the book deals mainly with interpersonal kindness, as we might expect. Several aspects of the quality of hesed – and some of its related words – are made clear in Proverbs, and it can be helpful to consider them. We will look at a few examples here.
First, Proverbs shows us that the proper expression of kindness is deeper than our doing what is expected as a matter of duty, responsibility or social expectations. We must remember that ultimately kindness is based on sincerity:
What is desired in a man is kindness, And a poor man is better than a liar. (Proverbs 19:22 NKJV) The proper expression of kindness is wider than just being kind to those we know:
It is a sin to despise one's neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy. (Proverbs 14:21) Kindness can, and should be applied to animals, also:
The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs 12:10) Kindness is ongoing, and Proverbs rejects love that is not based on loyalty and dedication:
Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find? (Proverbs 20:6) In fact – as we will see in greater detail in the next chapter – loving kindness is often linked with the quality of faithfulness:
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. (Proverbs 3:3) Many other aspects of loving kindness can be seen in Proverbs, but the root of the concept is that loving kindness is based on a family-like relationship that we extend to others and is not based on what is deserved or earned by the recipient. In fact, acts of kindness are always performed freely, without any expectation of return.
As such, the human expression of loving kindness is to be no different from the hesed that God shows to humans. And just as God himself is shown as "abounding in" or "filled with" loving kindness, Proverbs makes it clear we need to abound in that same kindness in every aspect of our lives. These principles are both encouraging and profitable to meditate on. As the book of Psalms urges: "Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds [hesed] of the LORD" (Psalm 107:43).