Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (Matthew 5:7) Grace and mercy are often confused. One way to express the difference is “grace is getting what you don’t deserve, while mercy is not get getting what you do deserve.” Concise and to the point, but the mercy of God is far greater than a bumper sticker quip.
The Greek word found in the New Testament for mercy is “eleos.” However, when the Septuagint was written (the Greek version of the Old Testament completed sometime around the 1st Century BC) the translators usually used the Greek word “eleos” to translate the Hebrew word “chesed.” The word “chesed” is used 247 times in the Old Testament to refer to lovingkindness, mercy, loving devotion, unfailing love, and grace of God. Because of the use of the Septuagint along with the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, the concept of “eleos” became enmeshed with the concept and understanding of “chesed.” (In fact “eleos” covered more than one word connected with mercy.)
The result was that the concept of what Godly mercy was and is became greatly enhanced. In keeping with the teachings of Jesus, who sought to expand the true meaning of the Jewish law – “You have heard it said . . . but I say,” – He expanded the concept of the “chesed” mercy of God to highlight the love of God as seen in Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is the ultimate form of chesed – the ultimate form of eleos.
Blessed are those who show that kind of mercy, because God shows them that kind of mercy.
This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, August 9, 2026. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons, which covers Chapters 5-7 in the Book of Matthew, is Kingdom Power: The Sermon on the Mount. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/kingdom-power-matthew-5-7-digital-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .
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