Psalms 116:5 — Word Study
WLCחַנּ֣וּן יְהֹוָ֣ה וְצַדִּ֑יק וֵ֖אלֹהֵ֣ינוּ מְרַחֵֽם׃
BSAThe LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] is graciouschannûwn [full of mercy, showing love and care] and righteoustsaddîyq [just, fair in all His ways] our Godʼĕlôhîym [Elohim, the supreme God] is full of compassionrâcham [merciful, having pity and kindness]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| חַנּ֣וּן | [is] gracious | Adj |
| יְהֹוָ֣ה | Yahweh | Noun proper |
| וְצַדִּ֑יק | and righteous | Conjunction |
| וֵ֖אלֹהֵ֣ינוּ | and God our | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| מְרַחֵֽם׃ | [is] compassionate | Verb, Piel, participle (active) masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. |
| KJV | Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. |
| ASV | Gracious is Jehovah, and righteous; Yea, our God is merciful. |
| YLT | Gracious [is] Jehovah, and righteous, Yea, our God [is] merciful, |
| WEB | Yahweh is gracious and righteous. Yes, our God is merciful. |
| BBE | The Lord is full of grace and righteousness; truly, he is a God of mercy. |
The translations agree on the attributes of God expressed in this verse.
The sentence consists of a main clause and a conjunction phrase, clearly presenting God's attributes.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectחַנּוּן
verbרָחַם
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 116:5
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Attributes of Godgenerated
Psalm 116:5 expresses the psalmist's acknowledgment of the LORD's character. The psalmist highlights God's grace, righteousness, and compassion, which are foundational to understanding His relationship with humanity. This verse is part of a larger reflection on God's deliverance and care, as seen in the surrounding verses that speak of calling upon the LORD and His preservation of the simplehearted.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 86:5–15 | For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You. |
| 2 | Psalm 103:8 | The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. |
| 3 | Psalm 112:4 | Light dawns in the darkness for the upright— for the gracious, compassionate, and righteous. |
| 4 | Psalm 115:1 | Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your loving devotion, because of Your faithfulness. |
| 5 | Psalm 145:8 | The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 21 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חַנּוּן, Yah.wehgenerated
The Hebrew word חַנּוּן (*cha.Nun*) means 'gracious' and is derived from the root חָנַן (*chanan*), which emphasizes God's merciful nature. It is exclusively used as an attribute of God in the Old Testament, highlighting His grace and love towards humanity.
This word conveys the idea of being full of mercy and showing care. It reflects God's disposition towards His creation, emphasizing His kindness and willingness to forgive.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree here, all reflecting the graciousness and righteousness of the LORD along with His compassion.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb מְרַחֵֽם governs the sentence, describing the subject יְהֹוָ֣ה and its attributes. The structure highlights God's character through a series of adjectives: gracious, righteous, and compassionate.
The sentence is built around these attributes, with the main focus on the LORD as the subject, showcasing His nature in a clear and direct manner.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חַנּוּן as ἐλεήμων, which also means 'merciful.' This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but emphasizes the aspect of mercy in God's character.
The Greek term used in the Septuagint reflects a similar understanding of God's nature, focusing on His compassionate attributes.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 116:5 tells us that the LORD is gracious, righteous, and full of compassion. This verse emphasizes God's loving and merciful nature, assuring us of His care and justice.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that God shows kindness and mercy to His people, reflecting His loving nature.
God's righteousness is shown in His just actions and fair treatment of all, ensuring that He upholds what is right.
Being full of compassion means that God has deep feelings of sympathy and kindness towards humanity, often expressed through His acts of mercy.
Understanding these attributes helps us to trust in God's character and His promises, knowing that He is both just and merciful.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I experience God's grace in my life today?
- In what ways can I reflect God's righteousness in my actions?
- How can I show compassion to others as God shows to me?
- What does it mean to me that God is both gracious and just?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers comment on this verse, emphasizing the connection between God's mercy and righteousness as foundational to understanding His character.
“The Lord is merciful and just.” Everywhere Scripture joins justice with the mercy of God, teaching us that neither the mercy of God is without judgment nor his judgment without mercy.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 116 →
“The Lord is the keeper of little ones; I was humbled, and he delivered me.” According to natural reason human nature would not stand unless the little ones and those still infants were kept by the Lord.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 116 →
"Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful" [Psalms 116:5]. He is gracious, righteous, and merciful.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 116 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 116:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleGracious is the Lord,.... So the psalmist found him, calling upon him; so he is in Christ, the author and giver of all grace, to help in time of need.
Read John Gill on Psalms 116 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryGracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 116 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleGracious is the Lord: this he mentions either, 1. As that which he found by experience in answer to his prayers; or, 2. As the argument by which he encouraged himself to pray. And righteous; therefore he will maintain me and my just cause against my unrighteous oppressors, and perform his promises, and save those who faithfully serve aim and put their trust in him.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 116 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 116:5 Gracious [is] the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God [is] merciful.Ver. 5. Gracious is the Lord, &c.] Gracious God is said to be, and merciful, that we despair not; righteous also, that we presume not. Or, faithful in performing his promises, as 1 John 1:9, and this was David’ s comfort amidst his sorrows.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 116 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 5. Gracious is the Lord] In his own nature. And righteous] In all his dealings with men. Our God is merciful.] Of tender compassion to all penitents.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 116 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5, 6. The character of Jehovah, realised in the Psalmist’s experience.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 116 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleGracious is the Lord - This fact was his encouragement when he called on God. He believed that God was a gracious Being, and he found him to be so. Compare the notes at Hebrews 11:6. And righteous ... - Just; true; faithful.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 116 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible5. Righteous… merciful—Righteous in keeping his covenant, merciful in making and adapting it to man.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 116 →The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
Yahweh is gracious and righteous. Yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
The Lord is merciful and fair; our God is compassionate.
Tyndale line
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
Gracious is Jehovah, and righteous; Yea, our God is merciful.
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yes, our God is merciful.
The Lord is mercifull and righteous, and our God is full of compassion.
Strictly literal
Gracious is Jehovah and righteous; and our God is merciful.
Gracious [is] Jehovah, and righteous, Yea, our God [is] merciful,
YHWH [is] gracious, and righteous, || Indeed, our God [is] merciful,
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; and our God is merciful.
Yahweh is merciful and fair; our God is compassionate.
Simplified
The Lord is so kind and good! Our God is so compassionate!
The Lord is full of grace and righteousness; truly, he is a God of mercy.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text aligns with the Septuagint in four out of five words, confirming the essential attributes of God presented in this verse. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain partial restorations but agree on the key elements of God's character.
חַנּ֣וּן יְהֹוָ֣ה וְצַדִּ֑יק וֵ֖אלֹהֵ֣ינוּ מְרַחֵֽם׃
4 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[חנון] [יהוה] [וצדיק] ואלוהי׳נו מרחם
1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 116:5
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word חַנּוּן (*channuwn*) means 'gracious' and is derived from the root word חָנַן (*chanan*). It is exclusively used as an attribute of God in the Old Testament, emphasizing divine grace.
חַנּוּן adj. gracious, only used as an attribute of God
base
H2587 חַנּוּן gracious
2587 channuwn khan-noon'
from 2603; gracious:--gracious.
see HEBREW for 02603
חַנּוּן (chan.nun) — gracious.
gracious
Adj — AdjHAamsa
gra'-shus (chanan; charis): In general, the word means "to favor," "to show kindness" to an inferior and "to be compassionate." All Old Testament passages are derived from the same root, and yet there are two evident shades of meaning derived from it. (1) As above, "favorable" or, causative, "to cause to be gracious," as "Yahweh make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee" (Nu 6:25); "And the Lord was gracious unto them" (2Ki 13:23 the King James Version); "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion" (Ps 145:8 the King James Version). (2) In a modified sense, "graceful," "winsome" or "attractive," as applied particularly to persons and things. Used thus 3 times in the Old Testament and once in the New…
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
base
H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel
3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'
from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish
national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
see HEBREW for 01961
see HEBREW for 03050
see HEBREW for 03069
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.
Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God
1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
N-proper — Noun properHNpt
צַדִּיק (tsaddiyq) means just or righteous, covering various aspects such as lawful behavior, moral conduct, and being justified by God. It is derived from a related root and is used to describe individuals who are upright in character and actions.
צַדִּיק 206 adj. just, righteous
base
H6662 צַדִּיק just, righteous
6662 tsaddiyq tsad-deek'
from 6663; just:--just, lawful, righteous (man).
see HEBREW for 06663
צַדִּיק (tsad.diq) — righteous.
1) just, lawful, righteous
1a) just, righteous (in government)
1b) just, right (in one's cause)
1c) just, righteous (in conduct and character)
1d) righteous (as justified and vindicated by God)
1e) right, correct, lawful
Conj | Adj — ConjunctionHC/Aamsa
אֱלֹהִים (elohiym) is a plural noun meaning 'gods' or 'God,' often referring to the supreme deity in the Old Testament. It encompasses divine beings, rulers, and judges, reflecting divine majesty and power. The term can also denote angels and is used in a superlative sense. Notably, it is sometimes combined with יהוה (YHWH), the personal name of God.
אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.
pl. in number.
rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
angels
gods
pl. intensive
god or goddess
godlike one
works of God, or things belongng to him
God
הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
אֱלֹהִים = God
base
H430 אֱלֹהִים n. m. pl. . pl. in number. . rulers, judges, either asdivine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
. angels
. gods
. pl. intensive . god or goddess
. godlike one
. works of God, or things belongng to him
. God
. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
. אֱלֹהִים = God
430 'elohiym el-o-heem'
plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically
used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the
supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to
magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X
exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X
mighty.
see HEBREW for 0433
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — God.
This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God"
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (LORD)-Elohe.
Combined with ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (Gibeath)-elohim.
Combined with giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeath" H1389)
Conj | N-mp | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHC/Ncmpc/Sp1bp
רָחַם (racham) is a Hebrew verb meaning to love or have compassion. It conveys a sense of deep affection and mercy, applicable to both God and humans. The root emphasizes tenderness and pity, with forms indicating active compassion (Piel) and being shown compassion (Pual). The entries consistently highlight its emotional depth and relational aspect.
[רָחַם] vb. denom. love. Pi. have compassion
Qal I love thee
Pi. have compassion, compassionate
Pu. be shewn compassion, compassionated
base
H7355 רָחַם vb. denom. love. Pi. have compassion
7355 racham raw-kham'
a primitive root; to fondle; by implication, to love,
especially to compassionate:--have compassion (on, upon),
love, (find, have, obtain, shew) mercy(-iful, on, upon),
(have) pity, Ruhamah, X surely.
רָחַם (ra.cham) — to have compassion.
1) to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion
1a) (Qal) to love
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to have compassion, be compassionate
1b1a) of God, man
1c) (Pual) to be shown compassion, be compassionate
V-Piel — Verb · Piel · participle (active) masculine singularHVprmsa