according to a franciscan friar exorcist of batangas (i forgot his name) whose talk i attended on MERCY at the marian encounter at UST on may 29, 2016, citing the Dictionary of the Bible, mercy is interpreted in the Old Testament as both (1) HESED and (2) RAHAMIN in Hebrew.
i felt he was directly talking to me as i sat at one of the last seats at the last row, as he expounded on the meaning of HESED (BTW, he was holding the crucifix of his rosary while talking, with the beads wound on his wrist).
before writing this, i researched on some websites on the meaning of hesed.
>there is no direct english translation of hesed because it cannot be captured by a word in this language. the closest biblical scholars came to is usually "LOVING-KINDNESS" or "lovingkindness" in other sites, which was coined by Miles Coverdale.
>Other English translations of hesed are kindness, love, mercy, steadfast love, "covenant-love" (Daniel Elazar), loyalty
>Hesed's equivalent in other languages:
--Greek: eleos = mercy, pity (c/o Septuagint Translation)
--Latin: misericordia (c/o Vulgate c/o St. Jerome)
--Sanskrit: metta = loving-kindness, friendliness (c/o Theravada Buddhism)
>hesed is also likened to agape = caritas
>"hesed" is also translated as "GRACE AND FIDELITY," considered a literary form called hendiadys (literally "one through two" in Greek; i.e., a complex idea is expressed by two words connected by a copulative conjuction) [source: www.thedivinemerayc.org/message/scripture]
Ex: Ex 34:6, 2 Sam 2:6, 15-20; Ps 25:10, 20:11-12; 85:11; 138:2; Mi 7:20)
>Fidelity is God's nature: He cannot deny Himself
"The juridical commitment on God's part ceased to oblige wherever Israel broke the covenant and did not respect its conditions.
But precisely at this point, 'hesed' in ceasing to be a juridical obligation, revealed its deeper aspect: it showed itself as what it was at the beginning, that is, as LOVE that gives, love more powerful than betrayal, grace stronger than sin."
[O] "This FIDELITY vis-a-vis the unfaithful 'daughter of my people' (Lam 4:3, 6) is, in brief, on God's part.
>Ez 36:22 "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, buty for the same of MY HOLY NAME."
(www.divinemercy.org/message/scripture)
NB: It becomes MERCY in consideration of human frailty.
>And "the fruits of this love are FORGIVENESS and RESTORATION TO GRACE, the reestablishment of the interior COVENANT." (divinemercy.org)
>"Hesed" appears 23 times in the Psalms
>Context: COVENANT of love between God and Israel
1. HESED (mercy) EMET (truth*) = STEADFAST LOVE
*"truth" is the Greek translation of "emet" in the Septuagint; other primary meanings are: "SOLIDITY, SECURITY, & FIDELITY" (www.divinemercy.org)
>i translate this in filipino as TAPAT na PAG-IBIG
>in an excellent jewish rabbi homily on youtube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPbV9OyjHsE) titled "Chesed ve emet" = Steadfast Loyalty), 3 traits of hesed emet are enumerated:
a. No allegiance oath
b. No benefits (i.e., intrinsic motivation)
c. No conditions attached
OT Example #1: Ittai, the foreign mercenary (probably Philistine) who staked his life for David in their low point (flight from Jerusalem due to Absalom's treason)
2 Samuel 15
[19] David to Ittai (a man from Gath): "Why are you also going with us? Turn back and stay with King Absalom because you are a foreigner. This is not your homeland. [20] You joined me only a short time ago. Should i make you wander with us when i don't even know where I'm going? Turn back and take your kinsmen with you. May kindness and loyalty be shown to you."
[21] But Ittai said to the king, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I WILL GO WHEREVER MY LORD THE KING GOES, WHETHER IT MEANS LIFE OR DEATH."
David eventually made him leader of 1/3 of his troops against Absalom's army. He probably died because he is no longer mentioned.
OT Example #2. Ruth, Jesus' great grandma
Ruth 1
[16] Ruth to Naomi: "Don't beg me to leave you or to stop following you. Where you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. [17] And where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me terribly if I do not keep this promise: Not even death SEPARATE us."
[In personality psychology, Dr. John Oldham calls this the DEVOTED Personality Style. The pathological form is the Dependent Personality Disorder.]
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