Luke 7:27-36, Words of Compassion: oiktrio

There are three words of “compassion” for us to study: 1) oiktrio (to have deep feelings for someone or about something); 2) splagchnizomai (to be moved deeply and thus to have compassion); and 3) eleeo (to have mercy or to help someone by word and deed).  Both 1 and 2 are connected to the “bowels,” the seat of deep feeling, and thus they emphasize the inward feeling.  No. 3 says or does something compassionate that accords with the feeling of compassion.

The first term is used only once in the Gospels, and then seven times in the Epistles.  But as you meander through the following passages you will see that there is a strong connection with the character of God.  Not surprisingly, the “manifold name of God” (Ex. 34:6-7) makes “mercy” (Heb. rahum) the first of God’s perfections.  Again, as expected, we will see that “compassion” is a major motivation for Jesus in His earthly ministry.

Let’s take the first term, noun, adjective and verb.

oiktrimos: pity, mercy, compassion

·       Rom.12:1: I beseech you by the mercies of God

·       2Cor.1:3: blessed by the God, the Father of mercies

·       Phil.2:1: if there are any tender mercies (splagcnon) & compassion, be one, a unity

·       Col.3:12: put on as Christians "tender mercies" (splagcnon oiktrimos)

·       Heb.10:28: he who despised law died without mercy by 2 or 3 witnesses

oiktrinwn: merciful, compassionate

·       Lk.6:36: be merciful as your Father is merciful

·       Jas.5:11: Lord is pitiful (polusplagcnos) & of tender mercy

oiktriw: to have compassion

·       Rom.9:15ab: God has mercy on whom He will have mercy (eleeo) and compassion on whom He will have compassion

One thing you see is the connection between the three terms.  In Col. 3:12 both #1 and 2 are nouns.  “Tender” sounds like an adjective.  The KJV was literally correct, “bowels of mercies.”  Thus, #2 is the source of #1.

A second thing is the “motivational” character of this term.  Service in the name of Christ is not the product of the flesh nor as simple as obeying the law.  In this study the deep feeling of “mercy” or “compassion” is the reason for presenting our bodies a living sacrifice to Christ (seeing God’s mercies on us!) and the experience of unity in the Body of Christ.  These relate to the two commandments in 1 John 3:23: to believe in Jesus and to love the brothers.  It is not sufficient to just commit to keeping the commands, to try hard.  There must be a recognition of God’s mercy and a deep feeling of mercy (compassion, pity) on our fellow-believers!