Compassion: Christlikeness - "Bowels of Mercy"

                       COMPASSION - CHRIST LIKENESS - BOWELS OF MERCIES

INTRODUCTION

My visits to the family doctor often produce an interesting conversation, or an unusual anecdote.   One member of the practice reminds me of a point I made about fifteen years ago: that the average Englishman, I think ladies are better, knows more about the working of his car, than he does about his body.   We agreed, Children should be taught Human Biology as a compulsory subject at school.

I have just read a small book on the human body, which I bought second-hand for my Granddaughter - a publication especially for children, and found it most informative.   I did not realise, for instance, that our hairs do actually have muscles, which make them stand on end.

One of my treasured possessions is a copy of Dr Nicholson's chart of "Metabolic Pathways", 17th edition: which shows most of the several hundred chemical reactions required by the working of the human body.   It measures 1x2 metres, and still requires two full-length columns to list the hundreds of enzymes in use.   To me this is clear evidence that we are a creation by a wonderful God; the human body is far too complex to be the product of chance, which is the only alternative.   You know the fairy story of the princess who kissed a frog by a lily-pond, and it became a romantic prince? She had a head start on creation by chance!

The book for children shows the inner organs to be: liver, gall bladder, stomach, pancreas, small intestine, large intestine etc. and the womb for ladies.   In Old Testament times, the average person knew very little about the inner workings of the abdomen.   The main Hebrew word is "may-aw", which has to carry all the following uses: intestines, abdomen, bowels, seat of generation, womb, and, THE COMMON FIGURATIVE MEANING OF, SYMPATHY.

The Greek word of the New Testament is "splag/nchnon", which can mean: intestine, bowels, and, FIGURATIVELY, PITY, INWARD AFFECTION, TENDER MERCY AND SYMPATHY.   I suspect that detailed knowledge of the internal organs was not obtained until the Renaissance.  I think this Greek word is onomatopoeic: the sound of slapping one's tummy?

So we have in Colossians 3:12, in the Authorised Version of the Bible: "bowels of mercies" or "bowels of compassions" (Jay P. Green).   William Tyndale was a brilliant linguist who probably had more influence on the formation of the English language than Shakespeare.   His understanding of the biblical languages, and his skill in creating English equivalents, should never be overlooked - "...he translated mainly from the original Hebrew and Greek and his work was later to become the basis of the Authorised Version of the Bible" - so reads the article in "Pears Cyclopaedia" (1978-79 edition).   On the face of it, the term "bowels of mercies" should be carefully looked into.   We love people "with all our heart", nothing less will do: between mother and child, or the young lady and her boyfriend - husband and wife.   But should we really be saying: "I love you with all my small intestine"?  It would not impress.

                             

Now, here are some relevant Scripture passages - using the AV first, followed by some more recent translation.

Genesis 43:30 Strong 7358  Joseph's bowels did yearn upon his brother.

                    Deeply moved at the sight of his brother. (NIV)

Numbers 5:22 Strong 7358 The curse shall go into thy bowels.

                    A curse shall enter thy body. (NIV)

2 Samuel 7:12, 16:11, Strong 4578 Thy seed which shall proceed out of thy bowels.

                    Your offspring, Of my own flesh. (NIV)

2 Samuel 20:2 etc Strong 4578 Several indicate the anatomical bowels - in violent death.

2 Chronicles 32:21 Strong 4578 They that came forth from his own bowels,

                         Some of his own sons. (NIV)

Job 30:26, 27 Strong 4578 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me:

                And when I waited for light there came darkness.

                My bowels boiled and rested not:

                The days of affliction prevented me.

                          The churning inside me never stops. (NIV)

Psalm 22:14 Strong 4578  [The prophecy of the crucifixion.]

                I am poured out like water,

                And all my bones are out of joint:

                My heart is like wax;

                It is melted in the midst of my bowels.

                                It has melted away within me. (NIV)

                                         Portraying great anguish.

Psalm 71:6 4578   Thou art he who took me from my mother's bowels.

                                   From my mother's womb. (NIV)

Psalm 109:18 Strong 7130   As he clothed himself with cursing ...

                     So let it come into his bowels like water.

                        Enter his body like water.(NIV)

                                   [Diarrhoea for the wicked?]

Song of Solomon 5:4 Strong 4578 My beloved put his hand by ... the door,

                          And my bowels were moved for him.

                                   [Not very romantic!]

                           My heart began to pound for him. (NIV)

Isaiah 16:11 Strong 4578 Wherefore my bowels shall sound like a harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir-haresh.

                                   My heart laments for Moab. (NIV)

Isaiah 63:15 Strong 4578   Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me?

                             Your tenderness and compassion. (NIV)

Jeremiah 4:19 Strong 4578   My bowels, my bowels!  I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; ... because thou hast heard ... the alarm of war.

                                   My anguish, my anguish! (NIV)

[The translators had to be careful with bowels and hearts likely to become mixed up.  An Arab speaker translating for an elderly and famous visiting English-speaker, who said, “I would like to tell you about the Three Bears -the translator only knew the word for "Lion": I would like to tell you about the three lions ... Bare one another's burdens, Christ died to bare our sins, He will bare you on eagle's wings!]

Jeremiah 31:20 Strong 4578  My dear son...my bowels are troubled for him.

                             I have great compassion for him. (NIV)

Lamentations 1:20 Strong 4578  My bowels are troubled ... for I have grievously rebelled.

I am in torment within ... for I have been most rebellious. (NIV)

Lamentations 2:11 Strong 4578  Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled.   I am in torment within. (NIV)

Ezekiel 3v3 4578 Strong Fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee.

                Fill your stomach with it. (NIV)

Ezekiel 7:19 Strong 4578   They shall not ... fill their bowels.

                       They will not ... fill their stomachs. (NIV)

Zechariah 7:9 Strong 7356 Compassions.  In AV and NIV.

Acts 1:18 Strong 4698  Judas's death - bowels,(AV) intestines gushed out. (NIV)

2 Corinthians 6:12 Strong 4698   O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto; you, our heart is enlarged.  Ye are not straightened in us, but ye are straightened in your own bowels. 

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.  We are not witholding our affection from you, but you are witholding yours from us. (NIV)

Philippians 1:8 Strong 4698  For God is my record, how greatly I long

after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of

Christ Jesus.(NIV)

Philippians 2:1 Strong 4698   If there be therefore any consolation in

Christ ... if any bowels and mercies ... be like-minded.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ ... if any tenderness and compassion ... [be] like-minded. (NIV)

Colossians 3:12 Strong 4698  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering.  Clothe yourselves with compassion. (NIV)

Philemon verse 7 Strong 4698   For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

The hearts of the saints. (NIV)

Philemon verse 12 Strong 4698  Thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own

bowels [That is his new convert Onesimus].

Who is my very heart. (NIV)

Philemon verse 20 Strong 4698  Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the

Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.

Refresh my heart in Christ. (NIV)

1John 3:17 Strong 4698  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his

brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from

him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

But has no pity on him.(NIV)

                              

My main reference book on New Testament words, Kittel (p 1067) says, of "splag/nchnon", that the Greek has all the meaning of the Hebrew, but in addition it means "sensibilities", "impulsive passion" and "seat of feelings".

In the Synoptics, we find the verb in three parables of Jesus: a king had pity on his slave (Matthew 18v27), a father has compassion on his prodigal son (Luke 15:20), the Good Samaritan showed pity on the wounded Jewish traveller.

Elsewhere in the Synoptic Gospels, it is only Jesus who shows compassion, Messianic compassion: Matthew 14:14, 20:34; Mark 1:42, 6:34, 8:2, 9:22; and Luke 7:13.

Just a little digression, how does the Bible use the word "heart"?   "Kardia" is the often-used Greek word: meaning heart, THOUGHTS, mind, and feelings (Strong).   Kittel says of the word "heart": varied desires and passions, feelings, seat of thought and understanding, the will, religious centre, and moral centre.

In the New Testament Letters, the noun "splag/nchna" is found.   Here, says Kittel, it is even more than natural emotion: it is the total personality at the deepest level.   "Introduced in very personal passages, it is the parallel to "kardia" in 2 Corinthians 6:11,12 and to "pneuma" in 2 Corinthians 7:13 ff (Titus's deep love [inward affection] for the Corinthians)."

"In context, then, 'splanchna' denotes Christian affection ... which, gripping and moving the whole personality, is possible only in Christ; the genitive [possessive] - 'of Christ' - denotes its author." p 1068 Kittel.   H. Koster is the writer.

The link with the stomach indicates, in my opinion, the depth of actual feeling - virtually a physical reaction, which is part of true affection-compassion-sympathy!   True love-affection-compassion-sympathy, must contain this deep emotional response; it must be felt as our innermost feelings! Try it yourself now: your love for God; for someone close to you; someone else rightly close to you .