Kindness kind'-nes (checedh; chrestotes): "Kindness" in the Old Testament is (with one exception) the translation of checedh, "kindness," "favor," "mercy," etc., used chiefly of man but also of God (Genesis 20:13, Genesis 40:14, 1 Samuel 15:6, 1 Samuel 20:14, 1 Samuel 20:15, 2 Samuel 9:3, Nehemiah 9:17, Psalms 141:5, Isaiah 54:8, Isaiah 54:10, etc.); Tobh, "good," is once so translated (2 Samuel 2:6). In the New Testament chrestotes, "usefulness," "beneficence," is rendered "kindness" 4 t in the King James Version (2 Corinthians 6:6, Ephesians 2:7, Colossians 3:12, Titus 3:4, and in Galatians 5:22 the Revised Version (British and American)); see GENTLENESS, GOODNESS. Philanthropia, "love of mankind," is translated "kindness" Acts 28:2), and philadelphia, "love of the brotherhood" (2 Peter 1:7, the English Revised Version "love of the brethren," the American Revised Version margin "Gr, love of the brethren").
For "kindness" (Psalms 31:21) the Revised Version (British and American) has "lovingkindness," and the American Standard Revised Version in other places where the reference is to God; for "shew," "shewed kindness" (Joshua 2:12) "deal," "dealt kindly"; for "The desire of man is his kindness" (Proverbs 19:22) the American Standard Revised Version has "That which maketh a man to be desired is his kindness," the English Revised Version "The desire of man is (the measure of) his kindness," like the American Standard Revised Version in m; for "merciful kindness" (Psalms 117:2) the American Standard Revised Version has "lovingkindness," the English Revised Version "mercy "; both have "lovingkindness" (Psalms 119:76); for "of great kindness" (Nehemiah 9:17, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2) the American Standard Revised Version has "abundant in lovingkindness," the English Revised Version "plenteous in mercy"; the Revised Version (British and American) has "kindness" for "mercy" (Genesis 39:21); for "pity" (Job 6:14); for "goodness" (Proverbs 20:6); "favor and kindness" the American Standard Revised Version, for "grace and favor" (Esther 2:17).
See LOVINGKINDNESS, MERCY.