Psalms 145:8

KJV

The LORD [is] gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

KJV (with Strong's)

The LORD {H3068} is gracious {H2587}, and full of compassion {H7349}; slow {H750} to anger {H639}, and of great {H1419} mercy {H2617}.

Complete Jewish Bible

ADONAI is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and great in grace.

Berean Standard Bible

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.

American Standard Version

Jehovah is gracious, and merciful; Slow to anger, and of great lovingkindness.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 145:8 offers a profound and foundational declaration of God's inherent character, portraying the LORD as supremely benevolent, patient, and merciful. This verse, a theological cornerstone within the Psalter, encapsulates the divine disposition as one of unmerited favor, tender empathy, remarkable forbearance, and steadfast, loyal kindness, inviting all creation to trust in and worship His unchanging nature. It serves as a concise yet comprehensive summary of the attributes that define Yahweh's relationship with His creation and His covenant people.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalm 145 stands as a magnificent hymn of praise, uniquely titled "A Psalm of Praise. Of David" in its superscription, making it the only psalm explicitly designated as such in the KJV. It is an acrostic psalm, with each successive verse (or pair of verses in some traditions) beginning with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This structured approach underscores the comprehensive and orderly nature of the praise directed towards God, suggesting a complete and perfect expression of His attributes. Verse 8, specifically, serves as a central theological statement, echoing and summarizing God's self-revelation from earlier biblical narratives and setting the tone for the subsequent verses that elaborate on His kingdom, works, and faithfulness. It is a pivotal point that grounds the psalm's universal call to worship in the unchanging reality of God's compassionate nature, providing the theological bedrock for the extensive praise that follows throughout [the psalm](/psalms/145 "Psalm 145 - A Psalm of Praise").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The attributes described in Psalms 145:8 are not new revelations but rather a reaffirmation of God's character as understood and experienced by Israel throughout its history. This specific phrasing—"gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy"—is a direct echo of God's self-disclosure to Moses on Mount Sinai after the golden calf incident, as recorded in [Exodus 34:6-7](/exodus/34-6-7 "Exodus 34:6-7 - God's Self-Revelation to Moses"). This divine declaration became a foundational creed for Israel, recited and meditated upon across generations, shaping their understanding of Yahweh's covenant relationship with His people. In a world where deities were often portrayed as capricious, demanding, or indifferent, the God of Israel stood apart, consistently revealing Himself as one whose default disposition was towards mercy and patience, even in the face of human rebellion and sin. This understanding fostered a unique covenantal theology centered on divine grace rather than human merit, profoundly influencing Israel's worship and ethical conduct.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully articulates several core theological themes prevalent throughout the Psalter and the broader Old Testament. Firstly, it highlights God's **Sovereign Benevolence**, emphasizing that His rule is characterized by goodness and generosity, not tyranny, ensuring that His kingdom is one of righteousness and love, as further explored in [Psalms 145:13](/psalms/145-13 "Psalm 145:13 - The Enduring Kingdom of God"). Secondly, the theme of **Divine Patience and Forbearance** is central, as God's "slowness to anger" (or "longsuffering") provides ample opportunity for repentance and demonstrates His enduring commitment to humanity despite their failings, a theme also seen in [Joel 2:13](/joel/2-13 "Joel 2:13 - Return to the LORD, for He is Gracious"). Thirdly, the verse underscores **Covenant Faithfulness and Steadfast Love**, particularly through the mention of "great mercy" (Hebrew: *chesed*), which denotes God's loyal, unfailing love within His covenant relationship with Israel. This *chesed* is the bedrock of Israel's hope and security, a concept beautifully illustrated in [Lamentations 3:22-23](/lamentations/3-22-23 "Lamentations 3:22-23 - The LORD's Great Mercies"). Finally, it reinforces the theme of **God's Accessibility and Relationality**, presenting a God who is not distant or indifferent but deeply involved and compassionate towards His creation, inviting a responsive relationship of praise and trust.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **LORD (Hebrew, _Yᵉhôvâh'_):** This term (H3068) refers to the covenant name of God, Yahweh, the self-existent and eternal One. It emphasizes His personal, relational nature and His unchanging faithfulness to His promises, particularly to Israel. The use of this name highlights that the attributes described are not generic divine qualities but specific to the God who has revealed Himself in history and covenant.
* **Gracious (Hebrew, _channûwn'_):** This word (H2587) signifies God's inherent disposition to show favor and kindness, particularly to those who are inferior or undeserving. It speaks of a bending down in benevolence, an unmerited generosity that flows freely from God's character rather than from any human merit or action. It implies a spontaneous act of goodwill, demonstrating His unconstrained desire to bless and forgive.
* **Mercy (Hebrew, _chêçêd'_):** This highly significant theological term (H2617), often translated as "steadfast love" or "loyal kindness," denotes God's unfailing, enduring love and faithfulness, especially within the context of a covenant relationship. It is a love that is constant, reliable, and actively expressed in delivering, forgiving, and restoring. The descriptor "great" (H1419, _gâdôwl'_) emphasizes the immense, abundant, and overwhelming nature of this loyal kindness, indicating its boundless and inexhaustible supply.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion;":** This initial clause immediately establishes the benevolent and empathetic nature of God (Yahweh). "Gracious" highlights His unmerited favor and willingness to bestow kindness upon His creation, while "full of compassion" (Hebrew: *rachûwm*, H7349) emphasizes His deep, tender pity and active concern for the suffering, needy, or distressed. These two attributes together paint a picture of a God whose fundamental disposition is one of overflowing goodness, active care, and profound empathy, akin to a mother's love for her child.
* **"slow to anger,":** This phrase (Hebrew: *'ârêk 'appayim*, literally "long of nostrils" or "long of face," H750 + H639) is a powerful idiom for patience and forbearance. It signifies that God is not quick to wrath or punishment, despite human sin and rebellion. Instead, He endures with immense longsuffering, providing ample time and opportunity for repentance and reconciliation before His just wrath is unleashed. This reveals a remarkable divine restraint and an enduring desire for restoration over retribution.
* **"and of great mercy.":** The concluding clause reaffirms and amplifies the theme of God's loyal kindness. "Mercy" (Hebrew: *chesed*) denotes His covenant faithfulness and steadfast love, which is both enduring and actively expressed. The addition of "great" (Hebrew: *gâdôwl*) underscores the boundless, abundant, and overwhelming nature of this loyal love, emphasizing that His kindness and faithfulness are not limited but are an inexhaustible wellspring, foundational to His relationship with humanity and the basis of all His redemptive acts.

#### Literary Devices
Psalms 145:8 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound theological truth. The most prominent is **Personification**, as divine attributes like graciousness, compassion, patience, and mercy are vividly ascribed to the LORD, giving abstract qualities concrete form within His character. The verse also utilizes **Parallelism**, specifically synonymous parallelism, where the second half of the verse ("slow to anger, and of great mercy") echoes and expands upon the first half ("The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion"), reinforcing the multifaceted and harmonious nature of God's benevolence. The phrase "slow to anger" is a striking **Idiom** (Hebrew: *'ârêk 'appayim*), literally "long of nostrils," which vividly conveys the idea of patience and forbearance, as anger was often associated with rapid, short breaths through the nostrils. Furthermore, within the broader context of Psalm 145, the verse participates in the psalm's **Acrostic Structure**, where each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, a device that emphasizes the comprehensive and orderly nature of God's praise and His complete, unchanging character.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This declaration of God's character in Psalms 145:8 is not an isolated statement but a foundational theological truth echoed throughout the biblical narrative. It reveals a God whose very essence is defined by benevolent attributes, providing the basis for all hope, forgiveness, and covenant relationship. This understanding challenges any perception of God as distant, indifferent, or purely retributive, instead presenting Him as actively engaged with humanity through His boundless grace and steadfast love. It forms the bedrock of Israel's faith and serves as a constant reminder of the divine disposition towards mercy over judgment, inviting a response of trust and worship and establishing the framework for His interactions with His people across generations.

* [Exodus 34:6-7](/exodus/34-6-7 "Exodus 34:6-7 - God's Self-Revelation of His Character")
* [Numbers 14:18](/numbers/14-18 "Numbers 14:18 - The LORD is Slow to Anger and Abounding in Steadfast Love")
* [Jonah 4:2](/jonah/4-2 "Jonah 4:2 - God's Gracious and Compassionate Nature")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Understanding the profound attributes of God as revealed in Psalms 145:8—His graciousness, compassion, slowness to anger, and great mercy—transforms our perception of Him and provides a solid foundation for our faith. This verse invites us into a deeper relationship with a God who is not only powerful and transcendent but also intimately concerned with our well-being and incredibly patient with our failings. It encourages us to approach Him with confidence, knowing that His default posture towards us is one of unmerited favor and tender care. In moments of sin, His slowness to anger offers profound hope for repentance and forgiveness, while His great mercy assures us of His unwavering love and faithfulness, even when we stumble. Practically, this truth calls us to mirror these divine attributes in our own lives, extending grace, compassion, patience, and mercy to others, thereby reflecting the character of the God we worship and serving as His ambassadors in a world desperately in need of such qualities.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does knowing God is "slow to anger" impact your approach to repentance and seeking forgiveness, particularly when you have repeatedly failed?**
* **In what specific ways can you actively demonstrate God's "gracious" and "compassionate" nature in your daily interactions, especially towards those who are difficult to love?**
* **How does the "great mercy" of God provide comfort and assurance in times of personal struggle, doubt, or when facing the consequences of your past actions?**

### FAQ
**How does Psalm 145:8 reconcile with instances of God's wrath or judgment in the Old Testament?**

Answer: Psalm 145:8 describes God's primary and inherent disposition, which is one of grace, compassion, patience, and mercy. This verse, echoing the foundational self-disclosure in [Exodus 34:6-7](/exodus/34-6-7 "Exodus 34:6-7 - God's Character Revealed"), reveals that God's default and preferred mode of interaction with humanity is through these benevolent attributes. His "slowness to anger" means that judgment is not His immediate or desired response, but rather a last resort, often preceded by repeated warnings, opportunities for repentance, and immense forbearance. When God does exercise wrath or judgment, it is always in response to persistent rebellion, unrepentant sin, or profound injustice, and it is rooted in His holiness and righteousness, which cannot tolerate evil indefinitely. Even in judgment, His mercy is often evident, as He preserves a remnant or provides a way of escape. Thus, His wrath is a righteous and just response to sin, while His mercy is an overflowing expression of His character, always seeking to restore and redeem.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 145:8 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the perfect embodiment and living revelation of the LORD's graciousness, compassion, slowness to anger, and great mercy. Jesus, described as "full of grace and truth" in [John 1:14](/john/1-14 "John 1:14 - The Word Became Flesh"), consistently demonstrated divine compassion by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and weeping with those who mourned ([Matthew 14:14](/matthew/14-14 "Matthew 14:14 - Jesus' Compassion for the Crowds"); [John 11:35](/john/11-35 "John 11:35 - Jesus Wept")). His patient endurance with His disciples' weaknesses, His long-suffering through betrayal, and His ultimate demonstration of forbearance on the cross, even praying for His persecutors ([Luke 23:34](/luke/23-34 "Luke 23:34 - Jesus Prays for His Executioners")), perfectly illustrate God's "slowness to anger." Moreover, the "great mercy" of God is most powerfully revealed in Christ's atoning sacrifice, where God, "being rich in mercy" ([Ephesians 2:4](/ephesians/2-4 "Ephesians 2:4 - God's Rich Mercy")), provided salvation for humanity through the cross, not because of our deeds but because of His abounding love ([Titus 3:5](/titus/3-5 "Titus 3:5 - Saved by His Mercy")). Jesus is the visible expression of the invisible God, showing us precisely what it means for the LORD to be gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and of great mercy, inviting all to receive this divine character through faith in Him and to draw near to the "throne of grace" with confidence ([Hebrews 4:16](/hebrews/4-16 "Hebrews 4:16 - Approach the Throne of Grace")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Numbers 14:18

The LORD [is] longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation].

Psalms 103:8

The LORD [is] merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

Psalms 86:5

For thou, Lord, [art] good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Psalms 100:5

For the LORD [is] good; his mercy [is] everlasting; and his truth [endureth] to all generations.

Psalms 116:5

Gracious [is] the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God [is] merciful.

Psalms 86:15

But thou, O Lord, [art] a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

Micah 7:18

Who [is] a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth [in] mercy.