From Claude.ai.
Below are key passages in the Hebrew Bible where God is described with the cluster of attributes: merciful/gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and faithfulness (or close equivalents).
All quotations are from the American Standard Version (ASV), as requested.
Across the passages below, especially from Exodus 34:6–7, the Hebrew Bible consistently describes God with a recurring cluster of attributes:
- Merciful
- Gracious
- Slow to anger
- Steadfast love
- Truth or faithfulness
- Forgiving iniquity
Exodus 34:6–7
This is the foundational formula, repeated or echoed throughout the Hebrew Bible.
“And Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth; keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty…”
Numbers 14:18
Moses repeats the same description while interceding for Israel.
“Jehovah is slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.”
Nehemiah 9:17
A historical prayer recounting God’s character.
“But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and forsookest them not.”
Psalms 86:15
A direct echo of Exodus 34.
“But thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.”
Psalms 103:8
A well-known liturgical statement of the same attributes.
“Jehovah is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness.”
Psalms 145:8–9
Another psalm repeats the formula.
“Jehovah is gracious, and merciful; Slow to anger, and of great lovingkindness.
Jehovah is good to all; And his tender mercies are over all his works.”
Joel 2:13
A prophetic call to repentance using the same description.
“And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”
Jonah 4:2
Jonah quotes the same formula while complaining about God’s mercy.
“And he prayed unto Jehovah, and said, I pray thee, O Jehovah, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I hasted to flee unto Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repentest thee of the evil.”
Micah 7:18–19
A related passage emphasizing mercy and forgiveness.
“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in lovingkindness.
He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Summary of the Pattern
This formula becomes a creedal description of God’s character, repeated in narrative, prayer, psalms, and prophetic literature.
This theme appears in the New Testament, though expressed somewhat differently. Here are key passages:
James 5:11 (NRSV) “Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”
1 Peter 1:3 (NRSV) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
Ephesians 2:4-5 (NRSV) “But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”
2 Corinthians 1:3 (NRSV) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation.“
Romans 2:4 (NRSV) “Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”
2 Peter 3:9 (NRSV) “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.”
The New Testament emphasizes God’s mercy, patience, and love particularly as revealed through Jesus Christ, though it doesn’t use the exact formulaic language of the Old Testament passages.
From ChatGPT.
Here are key scriptures describing God’s merciful and gracious character. Tabor said God’s character is repeatedly described in the same terms in an interview about Abrahamic Faith, as summarized in this post on this site.
Exodus 34:6-7 (ASV) “And Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth; keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.”
Psalm 86:15 (ASV) “But thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.”
Psalm 103:8-10 (ASV) “Jehovah is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness. He will not always chide; Neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, Nor rewarded us after our iniquities.”
Psalm 145:8-9 (ASV) “Jehovah is gracious, and merciful; Slow to anger, and of great lovingkindness. Jehovah is good to all; And his tender mercies are over all his works.”
Numbers 14:18 (ASV) “Jehovah is slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.”
Nehemiah 9:17 (ASV) “But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and forsookest them not.”
Joel 2:13 (ASV) “And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”
Jonah 4:2 (ASV) “For I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repentest thee of the evil.”
These passages reveal God’s consistent character throughout Scripture as compassionate, patient, faithful, and overflowing with steadfast love.
