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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Pitiful
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pit´i-fool: As found in Scripture, means “full of pityâ€; it is expressed by ×¨×—×ž× ×™, rahÌ£ămaÌ„nı̄, from rahÌ£ămı̄m (plural of rahÌ£am), “bowels,†“compassion†( the King James Version, its only occurrence in the Old Testament), “The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children.†In , we have the beautiful saying, The Lord is very pitiful (the Revised Version (British and American) “full of pityâ€) and of tender mercy,†where “very pitiful†is the translation of poluÌsplagchnos, literally, “of many bowels,†a word which does not occur elsewhere; it might be translated “large-hearted†or “tender-hearted.†In Ecclesiasticus 2:11, we have “The Lord, is ... very, pitiful†(oiktirmoÌ„Ìn); euÌsplagchnos, well-hearted,†“compassionate,†“full of pity,†occurs in , “Love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous,†the Revised Version (British and American) “loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humble-minded.†The word is found in The Prayer of Manasseh 7; Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, Zeb 8 2.