MERCY, compassion — the pity that acts, not merely feels; the Greek Old Testament's regular word for the Hebrew hesed, God's covenant loyalty and steadfast love. ⚠ It is folded into the greeting only in the PASTORAL letters — 'grace, mercy, peace' (1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; and 2 John 3) — where Paul's usual 'grace and peace' is widened by one term, a small sign that the letter-formulas had grown. At 2 Timothy 1:16, 18 it is what Paul prays for Onesiphorus, 'may the Lord grant mercy… may he find mercy on that day'. English 'alms' and 'eleemosynary' descend from it, and the liturgical cry Kyrie eleison, 'Lord, have mercy', keeps it in use. → first discussed at 2 Timothy 1:2