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Bible verses about kindness

Ephesians 4:32 — be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other — is where most lists start, and Galatians 5:22 puts kindness in the fruit of the Spirit. Both are below in full, with ten more: Luke 6:35, where God is kind to the unthankful, David keeping a promise to a dead friend, and the islanders on Malta who lit a fire in the rain for everyone off a wrecked ship. If you read the King James, the kindness in Galatians 5:22 is hiding under another word.

12 passages · World English Bible & King James · public domain

  1. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.Galatians 5:22-23 · World English Bible

    The fruit of the Spirit. The King James's 'gentleness' here is the kindness word.

    King James

    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

  2. Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.1 Corinthians 13:4-7 · World English Bible

    Love is kind: in Greek a single verb, used nowhere else.

    King James

    Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

  3. And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.Ephesians 4:32 · World English Bible

    Kind, tender hearted, forgiving. The verse most lists start with.

    King James

    And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

  4. Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;Colossians 3:12 · World English Bible

    Kindness as something you put on, like clothing.

    King James

    Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

  5. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind towards the unthankful and evil.Luke 6:35 · World English Bible

    He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Kindness offered before it is earned.

    King James

    But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

  6. Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?Romans 2:4 · World English Bible

    The goodness of God leads to repentance; the word under 'goodness' is the kindness word.

    King James

    Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

  7. But when the kindness of God our Saviour and his love towards mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,Titus 3:4-5 · World English Bible

    The kindness of God and his love towards mankind: philanthropia, used only here and in Acts 28:2.

    King James

    But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

  8. He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?Micah 6:8 · World English Bible

    To act justly, to love mercy: chesed, the loyalty word.

    King James

    He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

  9. That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness. A poor man is better than a liar.Proverbs 19:22 · World English Bible

    What makes a person desirable is kindness. Also chesed.

    King James

    The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.

  10. David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your father. You will eat bread at my table continually.”2 Samuel 9:7 · World English Bible

    Kindness for Jonathan's sake: a promise kept to a dead friend.

    King James

    And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

  11. The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire and received us all, because of the present rain and because of the cold.Acts 28:2 · World English Bible

    Uncommon kindness from islanders who did not speak Greek, to strangers off a wreck.

    King James

    And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

  12. But a certain Samaritan, as he travelled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.Luke 10:33-34 · World English Bible

    The Samaritan. Kindness that costs oil, wine and his own animal, and the next day his money.

    King James

    But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Galatians 5:22 has two gentlenesses

Open the King James toggle on Galatians 5:22-23 above and read the two lists side by side. The modern rendering has kindness fifth and gentleness eighth. The King James has gentleness fifth and meekness eighth.

So gentleness is in both lists, in different places, translating different Greek words. In the King James it is chrestotes (5544), the kindness word. In the modern rendering it is prautes (4236), the word the King James calls meekness (interlinears for 5:22 and 5:23). A King James reader looking for kindness in the fruit of the Spirit will not find the word, and someone comparing the two lists will see gentleness in both and reasonably assume it is the same thing. Nothing in the Greek is disputed. It is a translation choice, and the toggle lets you see it.

Chrestotes occurs ten times in the New Testament, and the King James spends four English words on it: goodness four times, kindness four times, good once and gentleness once. Romans 2:4, in the list above, says goodness twice in both translations — the riches of his goodness, and the goodness of God that leads you to repentance. Under the first is chrestotes and under the second its adjective, chrestos: the kindness word both times.

A word the New Testament uses twice

The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire and received us all, because of the present rain and because of the cold.Acts 28:2 · World English Bible

The kindness of the islanders is philanthropia (5363), the word English borrowed for philanthropy, and it occurs twice in the New Testament. The other place is Titus 3:4, where it is God’s: the kindness of God our Saviour and his love towards mankind. The modern rendering’s love towards mankind is that word.

The King James calls the islanders the barbarous people. The Greek is barbaroi, which Strong’s glosses as a foreigner, a non-Greek; it was a word about language, not about manners. So the New Testament’s word for God’s kindness to mankind is used exactly once more, for people who did not speak Greek, lighting a fire in the rain for strangers off a wreck.

“Love is kind” is one word

In 1 Corinthians 13:4 the Greek has no adjective. Is kind is a single verb, chresteuomai (5541), and it occurs nowhere else in the New Testament: love does kindness, rather than being described as kind. The King James’s charity for the same chapter’s love is a story our tattoo verses page tells, and the passage itself is on our wedding readings, which says who it was first written to.

In the Old Testament, kindness keeps a promise

Proverbs 19:22, 2 Samuel 9:7 and Micah 6:8 are all chesed, the Hebrew word our gratitude page is built on: loyalty inside a commitment rather than kindness in general. 2 Samuel 9:7 shows what that means. David’s kindness to Jonathan’s son is for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and it is the keeping of something Jonathan asked for years earlier, when both men were alive:

You shall not only show me the loving kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I not die; but you shall also not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the surface of the earth.”1 Samuel 20:14-15 · World English Bible

Jonathan was dead by then. The kindness was owed to him and paid to his son.

Kind to the unthankful

Luke 6:35 is the hard one, and the one to read if the person you are trying to be kind to is not kind back: he is kind towards the unthankful and evil. The word is chrestos, the same kindness word as Ephesians 4:32. Kindness is described as God’s before it is asked of anyone, and it is not offered as a reward for good behaviour.

What these verses do not say

  • Kindness is not the same as staying in harm’s way. Ephesians 4:32 puts kindness and forgiveness side by side, and our page about forgiveness sets out what forgiveness does not require.
  • Kindness is not niceness. The kindest act in Luke 10 costs the Samaritan oil, wine, his own animal and, the next morning, his money (verse 35), and none of it is described as pleasant.

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For the colleague who never says thanks

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind towards the unthankful and evil.

Luke 6:35

You said you're tired of being kind to someone who never notices. This verse expects exactly that.

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Questions

What does the Bible say about kindness?

Ephesians 4:32 says to be kind to one another, tender hearted and forgiving. Galatians 5:22 lists kindness in the fruit of the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 13:4 says love is kind, and Luke 6:35 says God is kind to the unthankful and evil.

Is kindness one of the fruits of the Spirit?

Yes. Galatians 5:22 lists it, though the King James renders the word 'gentleness'. The Greek is chrestotes, which modern translations render 'kindness'. The modern 'gentleness' later in the list is a different word, prautes, which the King James calls 'meekness'.

What is the Greek word for kindness in the Bible?

Usually chrestotes, which occurs ten times in the New Testament and which the King James renders 'goodness', 'kindness', 'good' and 'gentleness'. 1 Corinthians 13:4 uses a related verb found only there, and Acts 28:2 and Titus 3:4 use philanthropia, the word behind 'philanthropy'.

How do I stay kind to someone who is unkind to me?

Luke 6:35 describes God as kind to the unthankful and evil, and asks the same of his children. It does not ask anyone to stay in harm's way; see our page about forgiveness for what the Bible does not require.

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