Thoughts on the Thirteen Attributes of God's Mercy - Part One

From the Desk of Steven Hauer

Most of us know the story. God told Moses to carve out two stone tablets to replace the ones he had broken earlier, and to meet Him on Mount Sinai. So, early in the morning, Moses took the tablets to the mountain's summit and called on the Name of the LORD. Exodus 34:5 tells us that the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with Moses on the mountain.

At this point, Moses expects to intercede once again for the children of Israel as he faces an angry God. After all, they have just participated in the ‘Incident of the Golden Calf’. Instead, the unthinkable occurs… The Lord passes before him and proclaims, “Adonai, Adonia, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin...” (Exodus 34:6,7 ESV)

God has just allowed Moses to “see” Him. These thirteen attributes of Himself offer a glimpse of the LORD’s very essence so we, too, can better understand and recognize Him. Rather than an angry God, Moses encountered forgiveness, compassion, and love.

We often discuss the number 12 in Judaism, symbolizing completion and perfection. However, 13 is actually Judaism’s “lucky number!” It is highly significant, representing boundlessness. Therefore, God’s thirteen attributes are without limit.

The First Three of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy

1. The first attribute is the names of God Himself. His self-identification in Exodus

34:6 begins with “Adonai, Adonai, El…”

Whenever you see words and phrases repeated in the Bible, it indicates emphasis, much like how we use bold or italics in modern English. Ancient writers used repetition to highlight key ideas, stress the certainty of prophecies, express fervent prayers, and convey divine significance. (see Isaiah 6:3 or Revelation 4:8) Essentially, it is as if Moses is shouting important points directly to the listener or reader.

So the repeated use of Adonai tells us a few things:

A.    This is important! PAY ATTENTION!

B.     The double Adonai is used to amplify the power of God (El)—a name that identifies Him as ruler over nature and humankind, suggesting that God’s mercy is so immense that it sometimes exceeds what the name El implies. When we combine these ideas, it creates something limitless, described as “powerfully or ferociously compassionate,” or perhaps “intensely compassionate.” I recently read a devotion that described God as “fiercely tender.” In any case, it conveys something far beyond what we can think or imagine.

C.     The sages suggest further that Adonai is repeated twice to indicate that God’s mercies are extended twice. The first Adonai signifies He is merciful before a person sins! Even though He (Adonai) is aware that future evil lies within him.

D.    And the second Adonai - God is merciful even after the sinner has gone astray.

2. Let’s take a look at the next two attributes, rachum v’chanun, merciful and gracious. They are closely related.

Do you know anyone you would describe as “big-hearted”? That’s what Moses is referring to with these two attributes. Usually, we use this phrase to describe someone who shows compassion for others, but not just at the usual level. The idiom here implies openness, broad acceptance and empathetic involvement. In fact, one of the meanings of “rachav,” the root of rachum, is expansive–far beyond normal size. And we know that our big-hearted person isn’t interested in conditional relationships. Big-hearted doesn’t mean quid pro quo. Here we have two definitions for rahav. The first (rahum) indicates that genuine compassion (as it is translated) comes from the deepest human bond–like that of a mother and her unborn child. The second shows that graciousness (hannun) is unconditional, limitless and simply a response to another's need without expecting anything in return. These two are first on the list as God identifies Himself.

It is through these two attributes that we recognize divine compassion, which is embedded in the very nature of God Himself. Perhaps Moses is suggesting that if we intentionally seek all of God’s ways, the result will be rahav. Rahav is not something we go after; God makes it happen when we pursue Him.

And here’s a thought about the meaning of these words in the ancient culture of Israel. Let’s look at Rahab, the big-hearted woman of Jericho. The consonants are exactly the same (רחב Rachab). Do we find the characteristics of רחב (rahav) in the person of רחב (Rachab)? YES. If we needed a human representative of the idiom, surely, we would find it in the woman who didn’t belong, but nevertheless risked her life to help those who came to destroy her city.

Let’s review what we’ve covered so far.

Adonai, Adonai, a God (Yehovah, Yehovah, El) - Moses emphasizes the magnificent Name with repetition and tells us that what follows is far beyond what we have thought or could imagine.

Compassionate (rahum) - God is full of loving sympathy for human weakness and does not place people in extreme temptation, even easing the punishment for the guilty.

Gracious (v’hanun) - God shows mercy to those in need, comforting the afflicted and uplifting the oppressed.

This takes care of the first three of the thirteen. See Part Two next Friday and Part Three the following week.

From the Desk of Pastor Steven Hauer

With special thanks to Rabbi Simon Jacobsen

Blessings and Shalom,

Issachar Community