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

From the Desk of Steven Hauer

Last week, we began by looking at Exodus 34:6-7. Here is a quick refresh. Moses is on the mountain with God who describes Himself to Moses with these verses. Contained in God’s words are thirteen attributes. In last week’s blog we took a look at the first three. Today, let’s look at the next six.

Attribute Number Four - Erech apayim (ארך אפים). God is slow to anger to the righteous. This characteristic is particularly poignant because of Israel’s betrayal. They had accepted God’s covenant yet not long after, the Golden Calf Incident occurred. Erech apayim emphasizes God’s response to evil. Most English language versions of the Bible translate this trait as long-suffering. However, in Hebrew, most references to God’s anger derive from two words meaning “nose” and “fire” or “burning.”

For example: Exodus 4:14 says Then the anger (NOSE) of the LORD was kindled (BURNED) against Moses…

In this case, however, “slow to anger” comes from two different Hebrew words. The first is the word erech (ארך), meaning long, referring to distance or time. The second word, apayim, is the Hebrew word for nostrils. Here, God is saying it takes a long time for his nose to burn.

Attribute Number Five - Erech apayim (ארך אפים). God is slow to anger to the wicked. The same mercy is extended to the unrighteous, giving them an opportunity for repentance.

Attribute Number Six - V’rav chesed (ורב–חסד). His covenant love is without limit. We have talked about chesed in the past. It is often translated as steadfast love, sometimes as mercy. In either case, it is extended as a secure, non-negotiable part of the covenant. God does and will always love us with this remarkable, unshakeable, unchanging, passionate,, extravagant, all-encompassing love. Romans 8:38 sums it up: “...neither death or life, nor angels or demons, neither the present or the future or any power; neither depth or height or anything in all of creation can separate us from the love (chesed) of God that is in Christ Jesus.” Chesed is ours because Yeshua is our entrance into covenant relationship with the Lord.

Attribute Number Seven - V’emet (ואמת). Emet is translated truth or faithfulness. Just like his covenant love, his truth and faithfulness is boundless.

Attribute Number Eight - Notzer chesed (נץר חסד). He (God) keeps his steadfast love or guards with his steadfast love. Rabbinic tradition understands these terms as referring to God preserving and extending his chesed from one generation to the next. The attributes are seen as a powerful statement that righteous deeds create a spiritual legacy that benefits future generations. Think of the number of times in the Bible that God extends goodness or mercy, or makes promises, “because of the fathers” or “because of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

This comes from the verse in Exodus 34:7, which reads in part: “Preserver of kindness for thousands of generations (Notzer chesed la’alafim).” The rabbis break this phrase into two distinct attributes to emphasize different aspects of divine mercy.

Notzer chesed (Preserver of Kindness) The phrase, Notzer Chesed, can be understood as a promise that God remembers and stores up the merciful deeds of the righteous.

●The merit of the ancestors: It is a key interpretation that God preserves the kindness (chesed) of righteous individuals, which can be invoked as a merit (zechut avot) to benefit their descendants.

●This implies that God does not merely acknowledge a person’s kindness but actively preserves it as a heritage for future generations.

● Emulating God’s actions: By emulating this attribute, people are encouraged to similarly preserve and carry forward the kindness of their forebears, following their positive example. The message is to not just maintain the values of the past, but to build a righteous legacy, continuing the forward, positive progression of history.

Attribute Number Nine - La’alafim (for thousands) The concluding phrase of the verse, la’alifim, specifies that God extends his kindness for “thousands” of generations, vastly outweighing the measure of punishment which is to the third and fourth generation of those who hate him.

●Goodness outweighs punishment: Contrasting these two statements shows us that His grace is far greater than the measure of punishment.

●A continuing chain: The phrase also teaches that an individual is part of a larger generational chain. By doing good, one is not only acting for oneself, but is also contributing to a spiritual legacy that will benefit all future generations.

This brings us to the end of this week’s discussion. If you have questions or wish to comment please contact office@issacaharcommunity.org. Part Three will be available next week.

Blessings and Shalom,

Issachar Community