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grace

English translation: nobility, generosity, kindness and magnanimity

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:grace
Selected answer:nobility, generosity, kindness and magnanimity
Entered by: Charles Davis

06:21 Apr 10, 2012
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Religion / Bible thoughts
English term or phrase: grace
You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul", 2Sm.1:24. Admiration for an adversary is a sign of ***grace*** and character.

Talking about King David.
What is the sense here? Mercy? Or something else?
Ana Juliá
Spain
Local time: 19:22
nobility, generosity, kindness and magnanimity
Explanation:
I cannot see how the quality of grace displayed by David here, in his lament for his enemy Saul, can be interpreted either as human mercy or as divine grace (in the sense of a compassionate spiritual gift granted by God). Praise for a fallen adversary does not involve either of these things. It involves grace as a quality of the mind and character, the quality that makes one gracious. This can be defined, I think, as a combination of the qualities mentioned above: a nobility and generosity of spirit.

"gracious
a : marked by kindness and courtesy <a gracious host>
b : graceful
c : marked by tact and delicacy : urbane
d : characterized by charm, good taste, generosity of spirit, and the tasteful leisure of wealth and good breeding <gracious living> "
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gracious

Not all these definitions are relevant here, but I think kindness and generosity of spirit, along with a certain refinement, are what the commentator is referring to by "grace".

It could also involve a projection back onto the OT of the later veneration of David as God's chosen annointed king, who therefore enjoys divine grace: who is in a state of grace (sanctification). Primarily, however, I think it refers to the inherent noble qualities of David that are seen as making him worthy of God's favour.
Selected response from:

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 19:22
Grading comment
Thanks!!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +8nobility, generosity, kindness and magnanimity
Charles Davis
5 +1unconditional love
William Murphy
4mercy
Alexander Ryshow
2 +1(Godly) compassion for mankind
Jonathan MacKerron


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
mercy


Explanation:


Alexander Ryshow
Belarus
Local time: 20:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 11
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53 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
unconditional love


Explanation:
Grace is the word used to express unconditional love in the Bible. As it is used here in the OT passage it looks forward to the NT message of 'Love thy neighbor' or even, in this case, 'Love thy enemy'.
It differs from mercy, which means to show clemency for some wrongdoing.
A NT way of seeing the difference is:
Grace is getting something we DON'T deserve (salvation/eternal life).
Mercy is NOT getting something we DO deserve. (spiritual death).


William Murphy
Italy
Local time: 19:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Colin Rowe: Not sure I am 100% happy with "unconditional love" in this context, but I very much like your definitions of "grace" and "mercy".
2 hrs
  -> yes, I jumped to the conclusion (wrongly) that grace here was part of the verse. Asker is looking for a more general applicaion.
agree  P.L.F. Persio: yes, leave your answer because your explanation is really good.
3 hrs
  -> Thanks missdutch.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
(Godly) compassion for mankind


Explanation:
Merriam-Webster
"a. beneficence or generosity shown by God to man
b. a free gift of God to man for his regeneration or sanctification : an influence emanating from God and acting for the spiritual well-being of the recipient
c. a state of acceptance with or of being pleasing to God : enjoyment of divine favor"


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2012-04-10 07:52:14 GMT)
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In this specific case compassion/clemency shown by David vis-a-vis his fellow man, even his enemies

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2012-04-10 07:54:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or perhaps more to the point here "Christian virtue"

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  B D Finch: Jewish, rather than Christian, virtue given that King David predated Jesus by a few centuries.
48 mins
  -> But Evangelicals do not make this distinction. On the contrary, they often apply Jesus-like virtues to Old Testament figures.
agree  Jack Dunwell: Grace. The doorway to forgiveness
11 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
nobility, generosity, kindness and magnanimity


Explanation:
I cannot see how the quality of grace displayed by David here, in his lament for his enemy Saul, can be interpreted either as human mercy or as divine grace (in the sense of a compassionate spiritual gift granted by God). Praise for a fallen adversary does not involve either of these things. It involves grace as a quality of the mind and character, the quality that makes one gracious. This can be defined, I think, as a combination of the qualities mentioned above: a nobility and generosity of spirit.

"gracious
a : marked by kindness and courtesy <a gracious host>
b : graceful
c : marked by tact and delicacy : urbane
d : characterized by charm, good taste, generosity of spirit, and the tasteful leisure of wealth and good breeding <gracious living> "
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gracious

Not all these definitions are relevant here, but I think kindness and generosity of spirit, along with a certain refinement, are what the commentator is referring to by "grace".

It could also involve a projection back onto the OT of the later veneration of David as God's chosen annointed king, who therefore enjoys divine grace: who is in a state of grace (sanctification). Primarily, however, I think it refers to the inherent noble qualities of David that are seen as making him worthy of God's favour.

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 19:22
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 172
Grading comment
Thanks!!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  P.L.F. Persio: I agree completely.
11 mins
  -> Thank you, missdutch!
agree  Colin Rowe: I think your explanation sums this up just about perfectly.
50 mins
  -> Thank you very much, Colin!
agree  William Murphy: Excellent. I'm not withdrawing my answer as I think it represents the meaning of grace in the Bible. But, the asker is concerned with a contextual sense that you have amply defined. Kudos!
1 hr
  -> Many thanks indeed! Very gracious of you, if I may say so :) And yes, I agree with others here: your account of divine grace is spot on!
agree  katsy
1 hr
  -> Thanks, katsy!
agree  sporran
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, sporran!
agree  Robert Kleemaier: Though the grace bestowed by God is timeless, I would have to agree that this predates the NT concept. This in light of the conversation in the Discussion entries. Context is therefore critical.
7 hrs
  -> Thank you, Robert. I quite agree.
agree  Phong Le
3 days 41 mins
  -> Thanks, Phong Le!
agree  Denise Phelps
4 days
  -> Thanks, Denise!
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