We are called to play the good Samaritan on life’s roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be beaten and robbed as they make their journey through life. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it understands that an edifice that produces beggars needs restructuring.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
Lenity will operate with greater force, in some instances, than rigor.—It is, therefore, my first wish, to have my whole conduct distinguished by it.
—George Washington (1732–99) American Head of State, Military Leader
Religion and education are no match for evil without the grace of God.
—Benjamin Haydon (1786–1846) English Painter, Writer
The merciful shall obtain mercy.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Among the attributes of God, although they are all equal, mercy shines with even more brilliancy than justice.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
When strong, be merciful, if you would have the respect, not the fear of your neighbors.
—Chilon of Sparta (c.556 BCE) Spartan Magistrate
The just is close to the people’s heart, but the merciful is close to the heart of God.
—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese-born American Philosopher, Poet, Painter, Theologian, Sculptor
Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell
There God is dwelling too.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
Wilt thou draw near the nature of the gods? Draw near them then in being merciful; sweet mercy is nobility’s true badge.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
As freely as the firmament embraces the world, or the sun pours forth impartially his beams, so mercy must encircle both friend and foe.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
A God all mercy is a God unjust.
—Edward Young (1683–1765) English Poet
Compassion is the desire that moves the individual self to widen the scope of its self-concern to embrace the whole of the universal self.
—Arnold J. Toynbee (1889–1975) British Historian
We may imitate the Deity in all his moral attributes, but mercy is the only one in which we can pretend to equal him.—We cannot, indeed, give like God, but surely we may forgive like him.
—Laurence Sterne (1713–68) Irish Anglican Novelist, Clergyman
When a man has compassion for others, God has compassion for him.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice…
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy…
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Do not let mercy and truth leave you. Fasten them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will find favor and much success in the sight of God and humanity.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
In case of doubt we should always lean on the side of mercy.
—Unknown
Too much mercy … often resulted in further crimes which were fatal to innocent victims who need not have been victims if justice had been put first and mercy second.
—Agatha Christie (1890–1976) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy.
—Wendell Berry (b.1934) American Poet, Novelist, Environmentalist
A gentleman has his eyes on all those present; he is tender toward the bashful, gentle toward the distant, and merciful toward the absent.
—Lawrence G. Lovasik
To deserve mercy, practise mercy.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
In peace we can make many of them ignore good and evil entirely; in danger, the issue is forced upon them in a guise to which even we cannot blind them. There is here a cruel dilemma before us. If we promoted justice and charity among men, we should be playing directly into the Enemy’s hands; but if we guide them to the opposite behaviour, this sooner or later produces (for He permits it to produce) a war or a revolution, and the undisguisable issue of cowardice or courage awakes thousands of men from moral stupor. This, indeed, is probably one of the Enemy’s motives for creating a dangerous world-a world in which moral issues really come to the point. He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means, at the point of highest reality. A chastity or honesty, or mercy, which yields to danger will be chaste or honest or merciful only on conditions. Pilate was merciful till it became risky.
—C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) Irish-born British Academic, Author, Literary Scholar
A sensible thanksgiving for mercies received is a mighty prayer in the Spirit of God. It prevails with Him unspeakably.
—John Bunyan (1628–88) English Puritan Writer, Preacher
Mercifulness makes us equal to the gods.
—Claudian (c.370–c.404 CE) Roman Poet
By compassion we make others’ misery our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also.
—Thomas Browne (1605–82) English Author, Physician
How would you be, if he, who is the top of judgment, should but judge you as you are?—O, think on that, and mercy then will breathe within your lips, like man new made.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
He who judges without mercy will himself be judged.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Being all fashioned of the self-same dust,
Let us be merciful as well as just.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
To sin because mercy abounds is the devil’s logic; he that sins because of God’s mercy, shall have judgment without mercy.—Mercy is not for them that sin and fear not, but for them that fear and sin not.
—Thomas J. Watson, Sr. (1874–1956) American Business Executive
Mercy to him that shows it, is the rule.
—William Cowper (1731–1800) English Anglican Poet, Hymn writer
The mercy we to others show, Heaven will show to us.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
O God, how beautiful the thought, how merciful the blest decree, that grace can always be found when sought, and nought shut out the soul from thee.
—Eliza Cook (1818–89) English Author, Poet, Writer
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
A merciful person is merciful to their animals.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
A God all mercy, were a God unjust.
—Edward Young (1683–1765) English Poet
Mercy turns her back to the unmerciful.
—Francis Quarles (1592–1644) English Religious Poet
The greatest attribute of heaven is mercy;
And ’tis the crown of justice, and the glory …
—John Fletcher
Mercy is like the rainbow, which God hath set in the clouds; it never shines after it is night.—If we refuse mercy here, we shall have justice in eternity.
—Jeremy Taylor
Mercy more becomes a magistrate than the vindictive wrath which men call justice.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
He who has compassion on his fellow man is accounted of the true seed of Abraham.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
We shall show mercy, but we shall not ask for it.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Clemency is the support of justice.
—Russian Proverb
Mercy among the virtues is like the moon among the stars,—not so sparkling and vivid as many, but dispensing a calm radiance that hallows the whole. It is the bow that rests upon the bosom of the cloud when the storm is past. It is the light that hovers above the judgment seat.
—Edwin Hubbell Chapin (1814–80) American Preacher, Poet
Take the gentle path.
—George Herbert (1593–1633) Welsh Anglican Poet, Orator, Clergyman
We hand folks over to God’s mercy, and show none ourselves.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
—Joseph Campbell (1904–87) American Mythologist, Writer, Lecturer
And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith