Faithfulness
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Bible Concordance
Faithfulness (91 Occurrences)

Matthew 23:23 Wo to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law -- the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved 'you' to do, and those not to neglect. (See NAS NIV)

Romans 3:3 For what if some were without faith? Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God? (WEB WEY ASV YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (ASV NAS RSV NIV)

3 John 1:3 For it gave me great joy when some of the brothers came and gave witness that you had the true faith and were walking in the true way. (See NIV)

Revelation 13:10 if any one a captivity doth gather, into captivity he doth go away; if any one by sword doth kill, it behoveth him by sword to be killed; here is the endurance and the faith of the saints. (See NIV)

Genesis 24:27 and said, Blessed be Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, who has not withdrawn his loving-kindness and his faithfulness from my master; I being in the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master's brethren. (DBY RSV NIV)

Genesis 24:49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left." (See NIV)

Genesis 32:10 I am too small for all the loving-kindness and all the faithfulness that thou hast shewn unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two troops. (DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 47:29 The time drew near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please don't bury me in Egypt, (See NAS NIV)

Exodus 34:6 And the Lord went past before his eyes, saying, The Lord, the Lord, a God full of pity and grace, slow to wrath and great in mercy and faith; (See RSV NIV)

Deuteronomy 32:4 The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice: a God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is he. (WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Deuteronomy 32:20 He said, "I will hide my face from them. I will see what their end shall be; for they are a very perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness. (WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Joshua 24:14 Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that Yahweh will work for us; for there is no restraint on Yahweh to save by many or by few." (See RSV NIV)

1 Samuel 26:23 Yahweh will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; because Yahweh delivered you into my hand today, and I wouldn't put forth my hand against Yahweh's anointed. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Samuel 2:6 And now Jehovah shew kindness and faithfulness to you; and I also will requite you this good, because ye have done this thing. (DBY RSV NIV)

2 Samuel 15:20 It was only yesterday you came to us; why then am I to make you go up and down with us? for I have to go where I may; go back then, and take your countrymen with you, and may the Lord's mercy and good faith be with you. (See RSV NIV)

1 Kings 2:4 that the LORD may establish His word which He spoke concerning me, saying: If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee, said He, a man on the throne of Israel. (See RSV)

1 Kings 3:6 Solomon said, "You have shown to your servant David my father great loving kindness, according as he walked before you in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you. You have kept for him this great loving kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. (See RSV)

2 Kings 12:15 and they do not reckon with the men into whose hand they give the money to give to those doing the work, for in faithfulness they are dealing. (YLT)

2 Kings 20:3 "Remember now, Yahweh, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight." Hezekiah wept bitterly. (See RSV)

2 Kings 22:7 only, the silver that is given into their hand is not reckoned with them, for in faithfulness they are dealing. (YLT)

2 Chronicles 19:9 and he layeth a charge upon them, saying, 'Thus do ye do in the fear of Jehovah, in faithfulness, and with a perfect heart, (YLT RSV)

2 Chronicles 31:18 and to the genealogy among all their infants, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters to all the congregation, for in their faithfulness they sanctify themselves in holiness. (YLT)

2 Chronicles 32:1 After these things, and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to win them for himself. (WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Psalms 5:9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their heart is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb. They flatter with their tongue. (WEB KJV ASV WBS)

Psalms 25:10 All the ways of the Lord are mercy and good faith for those who keep his agreement and his witness. (See RSV)

Psalms 26:3 For your mercy is before my eyes; and I have gone in the way of your good faith. (See RSV)

Psalms 30:9 "What profit is there in my destruction, if I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise you? Shall it declare your truth? (See NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 33:4 For the word of Yahweh is right. All his work is done in faithfulness. (WEB JPS ASV DBY YLT NAS RSV)

Psalms 36:5 Your loving kindness, Yahweh, is in the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 37:3 Trust in Jehovah, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on his faithfulness. (ASV DBY JPS YLT NAS)

Psalms 40:10 I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 40:11 Take not away your gentle mercies from me, O Lord; let your mercy and your faith keep me safe for ever. (See RSV)

Psalms 54:5 Let the evil works of my haters come back on them again; let them be cut off by your good faith. (See NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 57:3 He will send from heaven, and take me from the power of him whose desire is for my destruction. God will send out his mercy and his good faith. (See RSV NIV)

Psalms 57:10 For your great loving kindness reaches to the heavens, and your truth to the skies. (See RSV NIV)

Psalms 61:7 He shall be enthroned in God's presence forever. Appoint your loving kindness and truth, that they may preserve him. (See RSV NIV)

Psalms 71:22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God. I sing praises to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. (WEB RSV NIV)

Psalms 85:10 Mercy and faith have come together; righteousness and peace have given one another a kiss. (See RSV NIV)

Psalms 85:11 Faith comes up from the earth like a plant; righteousness is looking down from heaven. (See RSV NIV)

Psalms 86:15 But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth. (See RSV NIV)

Psalms 88:11 Is your loving kindness declared in the grave? Or your faithfulness in Destruction? (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 89:1 A contemplation by Ethan, the Ezrahite. I will sing of the loving kindness of Yahweh forever. With my mouth, I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 89:2 I indeed declare, "Love stands firm forever. You established the heavens. Your faithfulness is in them." (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 89:5 The heavens will praise your wonders, Yahweh; your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 89:8 Yahweh, God of Armies, who is a mighty one, like you? Yah, your faithfulness is around you. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 89:14 The seat of your kingdom is resting on righteousness and right judging: mercy and good faith come before your face. (See RSV NIV)

Psalms 89:24 But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. In my name, his horn will be exalted. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Psalms 89:33 But I will not completely take my loving kindness from him, nor allow my faithfulness to fail. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 89:49 Lord, where are your former loving kindnesses, which you swore to David in your faithfulness? (WEB JPS ASV DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers. Under his wings you will take refuge. His faithfulness is your shield and rampart. (WEB NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 92:2 to proclaim your loving kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness every night, (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 96:13 Before Jehovah, for he cometh; for he cometh to judge the earth: he will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness. (DBY JPS YLT NAS)

Psalms 98:3 He has remembered his loving kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (WEB JPS ASV DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 100:5 For Yahweh is good. His loving kindness endures forever, his faithfulness to all generations. (WEB JPS ASV DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 108:4 For your loving kindness is great above the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. (WEB RSV NIV)

Psalms 111:8 They are fixed for ever and ever, they are done in faith and righteousness. (See RSV NIV)

Psalms 115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name let glory be given, because of your mercy and your unchanging faith. (See RSV NIV)

Psalms 117:2 For his loving kindness is great toward us. Yahweh's faithfulness endures forever. Praise Yah! (WEB RSV NIV)

Psalms 119:30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness: Thine ordinances have I set before me. (ASV DBY JPS YLT RSV)

Psalms 119:75 Yahweh, I know that your judgments are righteous, that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 119:86 All thy commandments are faithfulness. They persecute me wrongfully: help thou me. (DBY YLT)

Psalms 119:90 Your faithfulness is to all generations. You have established the earth, and it remains. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 119:138 Thou hast commanded thy testimonies in righteousness And very faithfulness. (ASV DBY JPS NAS RSV)

Psalms 138:2 I will give worship before your holy Temple, praising your name for your mercy and for your unchanging faith: for you have made your word greater than all your name. (See RSV NIV)

Psalms 143:1 A Psalm by David. Hear my prayer, Yahweh. Listen to my petitions. In your faithfulness and righteousness, relieve me. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Proverbs 3:3 Let not mercy and good faith go from you; let them be hanging round your neck, recorded on your heart; (See RSV NIV)

Proverbs 12:17 Whoso uttereth faithfulness declareth righteousness, And a false witness -- deceit. (YLT)

Proverbs 14:22 Don't they go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good. (WEB RSV NIV)

Proverbs 16:6 By mercy and good faith evil-doing is taken away: and by the fear of the Lord men are turned away from evil. (See RSV NIV)

Proverbs 20:28 Love and faithfulness keep the king safe. His throne is sustained by love. (WEB RSV NIV)

Isaiah 11:5 Righteousness will be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his waist. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 16:5 Then a king's seat will be based on mercy, and one will be seated on it in the tent of David for ever; judging uprightly, and quick to do righteousness. (See NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 25:1 Yahweh, you are my God. I will exalt you! I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago, in complete faithfulness and truth. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS NIV)

Isaiah 26:2 Open ye the gates, and the righteous nation which keepeth faithfulness shall enter in. (DBY JPS)

Isaiah 38:3 O Lord, keep in mind how I have been true to you with all my heart, and have done what is good in your eyes. And Hezekiah gave way to bitter weeping. (See RSV)

Isaiah 38:18 For the underworld is not able to give you praise, death gives you no honour: for those who go down into the underworld there is no hope in your mercy. (See NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 38:19 The living, the living man, he will give you praise, as I do this day: the father will give the story of your mercy to his children. (See NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 38:20 Like myself to-day -- a father to sons Doth make known of Thy faithfulness, O Jehovah -- to save me: And my songs we sing all days of our lives In the house of Jehovah.' (YLT)

Isaiah 42:3 He will not let a crushed stem be quite broken, and he will not let a feebly burning light be put out: he will go on sending out the true word to the peoples. (See NIV)

Isaiah 59:4 There is none calling in righteousness, And there is none pleading in faithfulness, Trusting on emptiness, and speaking falsehood, Conceiving perverseness, and bearing iniquity. (YLT)

Isaiah 61:8 For I, the Lord, take pleasure in upright judging; I will not put up with the violent taking away of right; and I will certainly give them their reward, and I will make an eternal agreement with them. (See NIV)

Isaiah 65:16 So that he who is blessing himself in the earth, Doth bless himself In the God of faithfulness, And he who is swearing in the earth, Doth swear by the God of faithfulness, Because the former distresses have been forgotten, And because they have been hid from Mine eyes. (YLT)

Jeremiah 7:28 And thou shalt say unto them, This is the nation that hath not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah their God, nor received instruction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. (See JPS)

Jeremiah 31:3 Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you. (See RSV)

Jeremiah 32:41 And truly, I will take pleasure in doing them good, and all my heart and soul will be given to planting them in this land in good faith. (See RSV)

Lamentations 3:23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Hosea 2:20 I will even betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know Yahweh. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Hosea 4:1 Give ear to the word of the Lord, O children of Israel; for the Lord has a cause against the people of this land, because there is no good faith in it, and no mercy and no knowledge of God in the land. (See NAS RSV NIV)

Micah 7:20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the lovingkindness to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. (See JPS RSV)

Zechariah 8:8 And I will make them come and be living in Jerusalem and they will be to me a people and I will be to them a God, in good faith and in righteousness. (See RSV)

Thesaurus
Faithfulness (91 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia FAITHFUL; FAITHFULNESS. fath'-fool,
fath'-fool-nes: 1. Faithfulness of God in the Old Testament ...
/f/faithfulness.htm - 58k

Loving-kindness (150 Occurrences)
... Genesis 24:27 and said, Blessed be Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, who has not
withdrawn his loving-kindness and his faithfulness from my master; I being in ...
/l/loving-kindness.htm - 33k

Faithfully (27 Occurrences)
... and to the genealogy among all their infants, their wives, and their sons, and their
daughters to all the congregation, for in their faithfulness they sanctify ...
/f/faithfully.htm - 14k

Endures (75 Occurrences)
... Psalms 100:5 For Yahweh is good. His loving kindness endures forever, his faithfulness
to all generations. ... Yahweh's faithfulness endures forever. Praise Yah! ...
/e/endures.htm - 26k

Lovingkindness (176 Occurrences)
... (ASV NAS). Psalms 36:5 Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, is in the heavens; Thy
faithfulness reacheth unto the skies. ... or thy faithfulness in destruction? ...
/l/lovingkindness.htm - 40k

Yah (40 Occurrences)
... Psalms 89:8 Yahweh, God of Armies, who is a mighty one, like you? Yah, your
faithfulness is around you. ... Yahweh's faithfulness endures forever. Praise Yah! ...
/y/yah.htm - 15k

Verity (2 Occurrences)
... For the King James Version "verily thou shalt be fed" (Psalm 37:3, where 'emunah),
the American Standard Revised Version has "feed on his faithfulness" and the ...
/v/verity.htm - 9k

Verily (146 Occurrences)
... For the King James Version "verily thou shalt be fed" (Psalm 37:3, where 'emunah),
the American Standard Revised Version has "feed on his faithfulness" and the ...
/v/verily.htm - 39k

Unfaithful (58 Occurrences)
... (WEB WEY ASV YLT RSV). Romans 3:3 For what if some Jews have proved unfaithful?
Shall their faithlessness render God's faithfulness worthless? (WEY RSV). ...
/u/unfaithful.htm - 23k

Follow (267 Occurrences)
... English Revised Version, "Follow after faithfulness" makes an important change in
Psalm 37:3, where the King James Version has "and verily thou shalt be fed ...
/f/follow.htm - 38k

Greek
4102. pistis -- faith, faithfulness
... You do well; " (). Word Origin from peitho Definition faith, faithfulness NASB
Word Usage faith (238), faithfulness (3), pledge (1), proof (1). ...
/greek/4102.htm - 18k

570. apistia -- unbelief
... Cognate: 570 (the negated form of 4103 , "faithful") -- properly, without (divine)
persuasion, "no-faithfulness" (unfaithfulness); "want of faith" (betraying a ...
/greek/570.htm - 7k

3414. mna -- a mina (Gr. monetary unit)
... The Lord requires 100% faithfulness from each person -- and rewards this
equally, regardless of . See also Lk 17:6; 2 Pet 1:1. ...
/greek/3414.htm - 7k

ATS Bible Dictionary
Faithfulness

An infinite attribute of Jehovah; adapted to make perfect both the confidence of those who believe his word and rely on his promises, and the despair of those who doubt his word and defy his threatenings, De 28:26 Numbers 23:19 Psalm 89:33-34 Hebrews 10:23.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
FAITHFUL; FAITHFULNESS

fath'-fool, fath'-fool-nes: 1. Faithfulness of God in the Old Testament

2. Faithfulness of God in the New Testament

LITERATURE

Faithfulness is a quality or attribute applied in the Scripture to both God and man. This article is limited to the consideration of the Scripture teaching concerning the meaning of faithfulness in its application to God.

Faithfulness is one of the characteristics of God's ethical nature. It denotes the firmness or constancy of God in His relations with men, especially with His people. It is, accordingly, one aspect of God's truth and of His unchangeableness. God is true not only because He is really God in contrast to all that is not God, and because He realizes the idea of Godhead, but also because He is constant or faithful in keeping His promises, and therefore is worthy of trust (see TRUTH). God, likewise, is unchangeable in His ethical nature. This unchangeableness the Scripture often connects with God's goodness and mercy, and also with His constancy in reference to His covenant promises, and this is what the Old Testament means by the Faithfulness of God (see UNCHANGEABLENESS).

1. Faithfulfulness of God in the Old Testament:

In the Old Testament this attribute is ascribed to God in passages where the Hebrew words denoting faithfulness do not occur. It is implied in the covenant name Yahweh as unfolded in Exodus 3:13-15, which not only expresses God's self-existence and unchangeableness, but, as the context indicates, puts God's immutability in special relation to His gracious promises, thus denoting God's unchangeable faithfulness which is emphasized in the Old Testament to awaken trust in God (Deuteronomy 7:9 Psalm 36:5 (Hebrew 6); Isaiah 11:5 Hosea 12:6, 9). (For fuller remarks on the name Yahweh in Exodus 3:13-15, see article UNCHANGEABLENESS.) It is, moreover, God's faithfulness as well as His immutability which is implied in those passages where God is called a rock, as being the secure object of religious trust (Deuteronomy 32:4, 15 Psalm 18:2 (Hebrew 3); 42:9 (Hebrew 10); Isaiah 17:10, etc.). This same attribute is also implied where God reveals Himself to Moses and to Israel as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and their fathers' God (Exodus 3:6, 15, 16). The truth concerning God here taught is not simply that He stood in a gracious relation to the Patriarchs, but that He is faithful to His gracious promise to their fathers, and that what He was to them He will continue to be to Moses and to Israel. This is the fundamental idea in the Old Testament concerning the faithfulness of God.

This can be seen also from the Hebrew words which are used to express this quality of God's nature and activity. These words are ne'eman, the Niphal participle of the verb 'aman used as an adjective-"faithful"-and the nouns 'emeth and 'emunah-"faithfulness." The verbal stem 'aman means "to be secure or firm." In the Qal it denotes the firmness of that which supports something, being used in the participle of a nurse who carries a child (Numbers 11:12 2 Samuel 4:4 Isaiah 49:23). In the Niphal it denotes the firmness of that which is supported, for example, a child which is carried (Isaiah 60:4); a well-founded house (1 Samuel 2:35; 1 Samuel 25:28); a wall which firmly holds a nail (Isaiah 22:23, 15); a kingdom firmly established (2 Samuel 7:16); persons secure in political station (Isaiah 7:9); a heart which is faithful (Nehemiah 9:8). Hence, in the Niphal the verb comes to have the meaning of being true in the sense of the agreement of words and assertions with reality; for example, of words and revelations (Genesis 42:20 Hosea 5:9); and of persons (Isaiah 8:2 Jeremiah 42:5). It has also the meaning of being faithful, being applied to men in Numbers 12:7 Psalm 101:6 Nehemiah 13:13, etc. In this sense the term is applied to the covenant-keeping Yahweh to express the truth that He is firm or constant, that is, faithful in regard to His covenant promises, and will surely fulfill them (Deuteronomy 7:9 Isaiah 49:7; and possibly Hosea 11:12 (Hebrew 12:1)).

A similar use is made of the nouns 'emeth and 'emunah. Apart from the instances where 'emeth denotes the idea of truth or the correspondence of words and ideas with reality, and the instances where it denotes the agreement of acts and words with the inner disposition, that is, sincerity, it is also used to denote the idea of faithfulness as above defined. As regards the noun 'emunah, apart from a few passages where it is doubtful whether it means truth or faithfulness, it usually denotes the latter idea. Both these nouns, then, are used to signify the idea of faithfulness, that is, constancy or firmness, especially in the fulfillment of all obligations. In this sense these words are not only applied to men, but also to God to express the idea that He is always faithful to His covenant promises. It is this attribute of God which the Psalmist declares (Psalm 40:10 (Hebrew 11)), and the greatness of which he affirms by saying that God's faithfulness reacheth to the clouds (Psalm 36:5 (Hebrew 6)). It is this which he makes the object of praise (Psalm 89:1, 2 (Hebrew 2, 3); Psalm 92:2 (Hebrew 3)); and which he says should be praised and reverenced by all men (Psalm 89:5, 8 (Hebrew 6, 9)). And even this faithfulness is itself characterized by constancy, if we may so speak, for the Psalmist says that it endures to all generations (Psalm 100:5). Being thus a characteristic of God, it also characterizes His salvation, and becomes the basis of confidence that God will hear prayer (Psalm 143:1). It thus becomes the security of the religious man (Psalm 91:4); and the source of God's help to His people (Psalm 31:5 (Hebrew 6)). Accordingly in the teaching of prophecy, the salvation of the covenant people rests upon no claim or merit of their own, but solely upon Yahweh's mercy, grace and faithfulness. When Israel incurred God's judgments, it might have appeared as if His promise was to fail, but, so far from this being true, as Yahweh, He is faithful to His word of promise which stands forever (Isaiah 40:8). Even from eternity His counsels are characterized by faithfulness and truth (Isaiah 25:1); and this is not because of Israel's faithfulness, but it is for His own sake that Yahweh blotteth out their transgressions (Isaiah 43:22-25 Micah 7:18-20). It is, moreover, this same characteristic of Yahweh which is asserted in many cases where the Hebrew words 'emeth and 'emunah are translated by the word "truth" in the King James Version. In Exodus 34:6 it is God's faithfulness ('emeth) which is referred to, since it evidently signifies His constancy from generation to generation; and in Deuteronomy 32:4 it is also God's faithfulness ('emunah) which is mentioned, since it is contrasted with the faithlessness of Israel. The same is true of 'emeth in Micah 7:20 Psalm 31:5 (Hebrew 6)); 91:04:00; 146:06:00. This is also true of the numerous instances where God's mercy and truth ('emeth) are combined, His mercy being the source of His gracious promises, and His truth the faithfulness with which He certainly fulfills them (Psalm 25:10; Psalm 57:3 (Hebrew 4); 61:7 (Hebrew 8); 85:10 (Hebrew 11); 86:15). And since the covenant-keeping Yahweh is faithful, faithfulness comes also to be a characteristic of the New Covenant which is everlasting (Psalm 89:28 (Hebrew 29)); compare also for a similar thought, Isaiah 54:8; Jeremiah 31:35; Hosea 2:19; Ezekiel 16:60.

It is in this connection, moreover, that God's faithfulness is closely related to His righteousness in the Old Testament. In the second half of the prophecy of Isaiah and in many of the psalms, righteousness is ascribed to God because He comes to help and save His people. Thus righteousness as a quality parallel with grace, mercy and faithfulness is ascribed to God (Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 45:13, 19, 21; Isaiah 63:1). It appears in these places to widen out from its exclusively judicial or forensic association and to become a quality of God as Saviour of His people. Accordingly this attribute of God is appealed to in the Psalms as the basis of hope for salvation and deliverance (Psalm 31:1 (Hebrew 2); 35:24:00; 71:02:00; 143:11). Hence, this attribute is associated with God's mercy and grace (Psalm 36:5 (Hebrew 6); 36:9 (Hebrew 10); 89:14 (Hebrew 15)); also with His faithfulness (Zechariah 8:8 Psalm 36:6 (Hebrew 7)); Psalm 40:10 (Hebrew 11); 88:11, 12 (Hebrew 12, 13); 89:14 (Hebrew 15); 96:13:00; 119:137, 142; 143:1). Accordingly the Old Testament conception of the righteousness of God has been practically identified with His covenant faithfulness, by such writers as Kautzsch, Riehm and Smend, Ritschl's definition of it being very much the same. Moreover, Ritschl, following Diestel, denied that the idea of distributive and retributive justice is ascribed to God in the Old Testament. In regard to this latter point, it should be remarked in passing that this denial that the judicial or forensic idea of righteousness is ascribed to God in the Old Testament breaks down, not only in view of the fact that the Old Testament does ascribe this attribute to God in many ways, but also in view of the fact that in a number of passages the idea of retribution is specifically referred to the righteousness of God (see RIGHTEOUSNESS; compare against Diestel and Ritschl, Dalman, Die richterliche Gerechtigkeit im Alten Testament).

That which concerns us, however, in regard to this close relation between righteousness and faithfulness is to observe that this should not be pressed to the extent of the identification of righteousness with covenant faithfulness in these passages in the Psalms and the second half of Isaiah. The idea seems to be that Israel has sinned and has no claim upon Yahweh, finding her only hope of deliverance in His mercy and faithfulness. But this very fact that Yahweh is merciful and faithful becomes, as it were, Israel's claim, or rather the ground of Israel's hope of deliverance from her enemies. Hence, in the recognition of this claim of His people, God is said to be righteous in manifesting His mercy and faithfulness, so that His righteousness, no less than His mercy and faithfulness, becomes the ground of His people's hope. Righteousness is thus closely related in these cases to faithfulness, but it is not identified with it, nor has it in all cases lost entirely its forensic tone. This seems to be, in general, the meaning of righteousness in the Psalms and the second half of Isaiah, with which may also be compared Micah 6:9 Zechariah 8:8.

The emphasis which this attribute of God has in the Old Testament is determined by the fact that throughout the whole of the Old Testament the covenant relation of Yahweh to His people is founded solely in God's grace, and not on any merit of theirs. If this covenant relation had been based on any claim of Israel, faithfulness on God's part might have been taken for granted. But since Yahweh's covenant relation with Israel and His promises of salvation spring solely from, and depend wholly upon, the grace of God, that which gave firm assurance that the past experience of God's grace would continue in the future was this immutable faithfulness of Yahweh. By it the experience of the fathers was given a religious value for Israel from generation to generation. And even as the faithfulness of God bridged over the past and the present, so also it constituted the connecting link between the present and the future, becoming thus the firm basis of Israel's hope; compare Psalm 89 which sets forth the faithfulness of God in its greatness, its firmness as the basis of the covenant and the ground it affords of hope for future help from Yahweh, and for hope that His covenant shall endure forever. When God's people departed from Him all the more emphasis was put upon His faithfulness, so that the only hope of His wayward people lay not only in His grace and mercy but also in His faithfulness, which stands in marked contrast with the faithlessness and inconstancy of His people. This is probably the meaning of the difficult verse Hosea 11:12 (Hebrew 12:1).

2. Faithfulness of God in the New Testament:

In the New Testament teaching concerning the faithfulness of God the same idea of faithfulness to His gracious promises is emphasized and held up as the object of a confident trust in God. This idea is usually expressed by the adjective pistos, and once by the noun pistis, which more frequently has the active sense of faith or trust.

An attempt has been made by Wendt (SK, 1883, 511; Teaching of Jesus, English translation, I, 259) to interpret the words aletheia and alethes in many instances, especially in the Johannine writings, as denoting faithfulness and rectitude, after the analogy of the Septuagint rendering eleos kai aletheia for the Hebrew phrase "mercy and truth," in which truth is equivalent to faithfulness. But the most that could be inferred from the fact that the Septuagint uses the word aletheia to translate the Hebrew word 'emeth, and in about one-half the cases where 'emunah occurs, would be that those Greek words might have been prepared for such a use in the New Testament. But while it is true that there is one usage of these words in John's writings in an ethical sense apparently based on the Old Testament use of 'emeth and 'emunah, the Greek words do not have this meaning when employed to denote a characteristic of God. Neither is the adjective alethinos so used.

SeeTRUTH.

In the Epistles of Paul the word aletheia occurs quite frequently to denote the truth revealed by God to man through reason and conscience, and to denote the doctrinal content of the gospel. In two passages, however, the words alethes and aletheia seem to signify the faithfulness of God (Romans 3:4, 7; Romans 15:8). In the former passage Paul is contrasting the faithfulness of God with the faithlessness of men, the word alethes, 3:4, and aletheia, 3:7, apparently denoting the same Divine characteristic as the word pistis, 3:3. In the latter passage (Romans 15:8), the vindication of God's covenant faithfulness, through the realization of His promises to the fathers, is declared to have been the purpose of the ministry of Jesus Christ to the Jews.

This faithfulness of God to His covenant promises is frequently emphasized by Paul, the words he employs being the noun pistis (once) and the adjective: pistos. The noun pistis is used once by Paul in this sense (Romans 3:3). In this place Paul is arguing that the unbelief of the Jews cannot make void God's faithfulness. Both Jew and Gentile, the apostle had said, are on the same footing as regards justification. Nevertheless the Jews had one great advantage in that they were the people to whom the revelation of God's gracious promises had been committed. These promises will certainly be fulfilled, notwithstanding the fact that some of the Jews were unfaithful, because the fulfillment of these promises depends not on human conduct but on the faithfulness of God, which cannot be made void by human faithlessness and unbelief. And to the supposition that man's faithlessness could make of none effect God's faithfulness, Paul replies `let God be faithful (alethes) and every man a liar' (Romans 3:4), by which Paul means to say that in the fulfillment of God's promises, in spite of the fact that men are faithless, the faithfulness of God will be abundantly vindicated, even though thereby every man should be proven untrue and faithless. And not only so, but human faithlessness will give an opportunity for a manifestation of the faithfulness (aletheia) of God, abounding to His glory (Romans 3:7). God's faithfulness here is His unchangeable constancy and fidelity to His covenant promises; and it is this fidelity to His promises, or the fact that God's gracious gifts and election are without any change of mind on His part, which gave to Paul the assurance that all Israel should finally be saved (Romans 11:25-29). Moreover this covenant faithfulness of God is grounded in His very nature, so that Paul's hope of eternal life rests on the fact that God who cannot lie promised it before the world began (Titus 1:2); and the certainty that God will abide faithful notwithstanding human faithlessness rests on the fact that God cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). It is because God is faithful that His promises in Christ are yea and amen (2 Corinthians 1:18, 20). This attribute of God, moreover, is the basis of Paul's confident assurance that God will preserve the Christian in temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13); and establish him and preserve him from evil (2 Thessalonians 3:3). And since God is faithful and His gracious promises trustworthy, this characteristic attaches to the "faithful sayings" in the Pastoral Epistles which sum up the gospel, making them worthy of trust and acceptance (1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 4:9 Titus 3:8).

This faithfulness of God in the sense of fidelity to His promises is set forth as the object of sure trust and hope by the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews. It was the basis of Sarah's faith that she would bear a child when she was past age (Hebrews 11:11); and it is because God is faithful to His promise in Christ that we can draw nigh to Him with full assurance of faith, holding fast without wavering the profession of hope (Hebrews 10:23).

John also ascribes this attribute to God. Since one of the most precious of God's promises through Christ is the pardon of sin through the "blood of Jesus Christ," John says that God's faithfulness, as well as His righteousness, is manifested in the forgiveness of sin (1 John 1:9).

The faithfulness of God is viewed from a slightly different point by Peter when he tells his readers that those who suffer as Christians and in accordance with God's will should "commit their soul's in well-doing unto a faithful Creator" (1 Peter 4:19). The quality of faithfulness, which in the Scripture is more frequently ascribed to God in His relation to man as gracious Saviour, and as the ground of hope in His gracious promises, is here applied by Peter to God in His relation to man as his Creator, and is made the ground of comfort under persecution and suffering. The omission of the article before the words "faithful Creator" makes emphatic that this is a characteristic of God as Creator, and the position of the words in the sentence throws great emphasis on this attribute of God as the basis of comfort under suffering. It is as if Peter would say to suffering Christians, "You suffer not by chance but in accordance with God's will; He, the almighty Creator, made you, and since your suffering is in accordance with His will, you ought to trust yourselves to Him who as your Creator is faithful." It is, of course, Christians who are to derive this comfort, but the faithfulness of God is extended here to cover all His relations to His people, and to pledge all His attributes in their behalf.

This attribute is also ascribed to Christ in the New Testament. Where Jesus is called a faithful high priest, the idea expressed is His fidelity to His obligations to God and to His saving work (Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 3:2, 6). But when in the Book of Revelation Jesus Christ is called the "faithful witness" or absolutely the "Faithful and True," it is clear that the quality of faithfulness, in the most absolute sense in which it is characteristic of God in contrast with human changeableness, is ascribed to Christ (Revelation 1:5; Revelation 3:14; Revelation 19:11). This is especially clear in the last-named passage. The heavens themselves open to disclose the glorified Christ, and He appears not only as a victorious warrior whose name is faithful and true, but also as the one in whom these attributes have their highest realization, and of whom they are so characteristic as to become the name of the exalted Lord. This clearly implies the Deity of Jesus.

In summing up the Scripture teaching concerning God's faithfulness, three things are noteworthy. In the first place, this characteristic of God is usually connected with His gracious promises of salvation, and is one of those attributes which make God the firm and secure object of religious trust. As is the case with all the Scripture teaching concerning God, it is the religious value of His faithfulness which is made prominent. In the second place, the so-called moral attributes, of which this is one, are essential in order to constitute God the object of religion, along with the so-called incommunicable attributes such as Omnipotence, Omnipresence and Unchangeableness. Take away either class of attributes from God, and He ceases to be God, the object of religious veneration and trust. And in the third place, while these moral attributes, to which faithfulness belongs, have been called "communicable," to distinguish them from the "incommunicable" attributes which distinguish God from all that is finite, it should never be forgotten that, according to the Scripture, God is faithful in such an absolute sense as to contrast Him with men who are faithful only in a relative sense, and who appear as changeable and faithless in comparison with the faithfulness of God.

SeeRIGHTEOUSNESS; TRUTH; UNCHANGEABLENESS.

LITERATURE.

Besides the Commentaries on the appropriate passages, see Oehler, Theology of the Old Testament, English translation, 95, 112 505: Dillmann, Handbuch der alttest. Theol., 268-76, 269-70; Schlatter, Der Glaube im New Testament, 21-22, 259-60. In the works on New Testament theology this subject is treated under the sections on the truthfulness of God.

On the relation of God's truth and faithfulness, see Wendt, Der Gebrauch der Worter, und im New Testament, SK, 1883, 511; Stanton, article "Truth," in HDB, IV, 816; and the above-mentioned work of Schlatter. On the relation of the faithfulness to the righteousness of God, see Diestel, "Die Idee der Gerechtigkeit vorzuglich im Altes Testament," Jahrbucher fur deutsche Theologie, 1860, 173; Kautzsch, Ueber die Derivate des Stammes im Altes Testament Sprachgebrauch; Riehm, Altes Testament Theol., 271; Smend, Alttest. Religionsgeschichte, 363; Ritschl, Justification and Reconciliation; Dalman, Die richterliche Gerechtigkeit im Altes Testament; and the above-mentioned Old Testament Theologies of Dillmann and Oehler.

Gaspar Wistar Hodge

Strong's Hebrew
544. omen -- faithfulness
... << 543, 544. omen. 545 >>. faithfulness. Transliteration: omen Phonetic Spelling:
(oh-men') Short Definition: faithfulness. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/544.htm - 6k

529. emun -- faithfulness
emun or emun. << 528, 529. emun or emun. 530 >>. faithfulness. Transliteration:
emun or emun Phonetic Spelling: (ay-moon') Short Definition: faithful. ...
/hebrew/529.htm - 6k

571. emeth -- firmness, faithfulness, truth
... << 570, 571. emeth. 572 >>. firmness, faithfulness, truth. Transliteration:
emeth Phonetic Spelling: (eh'-meth) Short Definition: truth. ...
/hebrew/571.htm - 6k

530. emunah -- firmness, steadfastness, fidelity
... << 529, 530. emunah. 531 >>. firmness, steadfastness, fidelity. Transliteration:
emunah Phonetic Spelling: (em-oo-naw') Short Definition: faithfulness. ...
/hebrew/530.htm - 6k

3559. kun -- to be firm
... certainty, confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted,.
A primitive root; properly, to be erect (ie Stand perpendicular ...
/hebrew/3559.htm - 7k

543. amen -- verily, truly
... Amen, so be it, truth. From 'aman; sure; abstract, faithfulness; adverb, truly --
Amen, so be it, truth. see HEBREW 'aman. << 542, 543. amen. 544 >>. ...
/hebrew/543.htm - 6k

2617a. chesed -- goodness, kindness
... Word Origin from chasad Definition goodness, kindness NASB Word Usage deeds of devotion
(2), devotion (1), devout (1), faithfulness (1), favor (2), good (1 ...
/hebrew/2617a.htm - 6k

Subtopics

Faithfulness

Faithfulness: A Characteristic of Saints

Faithfulness: Abijah

Faithfulness: Abraham

Faithfulness: Antipas

Faithfulness: Associate With Those Who Exhibit

Faithfulness: Blessedness of

Faithfulness: Blessedness of, Illustrated

Faithfulness: Daniel

Faithfulness: David

Faithfulness: Difficulty of Finding

Faithfulness: Elijah

Faithfulness: Epaphras

Faithfulness: Especially Required in Ministers

Faithfulness: Especially Required in The Children of Ministers

Faithfulness: Especially Required in The Wives of Ministers

Faithfulness: Exhibited in all Things

Faithfulness: Exhibited in Bearing Witness

Faithfulness: Exhibited in Conveying Messages

Faithfulness: Exhibited in Declaring the Word of God

Faithfulness: Exhibited in Doing Work

Faithfulness: Exhibited in Helping the Brethren

Faithfulness: Exhibited in Keeping Secrets

Faithfulness: Exhibited in Reproving Others

Faithfulness: Exhibited in Situations of Trust

Faithfulness: Exhibited in The Care of Dedicated Things

Faithfulness: Exhibited in The Service of God

Faithfulness: Exhibited in The Smallest Matters

Faithfulness: Exhortation To

Faithfulness: Hananiah

Faithfulness: Jehoshaphat

Faithfulness: Job

Faithfulness: Joseph

Faithfulness: Moses

Faithfulness: Onesimus

Faithfulness: Paul

Faithfulness: should be to Death

Faithfulness: Silvanus

Faithfulness: The Wicked Devoid of

Faithfulness: Timothy

Faithfulness: Tychicus

The Faithfulness of God is Part of his Character

The Faithfulness of God: Declared to Be: Established

The Faithfulness of God: Declared to Be: Everlasting

The Faithfulness of God: Declared to Be: Great

The Faithfulness of God: Declared to Be: Incomparable

The Faithfulness of God: Declared to Be: Infinite

The Faithfulness of God: Declared to Be: Unfailing

The Faithfulness of God: Manifested in Afflicting his Saints

The Faithfulness of God: Manifested in Executing his Judgments

The Faithfulness of God: Manifested in Forgiving Sins

The Faithfulness of God: Manifested in Fulfilling his Promises

The Faithfulness of God: Manifested in his Counsels

The Faithfulness of God: Manifested in Keeping his Covenant

The Faithfulness of God: Manifested: Saints Encouraged to Depend On

The Faithfulness of God: Manifested: should be Magnified

The Faithfulness of God: Manifested: To his Saints

The Faithfulness of God: should be Pleaded in Prayer

The Faithfulness of God: should be Proclaimed

Related Terms

Loving-kindness (150 Occurrences)

Faithfully (27 Occurrences)

Endures (75 Occurrences)

Lovingkindness (176 Occurrences)

Yah (40 Occurrences)

Verity (2 Occurrences)

Verily (146 Occurrences)

Unfaithful (58 Occurrences)

Follow (267 Occurrences)

Reaches (26 Occurrences)

Distresses (20 Occurrences)

Habakkuk (3 Occurrences)

Skies (36 Occurrences)

Swearing (17 Occurrences)

Dealing (36 Occurrences)

Unchangeableness (1 Occurrence)

Unchangeable (4 Occurrences)

Steadfast (194 Occurrences)

Truth (380 Occurrences)

Faithless (46 Occurrences)

Continues (32 Occurrences)

Faithful (136 Occurrences)

Faith (769 Occurrences)

Girdle (44 Occurrences)

Render (95 Occurrences)

Deceit (160 Occurrences)

Loins (72 Occurrences)

Celebrate (66 Occurrences)

Poetry

Sing (147 Occurrences)

Stands (111 Occurrences)

Yawning (1 Occurrence)

Kindnesses (11 Occurrences)

Nullify (8 Occurrences)

Names (133 Occurrences)

Useless (47 Occurrences)

Jealous (43 Occurrences)

Jealousy (54 Occurrences)

Lyre (32 Occurrences)

Lack (86 Occurrences)

Loving-kindnesses (8 Occurrences)

Gulf (3 Occurrences)

Withdrawn (28 Occurrences)

Worthless (103 Occurrences)

Invaded (20 Occurrences)

Injustice (32 Occurrences)

Flatter (5 Occurrences)

Feathers (9 Occurrences)

Faithlessness (9 Occurrences)

Fastness (1 Occurrence)

Fidelity (13 Occurrences)

Terrible (90 Occurrences)

Timothy (28 Occurrences)

Throat (13 Occurrences)

Troops (92 Occurrences)

Terror (137 Occurrences)

Rampart (9 Occurrences)

Rainbow (6 Occurrences)

Relieve (14 Occurrences)

Reliable (8 Occurrences)

Reins (15 Occurrences)

Reacheth (23 Occurrences)

Recounted (12 Occurrences)

Ezrahite (5 Occurrences)

Eupolemus

Extends (15 Occurrences)

Emptiness (17 Occurrences)

Ethan (9 Occurrences)

Mercy (467 Occurrences)

Merari (38 Occurrences)

Merciful (53 Occurrences)

Petitions (24 Occurrences)

Patience (59 Occurrences)

Pleading (12 Occurrences)

Phinehas (24 Occurrences)

Perverse (55 Occurrences)

Proved (49 Occurrences)

Prosperous (26 Occurrences)

Faithfully
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