(36) Be ye therefore merciful.--The form of the sentence is the same as that of Matthew 5:48, but "merciful" takes the place of "perfect," as being the noblest of the divine attributes, in which all others reach their completeness. The well-known passage in Shakespeare on the "quality of mercy," is, perhaps, the best comment on this verse (Merchant of Venice, iv. 1).
Verse 36. - Beye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. "Yes," goes on the Master, "be ye kind, tender-hearted, merciful; stop not short at the easier love, but go on to the harder; and do this because God does it even to the unthankful and evil" (ver. 35). On this attribute of the mercy of the Most High, James, who had evidently drunk deep of the wisdom contained in this great discourse of his so-called brother, speaks of the Lord as "very pitiful, and of tender mercy" (James 5:11).
6:27-36 These are hard lessons to flesh and blood. But if we are thoroughly grounded in the faith of Christ's love, this will make his commands easy to us. Every one that comes to him for washing in his blood, and knows the greatness of the mercy and the love there is in him, can say, in truth and sincerity, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Let us then aim to be merciful, even according to the mercy of our heavenly Father to us.
Be ye therefore merciful,.... Tenderhearted, kind, beneficent to all men, friends and foes:
as your Father also is merciful; that is your Father which is in heaven; who is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works: nothing is more common in Zohar (y), and the Talmud (z) than to express the Divine Being by no other name, than "the Merciful"; "the Merciful said" so, and so; that is, God: and so the Arabians generally begin their books and chapters with these words, "in the name of God, exceeding merciful", or "the merciful commiserator": a saying much like to this in the text, is the Targum of Jonathan, on Leviticus 22:28.
"O my people, the children of "Israel, as your father", "is merciful" in heaven, so be ye merciful on earth.''
as your Father also is merciful; that is your Father which is in heaven; who is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works: nothing is more common in Zohar (y), and the Talmud (z) than to express the Divine Being by no other name, than "the Merciful"; "the Merciful said" so, and so; that is, God: and so the Arabians generally begin their books and chapters with these words, "in the name of God, exceeding merciful", or "the merciful commiserator": a saying much like to this in the text, is the Targum of Jonathan, on Leviticus 22:28.
"O my people, the children of "Israel, as your father", "is merciful" in heaven, so be ye merciful on earth.''
(y) Zohar in Lev. fol. 2. 2. & 9. 4. & 20. 1. & 22. 1.((z) T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 15. 2.