Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 29: Grace Compared

Our previous lesson introduced the Hebrew letters that make up (ḤE·sed), and we looked at other words these letters allowed us to read. In this lesson we take a closer look at the work ḤE·sed itself, and compare its use in Jewish and Christian Bibles.

Hebrew Nuggets is an article series that introduces beginners to Hebrew letters, Hebrew vocabulary and spiritual insights from the Hebrew tradition.

Revised: 6-Oct.-2015

Our previous lesson introduced the Hebrew letters that make up the word חֶסֶד (ḤE·sed), and we looked at other words these letters allow us to read. In this lesson we take a closer look at the word ḤE·sed itself, and compare its use in Jewish and Christian Bibles.

Grace seems to be plentiful in the New Testament but rare in the Hebrew Scriptures. Many Christians have gained the false impression that the God of the Jewish Bible is typically a God of wrath, while the God of the New Testament—almost a different God—is a God of love. This impression is strengthened by such New Testament statements as “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17; RSV). Is God’s grace more prevalent in the New Testament than in the Jewish Scriptures? The answer is no, but the explanation of how this misperception gained acceptance among Christians is complicated.

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To read the next lesson in this series, click here.

For the transliteration system used in this series, click here.