The Bible verses about kindness gathered here show that kindness in Scripture is far more than good manners. It begins in the character of God, runs through the stories of Ruth, Boaz and David, and reaches its fullest expression in Jesus Christ. When the King James translators wrote “lovingkindness,” they were reaching for a Hebrew word so rich that no single English term could hold it.
This page takes a teaching approach, asking what the text actually says and how the theme grows from the Law and the Prophets into the New Testament. Each passage below is followed by a short note on its setting and meaning.
If you are looking for ways to live this out at home or at work, the companion page of Bible verses for kindness in everyday life covers that ground. Here the aim is understanding, because kindness rooted in who God is tends to outlast kindness built on mood.
Every verse below is quoted word for word from the King James Version, with the reference under each passage.
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32 (KJV)
Among all the Bible verses about kindness, this one ties our treatment of others directly to the forgiveness we have received in Christ. Kindness here is a response, not a starting point.
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Micah 6:8 (KJV)
The prophet sums up what God requires, and “love mercy” translates the Hebrew hesed. In Bible verses about kindness like this one, kindness is not decoration on justice; it stands right beside it.
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Colossians 3:12 (KJV)
Paul pictures kindness as clothing that believers put on because they are chosen and loved. The list moves from inner compassion to outward meekness.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
“Gentleness” here renders the Greek chrestotes, which the KJV translates as kindness elsewhere. It grows as fruit of the Spirit rather than as a product of willpower.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1 Corinthians 13:4 (KJV)
This is one of the Bible verses about kindness most often read at weddings, yet its setting is a church divided by pride. In Greek, “is kind” is a verb describing love in action.
The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.
Proverbs 19:22 (KJV)
The wise teacher says that what people most desire in one another is kindness. He adds that a poor man is better than a liar, ranking honesty and kindness above wealth.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
Proverbs 31:26 (KJV)
The woman of strength is described as one whose speech is governed by “the law of kindness.” Like other Bible verses about kindness in Proverbs, it shows kindness shaping speech as well as deeds.
And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.
Ruth 2:20 (KJV)
Many readers count this among the tenderest Bible verses about kindness. Naomi sees the Lord’s faithful love at work through the generosity of Boaz toward Ruth.
And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.
2 Samuel 9:7 (KJV)
David seeks out Jonathan’s lame son to honor an old covenant promise. The story shows kindness as faithfulness long after it would have been easy to forget.
For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.
Psalms 117:2 (KJV)
The shortest psalm calls every nation to praise God for His “merciful kindness.” Kindness is presented as part of who the Lord is, joined to His lasting truth.
For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
Isaiah 54:10 (KJV)
God promises that His kindness will outlast the mountains. Few Bible verses about kindness speak so strongly about its permanence.
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
Jeremiah 9:24 (KJV)
God says He delights in exercising lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness. The one who boasts should boast in knowing such a God.
But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Titus 3:4-5 (KJV)
Paul links God’s kindness to salvation itself, which comes by mercy and not by our works. No Bible verses about kindness reach deeper, since divine kindness is the reason the gospel exists.
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Luke 6:35 (KJV)
Jesus calls His followers to be kind even to enemies, because the Highest is kind to the unthankful and evil. Kindness here mirrors the Father’s own character.
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Romans 2:4 (KJV)
The KJV word “goodness” is chrestotes, the same word often rendered kindness. God’s kindness is meant to lead people to repentance, not to make them careless.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2 Peter 1:5-7 (KJV)
“Brotherly kindness” appears near the top of a ladder of growing virtues, just before charity. Here the Bible verses about kindness connect it with a maturing faith.
And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.
Acts 28:2 (KJV)
After a shipwreck on Malta, local islanders showed Paul and his companions “no little kindness.” The Bible verses about kindness include kindness shown by strangers.
The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.
Proverbs 11:17 (KJV)
The merciful person does good to his own soul, while cruelty troubles the one who practices it. Several Bible verses about kindness observe that it shapes the giver too.
Most Old Testament Bible verses about kindness use the Hebrew word hesed. The Blue Letter Bible entry for hesed (Strong’s H2617) shows how the King James translators rendered it as mercy, kindness, lovingkindness, goodness and favour. The variety is not careless. Hesed describes loyal love that acts within a relationship, especially a covenant, and it often goes beyond what strict duty would demand.
In the New Testament the main Greek words are chrestos, meaning kind or useful, and chrestotes, meaning kindness or goodness. The lexicon entry for chrestotes (G5544) lists places where the KJV has kindness, goodness and gentleness. So when you read Bible verses about kindness in English, the idea may hide behind several different words. Knowing this helps you see that Galatians 5:22, Romans 2:4 and Titus 3:4 are all speaking about the same quality.
Put simply, biblical kindness is goodness that moves toward someone in need. That explains why the theme sits so close to the Bible’s teaching on love that gives itself away and mercy.
Scripture does not start with human niceness. It starts with God. When the Lord passed before Moses on Sinai, He proclaimed Himself “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). That self-description echoes through the rest of the Old Testament, and many Bible verses about kindness quietly build on it. Psalm 136 repeats the refrain “for his mercy endureth for ever” in all twenty-six verses, and the Hebrew behind “mercy” is hesed.
David could write, “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee” (Psalm 63:3). The writer of Lamentations, sitting among the ruins of Jerusalem, still confessed that “it is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not” (Lamentations 3:22). God’s kindness is not a passing mood; it is anchored in His faithfulness. That is why the Bible verses about kindness so often pair it with truth.
Human kindness in the Bible is always a reflection, never the original. The New Testament makes the same move when it roots kindness in the grace of God shown in Christ. We are kind because we have first been treated kindly.
The book of Ruth contains some of the warmest Bible verses about kindness and may be the clearest story-shaped picture of hesed in the Old Testament. It opens with Naomi, widowed and bereaved of both sons, praying that the Lord would “deal kindly” with her Moabite daughters-in-law, as they had dealt with the dead and with her (Ruth 1:8). Ruth then refuses to leave, binding herself to Naomi’s people and Naomi’s God.
In the harvest field, Boaz goes further than the law required. Israel’s gleaning laws let the poor gather what reapers left behind (Leviticus 19:9-10), but Boaz tells his workers to let extra handfuls fall on purpose (Ruth 2:16). You can read the whole scene in Ruth chapter 2 on Bible Gateway. When Naomi hears what happened, she blesses the Lord for kindness to the living and the dead.
Later Boaz praises Ruth herself: “thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning” (Ruth 3:10). The kindness runs in both directions. The book closes by tracing Ruth’s family line to King David (Ruth 4:17), and Matthew 1:5 names her in the genealogy of Jesus. Britannica’s overview of the Book of Ruth gives helpful background on its setting.
Years before he became king, David made a covenant with his friend Jonathan, Saul’s son. Jonathan asked David not to cut off his kindness from his house for ever (1 Samuel 20:14-15). After Saul and Jonathan died, David asked a question that shows what covenant kindness looks like: “Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him?” (2 Samuel 9:3).
The answer was Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, who had been lame in both feet since a childhood accident (2 Samuel 4:4). David restored Saul’s land to him and gave him a permanent place at the royal table. The phrase “the kindness of God” is striking. David understood his generosity as a copy of the way God treats people who have nothing to offer.
Among the Bible verses about kindness, 2 Samuel 9:7 stands out because it shows kindness as faithfulness over time. David kept a promise when no one would have blamed him for forgetting it. That link between kindness and dependability also runs through the Bible’s teaching on trusting a God who keeps His word.
The prophets refused to let Israel separate worship from the way people were treated. Hosea records the Lord saying, “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). The word for mercy there is again hesed. Jesus quoted this line twice when critics objected to His compassion (Matthew 9:13; 12:7).
Micah 6:8 gathers the prophetic message into one sentence: do justly, love mercy, walk humbly. Zechariah 7:9 says something similar: “Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother.” In these Bible verses about kindness, kindness and justice are partners. Justice without kindness turns harsh; kindness without justice can ignore the oppressed. The prophets insisted on both.
Jeremiah 9:24, one of the richest prophetic Bible verses about kindness, adds that God Himself delights in these things. Human wisdom, might and riches are poor reasons to boast. Knowing the Lord who exercises lovingkindness is the true ground for confidence, which is why Scripture’s picture of godly wisdom always includes how we treat others.
The Gospels rarely use the noun kindness, yet the idea fills every page. In Luke 6:35 Jesus tells His followers to love enemies and lend without expecting anything back, because God “is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” It is one of the most demanding Bible verses about kindness, since it removes any requirement that the other person deserve it.
Matthew 11:30 holds a lovely surprise. When Jesus says, “my yoke is easy,” the Greek word for easy is chrestos, the same word translated kind in Luke 6:35. His rule is kind, fitted to the one who carries it, not crushing. That invitation is one reason so many readers find comfort in Scripture in His words.
The parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 answers the question “who is my neighbour?” by showing kindness across ethnic and religious lines. A Samaritan binds wounds, pays for lodging and promises to return. Jesus ends with a simple command: “Go, and do thou likewise.” Kindness in His teaching is concrete, costly and not limited to people like us.
Paul returns to the theme often, and his letters give some of its most careful definitions. In 1 Corinthians 13:4 he writes that charity “suffereth long, and is kind.” He was addressing a church proud of its spiritual gifts yet careless toward its weaker members. Kindness, he argues, is a better sign of spiritual maturity than impressive abilities.
Galatians 5:22-23 lists gentleness (chrestotes) among the fruit of the Spirit. Colossians 3:12 tells believers to “put on” kindness like clothing. In 2 Corinthians 6:6 Paul even lists “kindness” among the marks of genuine ministry, alongside pureness, knowledge and longsuffering. These Bible verses about kindness treat it as evidence of a changed life, not a personality trait some people happen to have.
Notice the order in most of these passages. Kindness follows a statement about what God has already done: chosen, forgiven, loved. The command grows out of the gift. That pattern links kindness closely to faith in what Christ has done, since believers act kindly out of trust rather than to earn standing.
Two passages show that God’s kindness sits at the center of the gospel. Titus 3:4-5 says that “the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,” and that He saved us “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy.” Salvation begins with divine kindness, not human effort. Christian traditions describe how grace and faith work together in somewhat different ways, but they agree that God takes the first step.
Romans 2:4 adds a warning. The riches of God’s goodness, forbearance and longsuffering are meant to lead people to repentance. Kindness is an invitation to turn around, not permission to stay put. Romans 11:22 holds both truths together: “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God.”
For readers, these Bible verses about kindness offer steady hope in God’s patience. The God who judges is also the God whose kindness appeared in Jesus Christ, and whose invitation remains open.
One common mistake is to read Bible verses about kindness as a call to avoid conflict. Scripture says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6). Ephesians 4:15 calls believers to speak “the truth in love.” Kindness sometimes means an honest word that someone does not want to hear, spoken gently and for their good.
A second misunderstanding treats kindness as weakness. Yet the Bible pairs it with strength. The woman of Proverbs 31 wears “strength and honour” as her clothing (Proverbs 31:25), and in the very next verse the law of kindness governs her tongue. Gentleness in Scripture is power under control, a theme that connects with passages about strength that comes from God.
A third mistake is thinking we earn God’s favour by being kind. The Bible verses about kindness in Titus and Ephesians teach the reverse order: God’s kindness comes first, and ours follows.
Honest readers ask how a kind God can allow suffering or bring judgment. The Bible verses about kindness do not dodge the question. Lamentations was written after Jerusalem fell, and yet it says, “For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies” (Lamentations 3:31-32). Kindness and grief appear in the same breath.
Scripture also presents judgment as God’s refusal to let evil run on unchecked, which is itself a kindness to the oppressed. These passages do not ask us to pretend pain is absent. They ask us to trust that God’s character remains good within it.
Many who wrestle with these questions find help in passages about healing for the broken in heart and in the Psalms of lament. Anyone carrying deep grief or despair should also reach out to a pastor, counselor or doctor; seeking that help is fully consistent with faith.
The theme is not limited to a few famous passages. Kindness appears in prayers, oaths and family stories across the Old Testament, and the New Testament brings it to fulfilment in Christ. The table below gives a short survey that goes beyond the main list of Bible verses about kindness on this page.
| Passage | What happens | What it teaches |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis 24:12 | Abraham’s servant asks God to “shew kindness” to his master | Kindness sought in prayer |
| Genesis 39:21 | The Lord shows Joseph mercy while he is in prison | God’s kindness in hardship |
| Joshua 2:12 | Rahab asks the spies to “shew kindness” to her family | Kindness returned for kindness |
| Psalm 103:4 | God “crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies” | Kindness as God’s gift |
| Ephesians 2:7 | God will show “his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” in ages to come | Kindness on display forever |
Read together, these passages show a steady line: God is kind, He asks His people to be kind, and the Christian hope of lasting peace with God rests on that unchanging goodness.
The Bible verses about kindness trace a single thread from Sinai to the cross. God declares Himself abundant in goodness, shows hesed to Ruth and to Israel, and finally makes His kindness visible in Jesus Christ. If this study has stirred a desire to reflect that kindness, the Bible verses about encouragement make a fitting next step.
The word kindness shows up in a prayer long before Moses, and it comes from a man most readers skip past. Abraham is old, and he sends his most trusted servant hundreds of miles to find a wife for Isaac. The servant arrives at a town well in the evening, when women come out to draw water, and he prays out loud: “O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham” (Genesis 24:12). Think about the nerve of that. He has no map, no matchmaker, no guarantee. All he has is a conviction that the God of his master deals kindly with people.
Then he sets a test that is really a test of character. The woman who offers him a drink, and then volunteers to water all ten of his camels, will be the one. A camel can drink a startling amount after a long trip. Rebekah does the work without being asked twice, and she does it for a stranger. The servant doesn’t just see her strength. He sees a person who gives more than the situation requires.
Notice where the story puts the weight. The servant asks for God’s kindness, and the answer arrives in the form of a young woman’s kindness. That pattern repeats through Scripture. Heaven’s goodness usually walks in through very ordinary doors: a bucket, a meal, a ride, a phone call returned. If you ever wonder how God answers a prayer for help, ask whether somebody nearby has quietly been moved to be generous. And ask whether you might be that somebody for another person today.
Paul’s voyage to Rome ends badly. The ship breaks apart near an island later named as Malta, and two hundred seventy-six people struggle ashore, soaked and shaking. Luke, who was there, records what the islanders did: “And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold” (Acts 28:2). The word “barbarous” in the King James doesn’t mean savage. It meant people who didn’t speak Greek. They were foreigners to the passengers, and the passengers were foreigners to them.
What strikes me is how small the act is. Nobody preaches. Nobody organizes a committee. Someone gathers sticks and builds a fire big enough for more than two hundred cold travelers, and does it while the rain is still coming down. Luke thought it worth writing into the record, and he was a careful historian who left out plenty. That tells us something about how the early believers weighed things. A warm fire for soaked strangers mattered.
The islanders also had no idea what Paul believed. They weren’t kind because of a creed they shared. They were kind because people were cold. Plenty of us wait until we feel sure someone deserves help, or agrees with us, before we offer it. This short scene doesn’t allow that delay. Hospitality to the stranger, the neighbor with a flooded basement, the new family at church who haven’t found their feet yet: it often begins with a fire and a blanket, long before any conversation about faith.
Solomon’s mother taught him a phrase that I have never gotten past. In the description of the capable woman, we read, “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness” (Proverbs 31:26). A law, not a mood. She doesn’t speak kindly when she’s rested and the house is calm. Kindness governs her tongue the way a rule governs a household, and that’s a different thing from a pleasant temperament.
So picture a real evening. Dinner is late, the homework isn’t done, and someone has just snapped at someone else. Which words come out next is a decision, even if it feels like a reflex. Proverbs 11:17 adds a quiet warning: “The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.” Harshness, in other words, costs the person who dishes it out. I have watched people carry a sharp remark for days, replaying it, while the one who received it had already moved on.
Here’s a practical step that is easy to try this week. Choose one regular moment, the first conversation of the morning or the first minute after you walk in the door, and decide in advance that your opening words will be gentle. You will fail some days. That’s fine. A law that is practiced imperfectly still shapes a home. Over months, children and coworkers learn what to expect from you, and you learn what kind of person you are becoming. Small and repeated beats grand and rare, nearly every time.
Keep exploring with these related pages: Bible Verses For Kindness, Bible Verses About Faith, Bible Verses About Hope, Bible Verses About Love and Bible Verses About Strength.
For deeper study, Bible Gateway, Bible Hub and Bible Study Tools are all free to use.
Short Bible verses about kindness such as Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:12, Micah 6:8 and 1 Corinthians 13:4 are widely known. For a picture of God’s own kindness, Isaiah 54:10 and Psalm 117:2 are brief and memorable. Many readers also value Luke 6:35 because it stretches kindness to enemies.
Both often translate the Hebrew hesed. “Lovingkindness” appears mainly in the Psalms and the prophets and usually describes God’s covenant love. “Kindness” is used for both God and people. Old Testament Bible verses about kindness often use the terms in overlapping ways, so the difference is more about English style than meaning.
Yes. Galatians 5:22 lists it, though the KJV translates the Greek chrestotes as “gentleness” there, and many modern translations use “kindness.” Among Bible verses about kindness, this passage teaches that it grows through the Holy Spirit’s work in a believer, not merely through effort.
Ruth, Boaz, David, Rahab and the Good Samaritan are clear examples, and their stories stand behind many Bible verses about kindness. In Acts, Luke highlights the islanders of Malta and describes Dorcas as “full of good works and almsdeeds” (Acts 9:36). Above all, the Gospels present Jesus as the perfect picture of kindness.
Luke 6:35 commands kindness toward enemies and grounds it in God’s kindness to the unthankful. Proverbs 25:21 says, “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat,” and Paul quotes it in Romans 12:20.
