140 Bible Verses about Compassion

Compassion is a cornerstone of the Christian faith, reflecting God’s deep love and kindness. It urges us to respond to others’ needs with empathy and action. This Scripture highlights the importance of mercy, kindness, and love. These 140 Bible verses about compassion will inspire you to show warmth and concern and make a positive impact on those around you.

God’s Compassion

Psalm 103:8 – “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”
Lamentations 3:22 – “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.”
Micah 7:19 – “You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”
Psalm 145:9 – “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”
Isaiah 49:13 – “Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.”
Psalm 78:38 – “Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath.”
Isaiah 54:10 – “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
Zechariah 7:9 – “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.”
Psalm 86:15 – “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”
Isaiah 30:18 – “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”

Compassion for the Needy

Deuteronomy 15:11 – “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”
Isaiah 58:10 – “and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
Psalm 82:3 – “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.”
Matthew 25:35 – “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
James 1:27 – “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
Proverbs 14:21 – “It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.”
1 John 3:17 – “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
Isaiah 1:17 – “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”
Hebrews 13:16 – “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

Jesus’ Compassion

Matthew 9:36 – “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Mark 1:41 – “Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!'”
Luke 7:13 – “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don’t cry.'”
Mark 6:34 – “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”
Matthew 15:32 – “Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.'”
Mark 8:2 – “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.”
John 11:35 – “Jesus wept.”
Luke 19:41 – “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.”

Compassion in the Old Testament

Exodus 33:19 – “And the Lord said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.'”
2 Kings 13:23 – “But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence.”
Nehemiah 9:27 – “So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.”
Psalm 25:6 – “Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.”
Psalm 51:1 – “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.”
Psalm 103:13 – “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”
Psalm 119:156 – “Your compassion, Lord, is great; preserve my life according to your laws.”
Isaiah 63:7 – “I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us— yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.”
Joel 2:13 – “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.”
Jonah 4:2 – “He prayed to the Lord, ‘Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.'”

Compassion for Strangers and Foreigners

Leviticus 19:34 – “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
Deuteronomy 10:18 – “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”
Exodus 22:21 – “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”
Malachi 3:5 – “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.”
Deuteronomy 24:17 – “Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.”
Jeremiah 22:3 – “This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.”
Ezekiel 47:22 – “You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.”
Zechariah 7:10 – “Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.”
Matthew 25:40 – “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Hebrews 13:2 – “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

Compassion in the New Testament Letters

Colossians 3:12 – “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
Philippians 2:1 – “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion.”
James 5:11 – “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
2 Corinthians 1:3 – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.”
1 Peter 3:8 – “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”
2 Corinthians 8:9 – “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
Romans 12:15 – “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”
1 John 4:10 – “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Compassion for Enemies

Matthew 5:44 – “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Luke 6:27 – “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”
Romans 12:20 – “On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'”
Proverbs 25:21 – “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”
Exodus 23:4 – “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.”
1 Samuel 24:17 – “‘You are more righteous than I,’ he said. ‘You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.'”
2 Kings 6:22 – “‘Do not kill them,’ he answered. ‘Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.'”
Job 31:29 – “‘If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him—'”
Luke 23:34 – “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”
Acts 7:60 – “Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Compassion in Proverbs

Proverbs 31:20 – “She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.”
Proverbs 12:10 – “The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.”
Proverbs 14:31 – “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”
Proverbs 22:9 – “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”
Proverbs 11:17 – “Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.”
Proverbs 29:7 – “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.”
Proverbs 21:13 – “Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.”
Proverbs 3:27 – “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”
Proverbs 19:17 – “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”
Proverbs 28:27 – “Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.”

Compassion in Parables

Luke 10:33 – “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.”
Luke 15:20 – “So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
Matthew 18:27 – “The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.”
Luke 16:24 – “So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’”
Matthew 14:14 – “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

Compassion for the Suffering

2 Corinthians 1:4 – “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
Job 6:14 – “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.”
James 2:15-16 – “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”
Galatians 6:2 – “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Hebrews 4:15 – “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”
Philippians 2:4 – “not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
2 Corinthians 11:29 – “Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?”
1 Thessalonians 5:14 – “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

Compassion for Family

1 Timothy 5:8 – “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Ephesians 6:4 – “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
Colossians 3:21 – “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.”
1 Peter 3:7 – “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”
Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
Proverbs 22:6 – “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
Psalm 127:3 – “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.”
Proverbs 23:24 – “The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.”
Proverbs 31:28 – “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”

Compassion for Friends

Job 2:11 – “When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.”
Proverbs 17:17 – “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”
Proverbs 27:9 – “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.”
John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Ecclesiastes 4:10 – “If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
Proverbs 18:24 – “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Proverbs 27:17 – “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
1 Samuel 18:1 – “After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.”
2 Samuel 1:26 – “I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.”
Philippians 1:3 – “I thank my God every time I remember you.”

Compassion in Forgiveness

Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Matthew 6:14 – “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Luke 6:37 – “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
Mark 11:25 – “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Luke 17:3-4 – “So watch yourselves. If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
Matthew 18:21-22 – “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'”
Matthew 18:35 – “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
John 20:23 – “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Compassion in Healing

Matthew 20:34 – “Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.”
Luke 5:13 – “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ And immediately the leprosy left him.”
John 9:6 – “After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.”
Matthew 9:35 – “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”
Mark 5:34 – “He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.'”
Luke 8:48 – “Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.'”

Compassion for Animals

Deuteronomy 25:4 – “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”
Exodus 23:12 – “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.”
Genesis 9:9-10 – “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth.”
Isaiah 11:6 – “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.”
Jonah 4:11 – “And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
Deuteronomy 22:6-7 – “If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young. You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life.”
Job 12:7-10 – “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”
Matthew 6:26 – “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Compassion for God’s Creation

Genesis 1:28 – “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'”
Psalm 8:6-8 – “You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.”
Isaiah 45:18 – “For this is what the Lord says—he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited—he says: ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other.'”
Revelation 4:11 – “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
Colossians 1:16 – “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”
Psalm 33:5 – “The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.”
Psalm 19:1 – “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Romans 1:20 – “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Psalm 104:24 – “How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”

Conclusion

As you read through these 140 Bible verses about compassion, may your heart be stirred to greater acts of compassion, and may you find the strength to love others as Christ loves you. Let these verses be a reminder of the beauty and power of a compassionate heart, and may they inspire you to make a difference in the world—one act of kindness at a time.

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