ἵλεως

From the study of Hebrews 8:12

Range of meaning

An adjective meaning “gracious, merciful, favourably disposed, propitious”. Classical Greek used it of gods (or people) who are well-disposed rather than angry. In the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint) it is used almost only of God, often with the phrase “I will be” or “be!”, to translate Hebrew forms of salach (“forgive”) and nacham (“relent”). It belongs to the word family of hilaskomai (“make atonement, be gracious”), hilasmos (“atoning sacrifice”) and hilastērion (“place of atonement, mercy seat”).

Against the English

KJV, YLT, WEB, ESV and NASB keep “be merciful”. BSB, NIV and NLT follow Jeremiah's Hebrew and say “forgive”. Both are fair. “Forgive” names the act; “be merciful/gracious” names God's settled disposition toward the sins. Neither English option shows the reader that this is the same word family Hebrews uses for atonement (2:17) and for the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place (9:5).

Used elsewhere in the period

LXX Jeremiah 38:34 (= Hebrew Jer 31:34), the line quoted here. In the Greek version of Solomon's temple-dedication prayer (1 Kings 8:34 and following), God is asked to “be gracious to the sins” of his people who pray toward the temple. That is the same unusual pattern of being gracious toward sins. Matthew 16:22 has the idiom hileōs soi (“[God be] gracious to you!” meaning “God forbid!”). These are the word's only two NT uses (Matt 16:22; Heb 8:12). See BDAG s.v. ἵλεως and TDNT (Büchsel) on the ἱλάσκομαι family.

From the study of Matthew 16:22

Range of meaning

The adjective ἵλεως means 'gracious, merciful, well-disposed', and is used especially of a god who is favorable rather than angry. It belongs to the same word family as ἱλάσκομαι ('to make favorable, to expiate') and ἱλαστήριον ('place or means of atonement'). In the phrase ἵλεώς σοι ('merciful to you'), with 'God' or 'may God be' understood, it serves as a set formula for refusing something: 'God be merciful to you!', meaning 'God forbid!', 'Heaven spare you!', 'Never!'.

Against the English

'Far be it from you' (KJV, BSB, WEB, ESV) gives the force of the phrase but drops its reference to God. 'God forbid' (NASB) and 'Heaven forbid' (NLT) keep it. YLT's 'Be kind to thyself' is too literal and gets the grammar wrong: the mercy hoped for comes from God, not from Jesus toward himself.

How it drifted

English 'far be it from' comes from the Latin Vulgate's absit a te ('may it be absent from you'). Since then 'far be it from me to…' has become a mild, often ironic expression of modesty. That pushes the phrase further from its original sense, which was a prayer-like plea for God to avert disaster.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) uses ἵλεως to translate the Hebrew refusal formula ḥālîlâ ('far be it, profane!'): 2 Sam 20:20 'ἵλεώς μοι, ἵλεώς μοι' ('far be it from me!'); 2 Sam 23:17 and 1 Chr 11:19 (David refusing to drink the water bought with his men's lives); 1 Macc 2:21, where Mattathias says 'ἵλεως ἡμῖν' ('far be it from us') to forsaking the Law. Gen 43:23 has ἵλεως ὑμῖν as a reassurance. The only other New Testament use is Heb 8:12 ('I will be merciful', quoting Jer 31:34).