The term "pitifully" is often associated with feelings of compassion, mercy, and deep sympathy. In the context of the Bible, it reflects the nature of God's compassion towards humanity and the expected response of believers towards others. The concept of pity is deeply rooted in the character of God and is exemplified in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Divine Compassion

The Bible frequently portrays God as a compassionate and merciful being who looks upon His creation with pity. In Psalm 103:13, it is written, "As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him." This verse highlights the paternal nature of God's pity, likening it to the tender care a father has for his children. God's pity is not merely an emotional response but is often accompanied by action, as seen in His deliverance and provision for His people.

Jesus Christ as the Embodiment of Pity

Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry, exemplified divine pity through His actions and teachings. In Matthew 9:36, it is recorded, "When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Jesus' pity led Him to heal the sick, feed the hungry, and teach the multitudes, demonstrating that true pity involves both feeling and action.

The Call to Imitate Divine Pity

Believers are called to emulate the pitiful nature of God in their interactions with others. In Ephesians 4:32, the Apostle Paul instructs, "Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you." This call to be tenderhearted reflects the expectation that Christians should respond to others with the same compassion and mercy that they have received from God.

Pity in the Context of Judgment

While pity is often associated with mercy, the Bible also presents it in the context of judgment. In Ezekiel 7:4, God declares, "I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you." This demonstrates that divine pity is not unconditional but is contingent upon the response of individuals to God's commands and covenant. The absence of pity in judgment serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the necessity of repentance.

Practical Application

In practical terms, believers are encouraged to show pity through acts of kindness, charity, and forgiveness. James 1:27 emphasizes the importance of caring for those in distress, stating, "Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." This verse underscores the active nature of pity, urging Christians to engage in tangible acts of love and service.

In summary, the concept of "pitifully" in the Bible encompasses a deep sense of compassion and mercy that is both felt and acted upon. It is a reflection of God's character and a directive for believers to follow in their daily lives, balancing mercy with justice and action with empathy.

But Let this Pass, for what Follows is of More Importance. I Thank ...
... Have they ended by bringing you into these inextricable straits, in which you are
so pitifully confined that the very Alps could give you no refuge? ...
/.../31 but let this pass.htm

The Early Years of Jesus
... the pious imagination to write the story of the youth of Jesus, and the account
of the nativity and its antecedents fares as ill, being pitifully trivial where ...
/.../rhees/the life of jesus of nazareth/v the early years of.htm

The Boy and the Sunday School
... Compared with twelve hundred hours a year in the public school, or the twenty-eight
hundred hours a year a boy may work, it seems pitifully small, for the aim ...
/.../alexander/the boy and the sunday school/v the boy and the.htm

Footnotes:
... {88} Ateles (undescribed species). {89} Alas for Spider! She came to the Zoological
Gardens last summer, only to die pitifully. {90} Cebus. {91a} Cercoleptes. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/footnotes .htm

The Helplessness of the Gospel
... But however great its power and influence, however wonderful its accomplishments,
there are conditions under which it is pitifully helpless, under which it can ...
/.../naylor/heart talks/talk fifty-one the helplessness of.htm

The Voice of Stern Rebuke
... thine hand.". In this poverty-stricken home the famine pressed sore, and
the pitifully meager fare seemed about to fail. The coming ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 10 the voice of.htm

The Life of Sir Rob^T. Hamilton of Preston.
... faithfulness (who was the principal minister among those called the protesting party)
that Mr. Hamilton was again by the corrupt party so pitifully ensnared in ...
/.../howie/biographia scoticana scots worthies/the life of sir rob%5Et.htm

The Resurrection.
... Farrar says with great force and justice: At the moment when Christ died, nothing
could have seemed more abjectly weak, more pitifully hopeless, more ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the resurrection.htm

Of the Weight of Government; and that all Manner of Adversity is ...
... as a laxly running one in his appetite for the woman, became as a cruelly hard one
in the slaughter of the man; and he who had before known pitifully how to ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter iii of the weight.htm

Fawcett
... Wainsgate; and although he received many flattering calls to go elsewhere, he remained
here, or in the neighborhood at least, living on a pitifully small salary ...
//christianbookshelf.org/nutter/hymn writers of the church/fawcett.htm

Pitifully (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Pitifully (1 Occurrence). Luke 1:72 He dealt pitifully
with our forefathers, And remembered His holy covenant, (WEY). ...
/p/pitifully.htm - 6k

Pitiful (5 Occurrences)

/p/pitiful.htm - 9k

Pits (13 Occurrences)

/p/pits.htm - 13k

Forefathers (135 Occurrences)
... posterity for ever." (WEY). Luke 1:72 He dealt pitifully with our forefathers,
And remembered His holy covenant, (WEY). Luke 6:23 "Be ...
/f/forefathers.htm - 36k

Remembered (120 Occurrences)
... wept. (WEB DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV). Luke 1:72 He dealt pitifully with our
forefathers, And remembered His holy covenant, (WEY). Luke ...
/r/remembered.htm - 37k

Dealt (130 Occurrences)
... among men. (KJV WEY WBS NAS). Luke 1:72 He dealt pitifully with our forefathers,
And remembered His holy covenant, (WEY). Luke 2:48 ...
/d/dealt.htm - 37k

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