'Be Gracious' in the Bible
And he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s [only other] son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And Joseph said, “God be gracious to you and show you favor, my son.”
And God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion (lovingkindness) on whom I will show compassion.”
The Lord make His face shine upon you [with favor],And be gracious to you [surrounding you with lovingkindness];
David said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I thought, ‘Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me and the child may live.’
Have mercy on me and be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am weak (faint, frail);Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are dismayed and anguished.
Have mercy on me and be gracious to me, O Lord;See how I am afflicted by those who hate me,You who lift me up from the gates of death,
Turn to me [Lord] and be gracious to me,For I am alone and afflicted.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;Be gracious and compassionate to me and answer me.
“Hear, O Lord, be gracious and show favor to me;O Lord, be my helper.”
Be gracious and compassionate to me, O Lord, for I am in trouble;My eye is clouded and weakened by grief, my soul and my body also.
Turn to me, and be gracious to me;Grant Your strength [Your might and the power to resist temptation] to Your servant,And save the son of Your handmaid.
Therefore the Lord waits [expectantly] and longs to be gracious to you,And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.For the Lord is a God of justice;Blessed (happy, fortunate) are all those who long for Him [since He will never fail them].
O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will most certainly be gracious to you at the sound of your cry for help; when He hears it, He will answer you.
O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited [expectantly] for You.Be the arm of Your servants every morning [that is, their strength and their defense],Our salvation also in the time of trouble.
Hate evil and love good,And establish justice in the [court of the city] gate.Perhaps the Lord God of hostsWill be gracious to the remnant of Joseph [that is, those who remain after God’s judgment].
“But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering from your hand [as an imperfect animal for sacrifice], will He show favor to any of you?” says the Lord of hosts.
Those who went in front and those who were following [Him] were shouting [in joy and praise],“Hosanna (Save, I pray)!Blessed (praised, glorified) is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but was striking his chest [in humility and repentance], saying, ‘God, be merciful and gracious to me, the [especially wicked] sinner [that I am]!’
Let your speech at all times be gracious and pleasant, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to answer each one [who questions you].