"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him." — Psalm 103:13 (KJV)
The short answer
The Bible presents compassion first as the character of God, whose mercies never fail, and then as the calling of His people. We are told to put on mercy and kindness, to be tenderhearted, and to be moved by others' suffering as Jesus was — anchored in Colossians 3:12 and Matthew 9:36.
Compassion, in the Bible, is not merely a soft feeling; it is a movement of the heart that leads to action. The word often used in the Gospels describes being stirred deep within at another's pain. God is called the Father of compassion, and again and again Scripture asks us to let His mercy shape the way we see and treat people. Below are eight passages, quoted exactly from the King James Version, grouped around the questions a caring heart actually asks.
Is God compassionate toward me?
Before Scripture asks us to be compassionate, it shows us a God who overflows with it. His mercy toward us is the wellspring from which our mercy toward others is meant to flow.
"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." — Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV)
Spoken amid ruin and grief, these words insist that God's compassion has not run dry. It is renewed with every sunrise. However spent yesterday left you, His mercy meets you fresh this morning.
"The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." — Psalm 145:8-9 (KJV)
God is not merely capable of compassion; He is full of it. Slow to anger and great in mercy, His tender care reaches over everything He has made — and that includes you, at your weakest.
How did Jesus respond to hurting people?
If we want to know what compassion looks like with skin on, we watch Jesus. He did not keep His distance from suffering; He was moved by it, and He calls us to the same mercy.
"But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." — Matthew 9:36 (KJV)
Jesus saw the crowds — not as a problem, but as weary, shepherdless people — and He was stirred within. Compassion begins with truly seeing, with letting another's condition move us rather than pass us by.
"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." — Luke 6:36 (KJV)
Our mercy is meant to be a family resemblance. We are not asked to invent compassion from scratch, but to mirror the Father whose mercy we have received. We love because we have first been loved.
How should I treat others?
Compassion is something we deliberately put on, like clothing chosen for the day. The New Testament makes it concrete: mercy, kindness, and unity are to mark the way believers treat one another.
"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;" — Colossians 3:12 (KJV)
To "put on" mercy is a choice we make each day, the way we dress. Because we are beloved of God, we clothe ourselves in kindness and patience — not because we always feel it, but because it is who we now are.
"Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:" — 1 Peter 3:8 (KJV)
Compassion here is communal — a shared tenderness that binds people together. To have compassion one of another is to feel with each other, carrying one another's burdens as family rather than strangers.
What does compassion look like in action?
Biblical compassion does not stay a feeling; it becomes forgiveness, justice, and mercy shown with the hands. Scripture ties tenderness of heart to tangible acts toward others.
"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)
Forgiveness is compassion in its costliest form. We extend it not because others have earned it, but because we ourselves have been forgiven at great cost. Grace received becomes grace given.
"Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:" — Zechariah 7:9 (KJV)
Compassion and justice belong together. God asks not only for fair judgment but for mercy shown to one another — a tenderness that works itself out in how we actually treat the people around us.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Bible say about God's compassion?
Scripture describes compassion as central to who God is. Lamentations 3:22-23 says it is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness (KJV). Psalm 145:8 adds that the LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. God's compassion is not occasional or exhausted; it is renewed each morning and reaches, as the psalm says, over all His works.
How does the Bible say I should show compassion to others?
The Bible turns God's compassion into a pattern for ours. Colossians 3:12 calls believers to put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering. Ephesians 4:32 says be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you (KJV). Compassion in Scripture is practical: it notices suffering, moves toward it with kindness and forgiveness, and mirrors the mercy God has already shown us.
"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)
Take it deeper
These verses are a beginning, not the whole of what God says about a compassionate life. FlickerFaith is a Scripture-first study companion — open it to read these passages in full context, search related verses on mercy and kindness, pray for those on your heart, and ask honest questions about how to love people well. It keeps you close to the Word, not away from it.
Keep reading
Compassion often calls for the courage to move toward another's pain, and the wisdom to help well. Let honesty keep your kindness sincere, and find the rest you need so mercy does not run dry. You can also browse all Bible topics, explore AI Bible study, or return home.