An adjective describing gods or persons as favorably disposed, gracious, or merciful. In classical Greek, it was commonly used in prayers asking for divine favor. The New Testament employs it in two striking contexts. In Matthew 16:22, Peter uses it in an oath formula—"God be merciful to you!" or "Never, Lord!"—when rebuking Jesus for predicting his death. In Hebrews 8:12, it appears in a quotation from Jeremiah describing God's covenant promise to be merciful toward iniquities. The multilingual glosses range from "propitious" and "gracious" to simply "merciful," all pointing to favorable disposition rather than harsh judgment.