Affection (4698) (splagchnon or splanchna) originally referred to the upper abdominal viscera especially the intestines, which the ancients regarded as the seat of affections and emotions, such as anger and love. This word is always in the plural in the NT. The phrase "I feel it in the pit of my stomach" is a modern parallel. And we all know how that feels! So splagchnon refers to that deep, internal caring comparable to the modern expressions of deep feeling such as “broken-hearted” or “gut-wrenching”. Zodhiates says that... In Class. Gr. writers, it is chiefly spoken of the upper viscera of animals, as the heart, lungs, and liver which were eaten during or after the sacrifice...Figuratively, the inward parts indicating the breast or heart as the seat of emotions and passions. In the NT, of the gentler emotions as compassion, tender affection indicating the mind, soul, the inner man (2Co 6:12, Philemon 1:7, 20; 1Jn 3:17; Sept.: Pr 12:10 (cf. Ge 43:30; 1Kgs. 3:26) (Zodhiates, S. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. AMG or Logos) Earlier Paul speaking from his heart had said... Philippians 1:8-note For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. Splagchnon in classical Greek referred to the inward parts and somewhat ironically is used of the literal bowels of Judas Iscariot who betrayed our Lord (he lacked figurative "splagchnon"!) (Acts 1:18) Splagchnon - 14x in 14v - Luke 1:78; Acts 1:18; 12" class="scriptRef">2Cor 6:12; 7:15; Phil 1:8; 2:1; Col 3:12; Philemon 1:7, 12, 20; 1John 3:17. NAS = affection, 3; affections, 1; heart, 4; hearts, 1; intestines, 1; tender, 1. One of the most precious uses of splagchnon is found in the Gospel of Luke where he quotes Zacharias' beautiful description of Jesus, prophesying that the Child Jesus will "give to His people (Jews) the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy (splagchnon) of our God, with which the Sunrise (speaking of the Son Who rose!) from on high shall visit (episkeptomai) us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death (Gentiles), to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Lk 1:77, 78, 79) Here are some other representative uses... Philemon 1:7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort (paraklesis) in your love, because the hearts (splagchnon) of the saints have been refreshed (anapauo, a military term that speaks of an army resting from a march - to cause one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength) through you, brother....12 And I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart...20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. Comment: MacArthur "Hearts translates splanchna, which literally means “bowels.” It refers to the seat of the feelings. People struggling, suffering, and hurting emotionally, had been refreshed by Philemon. 1John 3:17 But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes (kleio = shut) his heart (splagchnon - In other words he clearly sees a need in a believer and shuts that need out of his heart! Woe!) against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Comment: NET Bible note: "Note the vivid contrast with Jesus' example in the preceding verse 1Jn 3:16: He was willing to lay down His very life, but the person in view in 1Jn 3:17 is not even willing to lay down part of his material possessions for the sake of his brother." Splagchnon - 3x in the Septuagint - Pr 12:10; 26:22; Jer 51:13; The derivative verb splagchnízomai (found only in the Gospels most often descriptive of Jesus) means to feel deeply or viscerally, to yearn, have compassion or to show pity (Study the following 12 uses of splagchnízomai gleaning for precious insights into the heart of our Lord -- Mat 9:36; Mat 14:14; Mat 15:32; Mat 18:27; Mat 20:34; Mark 1:41; Mark 6:34; Mark 8:2; Mark 9:22; Luke 7:13; Luke 10:33; Luke 15:20) If our bodies literally ache in pain and nausea when we experience great agony, remorse, or sympathy, we can be sure that the Son of Man felt them even more. Matthew tells us that, in order to fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah, Jesus Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases (Mt 8:17). It was not, of course, that Jesus Himself contracted the diseases or infirmities, but that in sympathy and compassion He physically as well as emotionally suffered with those who came to Him for healing-just as a parent can become physically ill from worry and concern over a child who is desperately sick or in trouble or danger. The Son of God was not remote or coldly calculating and analytical concerning men’s needs but was deeply moved by the suffering, confusion, despair, and spiritual lostness of those around Him. Jesus felt pain, experiencing genuine anguish for the suffering of others, whether they were believer or unbeliever, Jew or Gentile, man or woman, young or old, wealthy or poor. As John MacArthur astutely comments Jesus also felt compassion because of His perfect perception of hell and the torment those would face who did not receive Him. Even as He lovingly healed their bodies, He had infinitely greater concern to heal their souls. Even after Jesus healed a body, it could become sick or crippled again. But when He heals a sin-diseased soul, it is forever freed from sin’s dominion and penalty." (MacArthur, J: Romans 1-8. Chicago: Moody Press or Logos) KJV translates splagchnon 9 times as "bowels" as a reference to the emotions because of the way our emotions can affect how our intestinal organs feel. This translation may sound strange to modern ears but in fact even we use words that would sound strange to the ancients. For example we have the word "melancholy" which is literally "black bile"! In a manuscript from 5BC splagchnon was used figuratively in the phrase “for pity’s sake.” The Hebrews regarded the splagchnon as the seat of the most tender affections, especially kindness, benevolence, compassion. In the NT splagchnon is only found in the plural (tá splágchna = the viscera), and with the exception noted above, is always used figuratively, referring to what we in the West commonly refer to as "the heart", the seat of the tender affections and of deepest human emotions. The Hebrews expressed their feelings in terms of what they felt in their stomach. When they really had some emotion, it turned their stomach, so to speak. John MacArthur has an interesting notation on splagchnon writing that... The Hebrews, like many other ancient peoples, expressed attitudes and emotions in terms of physiological symptoms, not in abstractions. As most of us know from personal experience, many intense emotions-anxiety, fear, pity, remorse, and so on-can directly, and often immediately, affect the stomach and the digestive tract. Upset stomach, colitis, and ulcers are a few of the common ailments frequently related to emotional trauma. It is not strange, then, that ancient people associated strong emotions with that region of the body. The heart, on the other hand, was associated more with the mind and thinking (see Pr 16:23; Mt 15:19; Ro 10:10; Heb 4:12). The heart was the source of thought and action, whereas the bowels were the responder, the reactor." (MacArthur, J. Matthew. Chicago: Moody Press) Paul longed after the Philippians with the tender-heartednesses of Jesus Christ, a tenderness that was produced by the Holy Spirit in the heart of this bondservant who was fully yielded to His Lord. The Spirit filled believer's pulse beats with the pulse of Christ. His heart throbs with the heart of Christ. When we are walking in the Spirit, really one with Jesus, His compassion and affection (splagchnon) flows through us to our fellow men whom Jesus loves and for whom He died. Paul is saying in this verse that the believer has the privilege of being a "partner" in exhibiting the compassion of Christ! Do we really understand this profound truth? Splagchnon is the strongest Greek word for expressing compassionate love or tender mercy and involves one’s entire being. It describes the compassion which moves a man to the deepest depths of his being. In the gospels, apart from its use in some of the parables, it is used only of Jesus If there was one thing the ancient world needed it was more splagchnon or tender mercy. The sufferings of animals were nothing to it. The maimed and the sickly went to the wall. There was no provision for the aged and they were left to die. The treatment of the idiot and the simple-minded was unfeeling. Christianity brought splagchnon into this world. The English word compassion (see the next section) is taken from the Latin, which means to "bear with" or to "suffer with", but it has come to mean much more than that. According to one definition, compassion is “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the pain and remove its cause.”