GEN578 It is interesting to note that while the Pentateuch describes individuals as performing all sorts of actions, moral and immoral, wise and foolish, they are rarely ascribed specific attributes or character traits. The rare exceptions are Noah, who is once referred to as a “righteous and whole-hearted man,” and Moses, who is described as “very meek, above all the men that were on the face of the earth.” [this verse; Numbers 12:3] In the light of this reticence, the description of God as “merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth” must have been perceived as a revelation which in some sense ascribed these moral qualities to God as part of His essence or character. God has been known to perform acts of kindness in the past, but now we are being given to understand that kindness is an abiding quality of God Himself.  SPERO 34