ἀγᾰθός G0018
Good; morally excellent, virtuous, or beneficial—of persons, deeds, or things; also substantivized as 'good things' or 'the good.'
One of the New Testament's cardinal adjectives for moral excellence, agathos describes what is inherently good in character, quality, or effect. Jesus' provocative question 'Why do you call me good?' (Matt 19:17) probes the very nature of divine goodness, while the 'good tree' that bears 'good fruit' (Matt 7:17) makes moral quality visible and tangible. When substantivized, it yields 'good things' (Luke 1:53, the hungry filled with good things) or the abstract principle of 'the good' itself (Rom 12:9, 'cling to the good'). German gut and Spanish bueno follow the same adjectival-to-substantive pattern, confirming the natural polysemy.
1. good (moral quality) — Adjectival use describing persons, actions, or things as morally good, virtuous, upright, or beneficial in quality. This is the overwhelming sense (85x), from the good tree and good fruit of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 7:17-18) to the 'good and faithful servant' (Matt 25:21) and the 'good soil' of the parable of the sower (Luke 8:8). Across languages—Spanish bueno, French bon, German gut—this maps directly and needs no disambiguation. 85×
AR["أَيُّها-الـ","الصَّالِحَ","الصَّالِحُ","الصَّالِحِ","الصّالِحَ","الصّالِحُ","الصّالِحِ","جَيِّدَةٌ","جَيِّدَةٍ","صالِحًا","صالِحٌ","صَالِحًا","صَالِحٌ","صَالِحُ","صَالِحِ"]·ben["ভালো","ভালোর"]·DE["gut"]·EN["good","is-good"]·FR["bon"]·heb["הַטּוֹב","טוֹב"]·HI["अच्छा","अच्छे","अछ","अछे","उत्तम","भलअ","भला","भले"]·ID["Baik","baik","yang-baik"]·IT["buono"]·jav["Sae","ingkang-sae","sae","sae,","sae?","saé"]·KO["선하고","선하냐","선하다고","선하신","선하지-않다","선한","선한-것","선한-것-을","선한-것을","선한-분","좋은"]·PT["bem","bem?","boa","bom","bom."]·RU["Благой.","Добрый","благ","благим","благое","благой","благом?","доброго","доброе","добрый"]·ES["bueno"]·SW["Mmoja","hazina","jema","lakini","mwema","mzuri,","ndimi","nifanye"]·TR["iyi","iyinin","iyiyi;"]·urd["اچھا","اچھے","اے-اچھے","بُرے","دل","نیک","نیکی"]
Matt 7:17, Matt 7:18, Matt 12:35, Matt 12:35, Matt 19:16, Matt 19:17, Matt 19:17, Matt 20:15, Matt 25:21, Matt 25:23, Mark 10:17, Mark 10:18 (+38 more)
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. good things, goods — Substantivized use referring to good things, blessings, or material and spiritual goods, typically in the plural or with the article. Mary's Magnificat declares the hungry 'filled with good things' (Luke 1:53); the rich fool plans to store up his 'goods' (Luke 12:18-19). Matt 7:11 asks how much more the Father will give 'good things' to those who ask. Spanish bienes and French biens capture this nominal shift from quality to quantifiable blessing. 13×
AR["الخَيراتِ","الخَيرُ","الخَيْرَاتِ","الْخَيْرَاتِ","خَيْرَات","خَيْرَاتٌ","خَيْرَاتٍ","خَيْرَاتِكَ","خَيْرَاتِي","صالِحاتٍ","صَالِحَاتٍ","صَالِحَاتِ"]·ben["উত্তম-বিষয়গুলির","ভালো","ভালো-জিনিস","ভালো?","ভালোগুলির","ভালোতে।","ভালোর"]·DE["gut"]·EN["good","good-things","goods","with-good-things"]·FR["bon"]·heb["טוֹבוֹת","טוֹבוֹת."]·HI["अचछि-चेएज़ोन.","अच्छाई","अच्छाईयाँ","अच्छाईयों-को","अच्छी-वस्तुएँ","अच्छी-वस्तुओं-से","अछअ","भलएए","भलाइयों,","भलाई","भले"]·ID["baik","barang-barang","dengan-kebaikan","hal-baik","hal-hal-baik","kebaikan?","yang-baik"]·IT["buono"]·jav["barang-saé","barang-saé.","kasaenan","kelawan-kasaénan,","sae","sae-sae!","sae?","saé","saé;"]·KO["선을","선한-것들","선한-것들을","선한-것들의","선한-것을","선한-일을","좋은-것들-로","좋은-것들-을","좋은-것들.","좋은-것들을","좋은-것을"]·PT["bens","boas-coisas","boas-novas!","coisas-boas","de-bens"]·RU["благ","благами","благах","благое","добр","добра","доброе"]·ES["bienes","buenas","buenas-cosas","cosas-buenas","cosas‒buenas","de-bienes"]·SW["mali","mema","mema!","mema;"]·TR["iyi-şeyler","iyiler","iyileri","iyilik","iyilikler","iyiliklerde","iyilikleri","iyiliklerin","iyiliklerle","mallarımı"]·urd["اچھائیاں","اچھی-باتیں","اچھی-چیزوں","اچھی-چیزوں-سے","اچھی-چیزوں-میں","بھلائی!","بھلائیاں","بھلائیوں","بھلائیوں-کا","نیکیاں","چیزیں","کرنے-والے"]
Matt 7:11, Matt 12:34, Matt 12:35, Luke 1:53, Luke 12:18, Luke 12:19, Luke 16:25, John 5:29, Rom 3:8, Rom 10:15, Gal 6:6, Heb 9:11 (+1 more)
3. the good (abstract) — Abstract substantivized use denoting 'the good' as a moral concept or principle—goodness itself rather than specific goods. Romans 12:9 exhorts believers to 'cling to the good'; Romans 12:21 urges 'overcome evil with the good'; Hebrews 13:21 prays God will equip believers 'in every good thing.' Only three occurrences carry this fully abstract philosophical weight, where agathos names the moral ideal rather than describing a concrete entity. 3×
AR["الْخَيْرِ","خَيْر"]·ben["উত্তমে","ভালোতে","ভালোতে;"]·DE["gut"]·EN["good"]·FR["bon"]·heb["טּוֹב","טוֹב"]·HI["भलाई","भलाई-में","भली"]·ID["yang-baik","yang-baik,"]·IT["buono"]·jav["sae","saé","saé;"]·KO["선에","선으로써","선함"]·PT["bem","bem;","boa-obra"]·RU["добром"]·ES["bueno","cosa-buena"]·SW["jema,","wema","wema;"]·TR["iyilikle","iyiye","iyiyle"]·urd["بھلائی","بھلائی-سے","نیک-کام-میں"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)H6664 1. righteousness, justice (116×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)G1343 1. (92×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀγᾰθός [ᾰγ], ή, όν, Laconian dialect ἀγασός Refs 5th c.BC+:— good: __I of persons, __I.1 well-born, gentle, opposed to κακός, δειλός, οἷά τε τοῖς ἀγαθοῖσι παραδρώωσι χέρηεςRefs 8th c.BC+; τοὺς εὐγενεῖς γὰρ κἀγαθοὺς.. φιλεῖ Ἄρης ἐναίρεινRefs 5th c.BC+:—in political sense, aristocrats, especially in the phrase καλοὶ κἀγαθοί (see. entry καλοκἀγαθός). __I.2 brave, valiant, since courage was…