H2895 H2895
To be good, pleasant, or pleasing; in causative stems, to do good, act well, or deal generously with someone.
At its core this verb describes a state of goodness or pleasantness, frequently appearing in the idiom 'to be good in one's eyes' meaning to find approval (Num 24:1; Deut 15:16). Spanish and French translations capture this dual quality well: bueno/bien and bon all orbit around both moral goodness and experiential pleasantness. In its causative usage the focus shifts to active benevolence -- God doing good to His people (Jer 32:41; Ps 119:68) or a person acting rightly before God (1 Kgs 8:18). The German renderings show the semantic breadth, ranging from simple gut to more specific constructions for doing well.
Senses
1. be good, be pleasing — Qal stative sense: to be good, pleasant, or agreeable, often in the evaluative idiom 'good in someone's eyes.' Cross-linguistic glosses converge on basic goodness (Eng. good, Spa. bueno, Fra. bon, Ger. gut). Used of things, situations, or conditions being favorable -- Balaam sees it is good in God's eyes to bless Israel (Num 24:1), and the tents of Jacob are called tov (Num 24:5). 16×
AR["أَجْمَلَ", "حَسَنٌ", "حَسُنَ", "خَيْرٌ", "طُوبُو", "وَ-طَابَ", "وَ-يَطِيبُ", "وَخَيْرًا"]·ben["উত্তম", "এবং-ভালো", "এবং-ভালো-হত", "এবং-ভালো-হবে", "ভাল", "ভালো", "সুন্দর"]·DE["[טבו]", "gut", "und-gut"]·EN["and-good", "better", "good"]·FR["bon", "et-bon", "sont-bons"]·heb["ו-טוב", "טבו", "טוב", "טובו"]·HI["अच्छा", "अच्छा-लगे", "अच्छे-हैं", "और-अचछ-होग", "और-अचछ-होत", "और-भला-हो", "सुंदर-हैं"]·ID["baik", "dan-baik", "indah", "lebih-baik"]·IT["better", "buono", "e-buono"]·jav["endahipun", "lan-sae", "lan-saé", "sae", "saè"]·KO["그리고-좋았다", "그리고-좋으리라", "그리고-좋을것이다", "좋고", "좋다", "좋다면", "좋도다", "좋았다", "좋으면", "좋은", "좋은가"]·PT["boas", "bom", "bons", "e-bem"]·RU["и-было-хорошо", "и-хорошо", "хороши", "хорошо"]·ES["bien", "bueno", "hermosas", "mejores", "y-bien", "y-sea-bien"]·SW["ilikuwa-mema", "na-akawa-vizuri", "na-iwe-vizuri", "na-utakuwa-vizuri", "ni-mazuri", "ni-vizuri", "ulivyo-bora", "vizuri", "vyema"]·TR["güzeldir", "iyi", "iyiyse", "ve-iyi-olacak", "ve-iyi-olsun", "ve-iyi-olurdu"]·urd["اور-اچھا-ہو", "اور-اچھا-ہوتا-تھا", "اور-بھلائی", "اچھا", "اچھا-تھا", "اچھا-لگے", "اچھی-ہے", "بہتر-ہے", "خوبصورت"]
Num 11:18, Num 24:1, Num 24:5, Deut 5:33, Deut 15:16, 1 Sam 16:16, 1 Sam 16:23, 1 Chr 13:2, Neh 2:5, Neh 2:7, Esth 1:19, Esth 3:9 (+4 more)
2. do good, act well — Hiphil causative sense: to do good, act well, or deal generously with someone. The agent actively brings about goodness. God promises to do good to Israel and rejoice over them (Jer 32:41); the psalmist declares 'You are good and You do good' (Ps 119:68). Translations reflect the causative shift: Spa. Haz bien, hiciste bien; Fra. etre bon with causative markers. 8×
AR["أَحسِن", "أَحْسَنْتَ", "لِأُحْسِنَ", "وَ-مُحْسِنٌ", "وَأُحْسِنُ", "وَحَسَنِ"]·ben["আর-ভালো", "আর-ভালো-করব", "ও-মঙ্গলকারী", "তুমি-ভালো-করেছ", "ভালো-করেছ", "মঙ্গল-করতে", "মঙ্গল-করো,"]·DE["[הטיבות]", "[והטבתי]", "[ומטב]", "[להטיב]", "du-tat-gut", "tun-gut", "und-doing-gut"]·EN["and-I-will-do-better", "and-doing-good", "and-skilled-at", "do-good", "to-do-good-to", "you-did-well"]·FR["[להטיב]", "et-de-être-bon", "et-être-bon", "le-être-bon", "tu-fit-bien", "être-bon"]·heb["היטבה", "היטבת", "הטיבות", "ו-היטבתי", "ו-מטיב", "ו-מיטב", "ל-היטיב"]·HI["अच्छा-किया", "आवाज़", "और-मैं-भलाई-करूँगा", "भला-किया-तूने", "भलाई-कर", "भलाई-करने-को", "हेतीवोता"]·ID["-engkau-berbuat-baik", "Berbuat-baiklah", "dan-Aku-berbuat-baik", "dan-berbuat-baik", "dan-pandai", "engkau-baik-melakukan", "kamu-berbuat-baik", "untuk-berbuat-baik"]·IT["[והטבתי]", "[ומטב]", "[להטיב]", "e-fu-buono", "essere-buono", "fu-buono", "tu-fece-bene"]·jav["Mugi-paring-kasaénan", "kangge-nindakaken-saé", "lan-Ingsun-nindakaken-saé", "lan-nindakaken-kasaénan", "lan-pinter", "panjenengan-nindakaken-kanthi-sae", "panjenengan-sae", "sampéyan-nindakaken-sae"]·KO["그리고-내가-좋게-하리라", "그리고-선-을-행하시도다", "그리고-잘-케는", "네가-잘하였다", "선-을-행하소서", "선하게-하기-위해", "잘-하셨습니다", "잘-행하였음"]·PT["Faze-bem", "e-bom-de", "e-farei-bem", "e-fazes-o-bem", "fizeste-bem", "para-fazer-bem"]·RU["Сотвори-благо", "благотворя", "и-благотворящий", "и-облагодетельствую", "и-хорошо-играющий", "хорошо-сделал", "хорошо-сделал-ты"]·ES["Haz-bien", "bien-hiciste", "hiciste-bien", "para-hacerles-bien", "y-bien", "y-haces-bien", "y-haré-bien"]·SW["Wafanyie-mema", "kuwatendea-mema", "kwamba", "na-kutenda-mema", "na-mzuri-wa", "na-nitafanya-vizuri", "ulifanya-vyema", "umefanya-vizuri"]·TR["iyi-ettin", "iyi-yaptın", "iyilik-et", "iyilik-yapmak-için", "ve-iyi", "ve-iyilik-yapacağım", "ve-iyilik-yapan"]·urd["اور-اچھا", "اور-بھلائی-کرنے-والا", "اور-بھلائی-کروں-گا", "اچھا-کیا", "اچھا-کیا-تو-نے", "بھلائی-کر", "بھلائی-کرنے-میں", "تُو-نے-اچھا-کیا"]
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×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. טוֹב vb. pleasing, good (NH id., Hiph.; also deriv.; Arabic طَابَ med. ى be pleasant, delightful, delicious, sweet or savoury in taste or odour, be pure and clean, cheerful, happy (Lane); Aramaic ܛܶܐܒ, ܛܳܒ, טְאֵב, טַב, טַיֵּב and especially deriv. glad, joyful; Assyrian ṭâbu, be good, kind, acceptable, joyful, vigorous DlHWB 299)— Qal Pf. טוֹב Nu 11:18 + 32 times; pl. טֹבוּ Nu 24:5 Ct 4:10;…