H2896b H2896b
Good, goodness; what is good, beneficial, or right; also prosperity, well-being, and inherent good quality.
Used as a substantive noun, טוֹב encompasses both the abstract moral concept of 'the good' and its concrete outworkings in human life. From the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in Genesis to the psalmist's prayer 'Who will show us good?' (Ps 4:6), it anchors a fundamental biblical category. The word stands frequently in opposition to רַע ('evil'), and this pairing appears across languages: Spanish 'bien' vs. 'mal,' French 'bon' vs. 'mal.' A few passages narrow the focus to material prosperity—the good life, favorable circumstances—while an even smaller set highlights inherent quality or excellence.
1. good, what is good — The overwhelming majority of occurrences (about 85 of 90) use טוֹב as a general noun meaning 'good' or 'what is good,' spanning moral, ethical, and practical dimensions. It appears in foundational passages like Gen 2:9 ('the tree of the knowledge of good and evil') and Gen 3:5, 22, where the concept defines the boundary of human knowledge. The multilingual evidence is remarkably consistent: English 'good/goodness,' Spanish 'bien,' French 'bon,' German 'gut.' The word functions in many constructions—as an object of verbs like 'see,' 'seek,' 'find,' and 'give'—showing its breadth as the default term for what is beneficial, right, or desirable. 85×
AR["الخَيْرَ","الْخَيْرَ","خَيراً","خَيرًا","خَيْرًا","خَيْرٌ","خَيْرٍ"]·ben["ভাল","ভালো","ভালোর","মঙ্গল","মঙ্গলের"]·DE["gut"]·EN["good","goodness"]·FR["bon"]·heb["טוב"]·HI["अच्छा","अच्छाई","अच्छी-वस्तु","भलाई","भलाई-की"]·ID["kebaikan"]·IT["bene","buono"]·jav["Saé","kabecikan","kang-saé","kasaenan","kasaeènan","kasaénan","menapa-wonten","sae"]·KO["복을","선-을","선-의","선-이다","선을","선함-과","선함-을","좋은-것을","좋은-것이","좋음을"]·PT["Bem","bem","bondade","o-bem"]·RU["Благо","блага","благе","благо","добро","доброго"]·ES["Bien","bien","bien?","el-bien."]·SW["jema","mema","vizuri","wema"]·TR["iyi","iyilik","iyilikten","iyiliği","iyiliğin"]·urd["اچھائی","اچھائی-کی","بَھلائی","بھلائی","بھلائی-کے"]
Gen 2:9, Gen 2:17, Gen 3:5, Gen 3:22, Gen 26:29, Deut 1:39, 2 Sam 19:35, Esth 10:3, Job 7:7, Job 30:26, Ps 4:6, Ps 14:1 (+38 more)
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. prosperity, well-being — Three passages narrow the semantic range to concrete prosperity, material well-being, or favorable life conditions. In 1 Kgs 1:42, Ahimaaz says he brings 'good' (i.e., good news of prosperity); in 1 Kgs 10:7, the Queen of Sheba describes Solomon's wisdom and טוֹב (material splendor); Ps 25:13 promises the righteous will 'dwell in good' (enjoy prosperity). Spanish 'en bien' and the English gloss 'in prosperity' mark this experiential, material dimension distinct from abstract moral goodness. 3×
AR["فِي-خَيْرٍ","وَ-خَيْرًا","وَخَيْرًا"]·ben["এবং-ভালো","এবং-মঙ্গল","ভালোতে"]·DE["in-gut","und-goodness","und-gut"]·EN["and-good","and-goodness","in-prosperity"]·FR["dans-bon","et-bon","et-bonté"]·heb["ב-טוב","ו-טוב","וָ-טוֹב"]·HI["और-अच्छाई","और-अच्छी","में-भलाई"]·ID["dan-baik","dan-kebaikan"]·IT["bene","e-buono","e-goodness"]·jav["ing-kasaeènan","lan-kasaénan","lan-saé"]·KO["그리고-선함을","그리고-좋은","선-에서"]·PT["e-bom","e-bondade","em-prosperidade"]·RU["в-благе","и-благом","и-доброе"]·ES["en-bien","y-bondad","y-buenas"]·SW["katika-mema","na-habari-njema","na-wema"]·TR["iyilikte-","ve-iyi","ve-iyilik"]·urd["-بھلائی-میں","اور-اچھی","اور-بھلائی"]
3. goodness, good quality — Two occurrences (Prov 2:9; Hos 10:1) use טוֹב to describe the inherent quality or degree of excellence in something—its good character or nature. In Prov 2:9, understanding righteousness includes discerning every 'good track' or quality; in Hos 10:1, Israel's fruit increases 'according to the goodness' of its land. The gloss 'according to goodness of' in English and Spanish 'conforme a la bondad de' point to a qualitative, evaluative nuance rather than the moral or material senses. 2×
AR["صَالِحٍ","كَجَودَةِ"]·ben["ভালো","যত-ভালো-হয়েছে-"]·DE["gut","wie-gut"]·EN["according-to-goodness-of","good"]·FR["bon","comme-bon"]·heb["טוב","כ-טוב"]·HI["अनुसार-अच्छी","भला"]·ID["yang-baik"]·IT["[כטוב]","bene"]·jav["kang-saé","miturut-saéning"]·KO["선한","에-좋음에-같으니라"]·PT["boa","conforme-ser-boa"]·RU["блага.","как-благо"]·ES["buena","conforme-a-la-bondad-de"]·SW["kadiri-ilivyo-nzuri","njema"]·TR["iyiliğin","iyiliğine-göre"]·urd["اچھا","جتنی-اچھی"]
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×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† III. טוֹב n.m. Je 17:6 (cf. טוֹבָה n.f.) a good thing, benefit, welfare;—ט׳ Gn 26:29 + 134 times;— 1. welfare, prosperity, happiness: ‖ שָׁלוֹם Is 52:7; Je 8:15; 14:19; אם טוב ואם רע 42:6 whether prosperity or adversity; יבוא טוב 17:6 prosperity cometh; שׂמח בט׳ Dt 26:11; 2 Ch 6:41; ראה בט׳ Ec 2:1; Je 29:32; obj. of ראה ψ 4:7; 34:13; Ec 2:24; 3:13; Jb 7:7; of דרשׁ Est 10:3; of בקשׁ ψ 122:9; מנע…