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describes “advanced age,” rather than moral accomplishment, but a time when due to
divine blessings one is fulfilled and satisfied (Gen. 15:15).
indicates that a given word, act, or circumstance contributes positively to the
condition of a situation. Often this judgment does not mean that the thing is actually
“good,” only that it is so evaluated: “When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was
good …” (Gen. 40:16). The judgment may be ethical: “It is not good that ye do: ought ye
not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen …?” (Neh. 5:9).
The word may also represent “agreement” or “concurrence”: “The thing proceedeth from
the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good” (Gen. 24:50).
is often used in conjunction with the Hebrew word
(“bad; evil”).
Sometimes this is intended as a contrast; but in other contexts it may mean “everything
from good [friendly] to bad [unfriendly],” which is a way of saying “nothing at all.” In
other contexts, more contrast is suggested: “And what the land is that they dwell in,
whether it be good or bad …” (Num. 13:19). In this case, the evaluation would determine
whether the land could support the people well or not.
In Gen. 2:9,
contrasted with evil has moral overtones: “… the tree of life also in
the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” The fruit of this
tree, if consumed, would reveal the difference between moral evil and moral “good.” This
reference also suggests that, by eating this fruit, man attempted to determine for himself
what “good” and evil are.
B. Verbs.
(
+
, 3190), “to go well, be pleasing, be delighted, be happy.” This verb
appears 117 times in the Old Testament. The meaning of the word, as expressed in Neh.
2:6, is “pleased.”
(
+
, 2895), “to be joyful, glad, pleasant, lovely, appropriate, becoming, good,
precious.”
has cognates in Akkadian and Arabic. The verb occurs 21 times in the Old
Testament. Job 13:9 is one example of the word’s meaning, “to be good”: “Is it good that
he should search you out?”
TO BE GRACIOUS, SHOW FAVOR
A. Verb.
( , 2603), “to be gracious, considerate; to show favor.” This word is found
in ancient Ugaritic with much the same meaning as in biblical Hebrew. But in modern
Hebrew
seems to stress the stronger meaning of “to pardon or to show mercy.”
The word occurs around 80 times in the Hebrew Old Testament, the first time in Gen.
33:5: “The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.” Generally, this word
implies the extending of “favor,” often when it is neither expected nor deserved.
)
may express “generosity,” a gift from the heart (Ps. 37:21). God especially is the source
of undeserved “favor” (Gen. 33:11), and He is asked repeatedly for such “gracious” acts
as only He can do (Num. 6:25; Gen. 43:29). The psalmist prays: “… Grant me thy law
graciously” (Ps. 119:29).