Difference between revisions of "Good"

<p> '''A. Adjective.''' </p> <p> <em> Ṭôb </em> ( '''''טוֹב''''' , Strong'S #2896), “good; favorable; festive; pleasing,;pleasant; well; better; right; best.” This word appears in Akkadian, Aramaic, Arabic, Ugaritic, and Old South Arabic. Occurring in all periods of biblical Hebrew, it appears about 559 times. </p> <p> This adjective denotes “good” in every sense of that word. For example, <em> ṭôb </em> is used in the sense “pleasant” or “delightful”: “And he saw that [a resting place] was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear [burdens] …” (Gen. 49:15). An extension of this sense appears in Gen. 40:16, where <em> ṭôb </em> means “favorable” or “in one’s favor”: “When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was <em> good </em> , he said unto Joseph.…” In 1 Sam. 25:8, the emphasis is on the nuance “delightful” or “festal”: “… Let the young men find favor in thine eyes: for we come in a <em> good </em> day.…” God is described as One who is “good,” or One who gives “delight” and “pleasure”: “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works” (Ps. 73:28). </p> <p> In 1 Sam. 29:6, this word describes human activities: “… As the Lord liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the [army] is good in my sight.…” <em> Ṭôb </em> can be applied to scenic beauty, as in 2 Kings 2:19: “Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.” Second Chron. 12:12 employs a related nuance when it applies the word to the conditions in Judah under King Rehoboam, after he humbled himself before God: “… Things went well.” </p> <p> <em> Ṭôb </em> often qualifies a common object or activity. When the word is used in this sense, no ethical overtones are intended. In 1 Sam. 19:4, <em> ṭôb </em> describes the way [[Jonathan]] spoke about David: “And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been [toward thee] very good.” First Samuel 25:15 characterizes a people as “friendly” or “useful”: “But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields.…” Often this word bears an even stronger emphasis, as in 1 Kings 12:7, where the “good word” is not only friendly but eases the life of one’s servants. God’s “good word” promises life in the face of oppression and uncertainty: “… There hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant” (1 Kings 8:56). <em> Ṭôb </em> often characterizes a statement as an important assertion for salvation and prosperity (real or imagined): “Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been <em> better </em> —for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness” (Exod. 14:12). God judged that man’s circumstance without a wife or helpmeet was not “good” (Gen. 2:18). [[Elsewhere]] <em> ṭôb </em> is applied to an evaluation of one’s well-being or of the wellbeing of a situation or thing: “And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness” (Gen. 1:4—the first occurrence). </p> <p> <em> Ṭôb </em> is used to describe land and agriculture: “And I am come down to deliver them out of the [power] of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good [fertile] land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey …” (Exod. 3:8). This suggests its potential of supporting life (Deut. 11:17). Thus the expression “the good land” is a comment about not only its existing, but its potential, productivity. In such contexts the land is viewed as one aspect of the blessings of salvation promised by God; thus the Lord did not permit Moses to cross the [[Jordan]] and enter the land which His people were to inherit (Deut. 3:26-28). This aspect of the “good land” includes overtones of its fruitfulness and “pleasantness”: “And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them …” (1 Sam. 8:14). <em> Ṭôb </em> is used to describe men or women. Sometimes it is used of an “elite corps” of people: “And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses …” (1 Sam. 8:16). In 2 Sam. 18:27, [[Ahimaaz]] is described as a “good” man because he comes with “good” military news. In 1 Sam. 15:28, the word has ethical overtones: “The Lord hath rent the kingdom of [[Israel]] from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou” (cf. 1 Kings 2:32). In other passages, <em> ṭôb </em> describes physical appearance: “And the damsel was very fair to look upon [literally, “good of appearance”] …” (Gen. 24:16). When applied to one’s heart, the word describes “well-being” rather than ethical status. Therefore, the parallel idea is “joyous and happy”: “… And they … went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David …” (1 Kings 8:66). [[Dying]] “at a good old age” describes “advanced age,” rather than moral accomplishment, but a time when due to divine blessings one is fulfilled and satisfied (Gen. 15:15). </p> <p> <em> Ṭôb </em> 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). </p> <p> <em> Ṭôb </em> is often used in conjunction with the [[Hebrew]] word <em> ra’ah </em> —(“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. </p> <p> In Gen. 2:9, <em> ṭôb </em> 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. </p> <p> '''B. Verbs.''' </p> <p> <em> Yâṭab </em> ( '''''יָטַב''''' , Strong'S #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.” </p> <p> Ṭôb ( '''''טוֹב''''' , Strong'S #2895), “to be joyful, glad, pleasant, lovely, appropriate, becoming, good, precious.” Ṭôb 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?” </p>

<p> ''''' good ''''' ( טוב , <i> ''''' ṭōbh ''''' </i> , טוּב , <i> ''''' ṭūbh ''''' </i> , יטב , <i> ''''' yāṭabh ''''' </i> ; ἀγαθός , <i> ''''' agathós ''''' </i> , ἀγαθόν , <i> ''''' agathón ''''' </i> , καλός , <i> ''''' kalós ''''' </i> , καλόν , <i> ''''' kalón ''''' </i> ): In English "good" is used in various senses, most of which are represented in the Bible. </p> <p> (1) In the Old [[Testament]] the commonest word is <i> ''''' ṭōbh ''''' </i> , occurring very frequently and translated in a great variety of ways. Of the different shades of meaning, which frequently run into each other, the following may be distinguished: ( <i> a </i> ) <i> [[Possessing]] desirable qualities </i> , <i> beneficial </i> , <i> agreeable </i> , e.g. "good for food" (&nbsp; [[Genesis]] 2:9 ); "We will do thee good" (&nbsp;Numbers 10:29 ); Who will show us any good?" (&nbsp;Psalm 4:6 ); "good tidings of good" (&nbsp;Isaiah 52:7 ). ( <i> b </i> ) <i> Moral excellence </i> , <i> piety: </i> "to know good and evil" (&nbsp; Genesis 3:22 ); "that which is right and good" ( <i> &nbsp;Deuteronomy 6:18 </i> ; &nbsp;1 Samuel 12:23 ); "good and bad" (&nbsp;1 Kings 3:9 , the Revised Version (British and American) "evil"); "Depart from evil and do good" (&nbsp;Psalm 37:27 ); "a good man" (&nbsp;Proverbs 12:2 ); compare &nbsp;Isaiah 5:20; &nbsp;Micah 6:8 , etc. ( <i> c </i> ) <i> Kind </i> , <i> benevolent: </i> "The men were very good unto us" (&nbsp; 1 Samuel 25:15 ); "Give thanks unto Yahweh; for he is good" (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 16:34 ); "the good Yahweh" (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 30:18 ); "God is good to Israel" (&nbsp;Psalm 73:1 ); "Yahweh is good to all" (&nbsp;Psalm 145:9 ), etc. ( <i> d </i> ) <i> Serviceable </i> , <i> adequate </i> , <i> sufficient: </i> "saw the light that it was good" (&nbsp; Genesis 1:4; so &nbsp;Genesis 1:10 , &nbsp;Genesis 1:12 etc.); "not good that the man should be alone" (&nbsp; Genesis 2:18 ); in the frequent phrase, "if it seem good" (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 13:2; &nbsp;Esther 5:4 , etc.), sometimes rendered, "if it please" (&nbsp;Nehemiah 2:5 , &nbsp;Nehemiah 2:7; &nbsp;Esther 1:19 , etc.). ( <i> e </i> ) <i> Not small </i> or <i> deficient </i> (full, complete): "a good old age" (Gen 15, 15; &nbsp; Genesis 25:8 ); "a good dowry" (&nbsp;Genesis 30:20 ); "good ears," "years," "kine" (&nbsp;Genesis 41:24 , &nbsp;Genesis 41:26 , &nbsp;Genesis 41:35 ); "good understanding" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 25:3 ); "good trees" - "land" (&nbsp;2 Kings 3:19 , &nbsp;2 Kings 3:25 ), etc. ( <i> f </i> ) <i> Not blemished </i> , <i> fair </i> , <i> honorable: </i> "tender and good" (&nbsp; Genesis 18:7 ); "good kids" (&nbsp;Genesis 27:9 ); "good report" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 2:24; compare &nbsp;2 Kings 20:3; &nbsp;Jeremiah 24:2 ); and the renderings "fair" (&nbsp;Genesis 26:7 , etc.), "beautiful" (&nbsp;2 Samuel 11:2 ), "pleasant" (&nbsp;2 Kings 2:19 ), etc. ( <i> g </i> ) <i> Pleasure-giving </i> , <i> happy: </i> "glad of heart" (&nbsp; 1 Kings 8:66; &nbsp;Esther 5:9 ); sometimes in the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) translated "merry" (&nbsp;Judges 16:25; &nbsp;1 Samuel 25:36; &nbsp;2 Samuel 13:28; &nbsp;Proverbs 15:15 , the Revised Version (British and American) "cheerful"), etc. </p> <p> Changes that may be noted in the Revised Version (British and American) are such as, "good" for "ready" (&nbsp;Isaiah 41:7 ); "I have no good beyond thee" for "My goodness extendeth not to thee" (&nbsp;Psalm 16:2 ); "goodly" for "good" (&nbsp;Psalm 45:1 ); "good" for "goodness" (&nbsp;Psalm 107:9 ); "good" for "well" (&nbsp;Zechariah 8:15 ). </p> <p> <i> ''''' Ṭūbh ''''' </i> means <i> something good </i> , e.g. "the good of the land" (&nbsp; Genesis 45:18 , &nbsp;Genesis 45:20; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 6:11; &nbsp;Job 21:16 , the Revised Version (British and American) "prosperity"). </p> <p> <i> ''''' Yāṭabh ''''' </i> , "to do good," occurs several times, as, I will surely do thee good" (&nbsp; Genesis 32:12 ); "to do good" (&nbsp;Leviticus 5:4 ); "Make your ways and your doings good," the Revised Version (British and American) "amend" (&nbsp;Jeremiah 18:11; &nbsp;Zephaniah 1:12 , etc.). </p> <p> Numerous other Hebrew words are rendered "good" in various verbal connections and otherwise, as "to bring good tidings" (&nbsp;2 Samuel 4:10; &nbsp;Isaiah 40:9 , etc.); "take good heed" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 2:4; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 4:15; &nbsp;Joshua 23:11 ); "make good" (&nbsp;Exodus 21:34 ), etc.; "good will" ( <i> ''''' racōn ''''' </i> , &nbsp;Deuteronomy 33:16; &nbsp;Malachi 2:13 ); "what good?" the Revised Version (British and American) "what advantages?" ( <i> ''''' kishrōn ''''' </i> , &nbsp;Ecclesiastes 5:11 ); "good for nothing," the Revised Version (British and American) "profitable" ( <i> ''''' cālēaḥ ''''' </i> , &nbsp;Jeremiah 13:10 ), etc. In &nbsp;Jeremiah 18:4 , "as seemed good to the potter," the word is <i> ''''' yāhsār ''''' </i> , which means literally, "right." </p> <p> (2) In the New Testament the words most frequently translated "good" are <i> ''''' agathos ''''' </i> and <i> ''''' kalos ''''' </i> ̌ . The former, <i> ''''' agathos ''''' </i> , denotes good as a <i> quality </i> , physical or moral. Thus, "He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good" (&nbsp; Matthew 5:45 ); "good gifts" (&nbsp;Matthew 7:11 ); "Good [[Master]] (the Revised Version (British and American) "Teacher") ... Why callest thou me good? none is good save one" (&nbsp;Mark 10:17 f; &nbsp; Luke 18:18 f; compare &nbsp; Matthew 19:16 ); "they that have done good" (&nbsp;John 5:29 ). Sometimes it is equivalent to "kind" (thus &nbsp;Titus 2:5 the Revised Version (British and American)); <i> ''''' to agathon ''''' </i> is "that which is good" (&nbsp;Luke 6:45; &nbsp;Romans 7:13; &nbsp;1 Thessalonians 5:15; &nbsp;1 Peter 3:13 ), etc.; "that which is honest," the Revised Version (British and American) "honorable" (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 13:7 ); "meet" (&nbsp;Matthew 15:26; &nbsp;Mark 7:27 ); "worthy," the Revised Version (British and American) "honorable" (&nbsp;James 2:7 ); <i> ''''' agathon ''''' </i> is "a good thing," as "good things to them that ask him" (&nbsp;Matthew 7:11 ); Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" (&nbsp;John 1:46 ), etc.; <i> ''''' agathoergéō ''''' </i> (&nbsp;1 Timothy 6:18 ), and <i> ''''' agathopoiéō ''''' </i> (&nbsp;Mark 3:4; &nbsp;Acts 14:17 ), etc., "to do good." </p> <p> <i> ''''' Kalos ''''' </i> is properly, "beautiful," "pleasing," "useful," "noble," "worthy" in a moral sense, e.g. "that they may see your good works" (&nbsp; Matthew 5:16 ); "She hath wrought a good work on me" (&nbsp;Matthew 26:10; Mk 14, 6); "the good shepherd" (&nbsp;John 10:11 , &nbsp;John 10:14 ); "Many good works have I showed you" (&nbsp;John 10:32 ); "good and acceptable before God" (&nbsp;1 Timothy 5:4; the Revised Version (British and American) omits "good"); "the good fight" (&nbsp;2 Timothy 4:7 ); "good works" (&nbsp;Titus 2:7 ); "the good word of God" (&nbsp;Hebrews 6:5 ). But it is often practically equivalent to <i> ''''' agathos ''''' </i> , e.g. "good fruit" (&nbsp;Matthew 3:10 ); "good ground" (&nbsp;Matthew 13:23 ); "good seed" (&nbsp;Matthew 13:24 ); but the idea of <i> useful </i> may underlie such expressions; <i> ''''' to kalon ''''' </i> is properly "that which is beautiful." It occurs in &nbsp;Romans 7:18 , &nbsp;Romans 7:21; &nbsp;1 Thessalonians 5:21 , "Hold fast that which is good." In Rom 7 it seems to be used interchangeably with <i> ''''' to agathon ''''' </i> ̌ . In &nbsp;Romans 5:7 , "the good man" ( <i> ''''' ho agathos ''''' </i> ) is distinguished from "a righteous man" ( <i> ''''' dı́kaios ''''' </i> ): "For the good man some one would even dare to die" (compare &nbsp;Romans 7:16; &nbsp;Hebrews 5:14; &nbsp;James 4:17 ); <i> ''''' kalō̇s ''''' </i> , "well," "pleasantly," is translated "good" (&nbsp;Luke 6:27; &nbsp;James 2:3 ); <i> ''''' kalodidáskalos ''''' </i> (&nbsp;Titus 2:3 ), "teachers of good things," the Revised Version (British and American) "of that which is good." </p> <p> "Good" occurs in the rendering of many other Greek words and phrases, as <i> ''''' eudokı́a ''''' </i> , "good pleasure" (&nbsp; Ephesians 1:9 ); "good will" (&nbsp;Luke 2:14; &nbsp;Philippians 1:15 ); <i> ''''' sumphérō ''''' </i> , "to bear together," "not good to marry" (&nbsp;Matthew 19:10 ), the Revised Version (British and American) "expedient"; <i> ''''' philágathos ''''' </i> , "a lover of good" (&nbsp;Titus 1:8 ); <i> ''''' chrēstologı́a ''''' </i> , "good words" (&nbsp;Romans 16:18 , the Revised Version (British and American) "smooth speech," etc.). </p> <p> The following changes in the Revised Version (British and American) may be noted. In &nbsp;Luke 2:14 for "men of good will" ( <i> ''''' eudokia ''''' </i> ) the Revised Version (British and American) reads "in whom he is well pleased," margin "good pleasure among men, Greek men of good pleasure." The meaning is "men to whom God is drawing nigh in goodwill or acceptance"; compare &nbsp;Luke 4:19 , "the acceptable year of the Lord"; &nbsp;Luke 4:43 , "Preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God." In &nbsp;Matthew 11:5; &nbsp;Luke 4:43; &nbsp;Luke 7:22; &nbsp;1 Peter 1:25 and (American Standard Revised Version) &nbsp; Revelation 14:6 "the gospel" is changed into "good tidings." In &nbsp; Matthew 18:8 f; &nbsp; Mark 9:43 , &nbsp;Mark 9:15 , &nbsp;Mark 9:47; &nbsp;Luke 5:39 , good is substituted for "better"; on the last passage in notes "Many authorities read 'better'"; in &nbsp;1 Corinthians 9:15 "good ... rather" for "better"; "good" is substituted in &nbsp; Luke 1:19; &nbsp;Luke 8:1 and &nbsp; Acts 13:32 for "glad"; in &nbsp; Acts 6:3 for "honest"; in &nbsp; Hebrews 13:9 for "a good thing." In &nbsp; 2 Thessalonians 1:11 , all the good pleasure of his goodness" becomes "every desire of goodness" (m "Gr good pleasure of goodness"); in &nbsp;1 Timothy 3:2 , "good" ( <i> ''''' kósmios ''''' </i> ) becomes "orderly." There are many other instances of like changes. See [[Goodness]]; [[Good]] , [[Chief]] . </p>

<p> (Lat. bonum) is variously defined by moralists, according to the nature of their ethical theories. The Stoic would define it to be that which is according to nature; the Epicurean, that which increases pleasure or diminishes pain; the Idealist, that which accords with the fitness of things; the Christian theologian, that which accords with the revealed will of God. So the philosophical schools give various and even contradictory definitions of the highest good (summumsbonum). Thus Aristippus placed it in pleasure in activity; Epicurus, in pleasure in repose; Zeno, in tranquillity of mind; Kant, in well being conditioned on morality; the Materialists, in self-love. </p> <p> Schleiermacher states his views of. the subject as follows: In ethics there are three fundamental conceptions '''''—''''' duty, virtue, good. [[Duty]] is the obligation of morals action; virtue is the moral power of the agent; the highest good is the objectives aim of both. In the Systems of Kant and Fichte, ethics is the doctrine of duty, and its development becomes simply a treatment of individual virtues. In opposing this view, Schleiermacher maintains that a system of moral precepts, or formulas of duty, even though it might embrace the whole life of man, could only be applied in isolated cases and single acts, leaving the moral life as a whole. still unexplained. It is only in a very limited sphere that a moral agent acts alone, and without reference to other agents; and his virtue has relation to a general state of things, to produce which other agents cooperate. Schleiermacher charges the existing ethical systems with making an unnatural schism between the law of action (duty) and the active power (virtue) on the one hand, and the resulting actions on the other hand; and also with leaving entire spheres of human action, of unquestionably moral character, in the domain of adiaphora (things indifferent), instead of brinmging them under the authority of moral law. To remedy these alleged confusions, Schleiermacher seeks for an organic principle of ethics, which shall be at once objective, systematic, and comprehensive. He finds it in the highest good, which can be completely apprehended, not in its relations to the individual merely, but with reference to the human race as a whole. From this principle the whole sphere of ethics may be mapped, placing universal nature on the one hand, and the organizing reason (the universal reason of humanity) on the other. In this theory Schleiermacher expressly recognizes the authority of Plato, who, in his Philebus investigated the "highest good." Aristotle, in whom the idea of virtue was the highest, places the highest good in '''''Εὐδαιμονία''''' , individual happiness '''''—''''' not, however, in the Epicurean sense, but in the sense of '''''Ζωῆς''''' '''''Τελείας''''' '''''Ἐνέργεια''''' '''''Κατ᾿''''' '''''Ἀπετὴν''''' '''''Τελείαν''''' , the working out or realization of a perfect life through perfect virtue. </p> <p> In the further development of the history of ethics, so far as relates to the definition of the "highest good," we must particularly notice the distinction (1) between the individual and the general, indicated in Plato and Aristotle, and carried to the greatest extent by [[Epicurus]] and the Stoics; (2) the resulting distinction between the objective and subjective, according to which the "highest good" is, on the one hand, a condition of man (e.g. Epicurean enjoyment, Stoical endurance); or, on the other hand, a product of human activity, the end of humanity as a whole;. (3) the consequent moral theories of pleasure or of activity, according to the farmer of which the "highest good" lies in enjoyment, while according to the latter it lies in moral activity. In the language of Christian theology "the highest good" is the kingdom of God, which includes within itself all ethical elements, the individual and the general, activity and happiness, theory and practice, means and end. The means of securing the "highest good" is to promote the advancement of that kingdom; the end, the "highest good" itself, is the coming. of that kingdom, to the individual. in his personal salvation to the universal race, in the realization of the promise "God shall be all in all!" See Schleiermacher, Ethische Abhandlungen, in his Phil. Nachlassen, 2:12, 13; Herzog, Real-Encyklop. s.v. Ethik, Tugend. </p>