טוֹב
good
also: pleasant, agreeable fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Absolute-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Adjective
- A word that describes or qualifies a noun.
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
Stem
- Qal
- The basic, simple active stem — the plain form of the verb (“he wrote”). Here: ‘be pleasant’
Form
- Perfect
- A completed action or state — Hebrew marks aspect (completeness) more than strict tense (“he wrote”).
- Infinitive Construct
- A bound verbal noun, frequently with prepositions (“to write / in writing”).
- Sequential Perfect
- A perfect with prefixed waw continuing a preceding imperfect or command (waw-consecutive perfect).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Person
- 3rd Person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Every verse where H2896 appears in the Book of Proverbs — 62 distinct verses. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Proverbs
- Proverbs 2:9 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.
- Proverbs 2:20 טוֹבִ֑ים adj Adjective mp That you may walk in the way of good men, And keep the paths of the righteous.
- Proverbs 3:4 ט֑וֹב adj Adjective ms So you will find favor, And good understanding in the sight of God and man.
- Proverbs 3:14 ט֣וֹב adj Adjective ms For her good profit is better than getting silver, And her return is better than fine gold.
- Proverbs 3:27 ט֥וֹב adj Adjective ms Don't withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do it.
- Proverbs 4:2 ט֭וֹב adj Adjective ms For I give you sound learning. Don't forsake my law.
- Proverbs 8:11 טוֹבָ֣ה adj Adjective fs For wisdom is better than rubies. All the things that may be desired can't be compared to it.
- Proverbs 8:19 ט֣וֹב adj Adjective ms My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold; My yield than choice silver.
- Proverbs 11:23 ט֑וֹב adj Adjective ms The desire of the righteous is only good. The expectation of the wicked is wrath.
- Proverbs 11:27 ט֭וֹב adj Adjective ms He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, But he who searches after evil, it shall come to him.
- Proverbs 12:2 ט֗וֹב adj Adjective ms A good man shall obtain favor from Yahweh, But he will condemn a man of wicked devices.
- Proverbs 12:9 ט֣וֹב adj Adjective ms Better is he who is lightly esteemed, and has a servant, Than he who honors himself, and lacks bread.
- Proverbs 12:14 ט֑וֹב adj Adjective ms A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth. The work of a man's hands shall be rewarded to him.
- Proverbs 12:25 ט֣וֹב adj Adjective ms Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, But a kind word makes it glad.
- Proverbs 13:2 ט֑וֹב adj Adjective ms By the fruit of his lips, a man enjoys good things; But the unfaithful crave violence.
- Proverbs 13:15 ט֭וֹב adj Adjective ms Good understanding wins favor; But the way of the unfaithful is hard.
- Proverbs 13:21 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms Misfortune pursues sinners, But prosperity rewards the righteous.
- Proverbs 13:22 ט֗וֹב adj Adjective ms A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous.
- Proverbs 14:14 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; Likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.
- Proverbs 14:19 טוֹבִ֑ים adj Adjective mp The evil bow down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
- Proverbs 14:22 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms Don't they go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.
- Proverbs 15:3 ו/טוֹבִֽים conj + Adjective Adjective mp Yahweh's eyes are everywhere, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.
- Proverbs 15:15 וְ/טֽוֹב conj + Adjective Adjective ms cs All the days of the afflicted are wretched, But one who has a cheerful heart enjoys a continual feast.
- Proverbs 15:16 טוֹב adj Adjective ms Better is little, with the fear of Yahweh, Than great treasure with trouble.
- Proverbs 15:17 ט֤וֹב adj Adjective ms Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, Than a fattened calf with hatred.
- Proverbs 15:23 טּֽוֹב adj Adjective ms Joy comes to a man with the reply of his mouth. How good is a word at the right time!
- Proverbs 15:30 ט֝וֹבָ֗ה adj Adjective fs The light of the eyes rejoices the heart. Good news gives health to the bones.
- Proverbs 16:8 טוֹב adj Adjective ms Better is a little with righteousness, Than great revenues with injustice.
- Proverbs 16:16 טּ֥וֹב adj Adjective ms How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
- Proverbs 16:19 ט֣וֹב adj Adjective ms It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, Than to divide the plunder with the proud.
- Proverbs 16:20 ט֑וֹב adj Adjective ms He who heeds the Word finds prosperity. Whoever trusts in Yahweh is blessed.
- Proverbs 16:29 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms A man of violence entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good.
- Proverbs 16:32 ט֤וֹב adj Adjective ms One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; One who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
- Proverbs 17:1 ט֤וֹב adj Adjective ms Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife.
- Proverbs 17:13 טוֹבָ֑ה adj Adjective fs Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil shall not depart from his house.
- Proverbs 17:20 ט֑וֹב adj Adjective ms One who has a perverse heart doesn't find prosperity, And one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble.
- Proverbs 17:26 ט֑וֹב adj Adjective ms Also to punish the righteous is not good, Nor to flog officials for their integrity.
- Proverbs 18:5 ט֑וֹב adj Adjective ms To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, Nor to deprive the innocent of justice.
- Proverbs 18:22 ט֑וֹב adj Adjective ms Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor of Yahweh.
- Proverbs 19:1 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.
- Proverbs 19:2 ט֑וֹב adj Adjective ms It isn't good to have zeal without knowledge; Nor being hasty with one's feet and missing the way.
- Proverbs 19:8 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding shall find good.
- Proverbs 19:22 וְ/טֽוֹב conj + Adjective Adjective ms That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness. A poor man is better than a liar.
- Proverbs 20:23 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms Yahweh detests differing weights, And dishonest scales are not pleasing.
- Proverbs 21:9 ט֗וֹב adj Adjective ms It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, Than to share a house with a contentious woman.
- Proverbs 21:19 ט֗וֹב adj Adjective ms It is better to dwell in a desert land, Than with a contentious and fretful woman.
- Proverbs 22:1 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms A good name is more desirable than great riches, And loving favor is better than silver and gold.
- Proverbs 22:9 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms cs He who has a generous eye will be blessed; For he shares his food with the poor.
- Proverbs 24:13 ט֑וֹב adj Adjective ms My son, eat honey, for it is good; The droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste:
- Proverbs 24:23 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.
- Proverbs 24:25 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, And a rich blessing will come on them.
- Proverbs 25:7 ט֥וֹב adj Adjective ms For it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.
- Proverbs 25:24 ט֗וֹב adj Adjective ms It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, Than to share a house with a contentious woman.
- Proverbs 25:25 ט֝וֹבָ֗ה adj Adjective fs Like cold water to a thirsty soul, So is good news from a far country.
- Proverbs 25:27 ט֑וֹב adj Adjective ms It is not good to eat much honey; Nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.
- Proverbs 27:5 ט֭וֹבָה adj Adjective fs Better is open rebuke Than hidden love.
- Proverbs 27:10 ט֥וֹב adj Adjective ms Don't forsake your friend and your father's friend. Don't go to your brother's house in the day of your disaster: Better is a neighbor who is near than a distant brother.
- Proverbs 28:6 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, Than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich.
- Proverbs 28:10 טֽוֹב adj Adjective ms Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, He will fall into his own trap; But the blameless will inherit good.
- Proverbs 28:21 ט֑וֹב adj Adjective ms To show partiality is not good; Yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
- Proverbs 31:12 ט֣וֹב adj Adjective ms She does him good, and not harm, All the days of her life.
- Proverbs 31:18 ט֣וֹב adj Adjective ms She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn't go out by night.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
טוב (ṭôwb) is a Hebrew word most often rendered “good.” It first appears in Genesis 1:4. Spanning 521 verses in 35 books, it ranks among the most common words of the Hebrew Bible. It also covers “pleasant” and “agreeable”, alongside “good” — see its full sense range. Related forms include טוב, טוב and טבאל. The sections below give every sense, occurrence, and version rendering.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H2896 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 521
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 521 distinct verses.
- 35 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 35 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #89
- by frequency
- Top 100 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 89 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 521 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- Psalms 68 verses 13%
- Proverbs 62 verses 12%
- Ecclesiastes 41 verses 8%
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 521 distinct verses.
- Writings (Ketuvim) 257 verses · 49%
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 184 verses · 35%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 80 verses · 15%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 5 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Good 197×, Is good 42×, Is better 32×
- American Standard Version†: Good 172×, Is good 35×, Is better 24×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Good 189×, Better 39×, Is good 34×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Good 312×, Is good 57×, Better 47×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H2896 across 558† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 103 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H2896 across 557† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 152 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H2896 across 538† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 87 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 23 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H2896 across 607† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 53 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
47 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
Hebrew verbs can shift meaning by stem (binyan): Qal is the basic action, Niphal is often passive or reflexive, Piel often intensifies or makes it factitive, and Hiphil is typically causative. The senses below are grouped under the stem BDB assigns to each.
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 47 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
טוב I pleasing, good (NH id., Hiph.
Qal
- Pf. טוֹב Nu 11:18 + 32 times; pl. טֹבוּ Nu 24:5 Ct 4:10; (Impf. יִיטַב from יָטַב); Inf. abs. טוֹב Ju 11:25; cstr. טוֹב Je 32:39 + 6 times, כְּטוֹב Ju 16:25 Qr (Kt כי טוב); Pt. טוֹב Ju 11:25 1 S 2:26; (for these forms v. Bö§ 1133, 4 SS s.v.; Ges recognises only Pfs. and fewer of them than above. It is often difficult to decide between vb. and adj.);— e.g. Numbers 11:18
- 1. be pleasant, delightful, of tents of Jacob Nu 24:5 (JE; poet.); of caresses Ct 4:10 (sq. מִיַּיִן comp.) e.g. Numbers 24:5
- 2. be glad, joyful טוֹב לֵב Ju 16:25 (Qr), 1 S 25:36 2 S 13:28 Est 1:10 (v. טוּב 2 c). e.g. Judges 16:25
- 3. of rank, position, claim: הֲטוֹב טוֹב אתה מבלק Ju 11:25 art thou really better than Balak? e.g. Judges 11:25
- 4. טוֹב לְ be well with, good for Nu 11:18 (J), Dt 5:30; 15:16; 19:13; 1 S 16:16, 23; 2 S 14:32 ψ 119:71; 128:2; Je 22:15; so (sc. לוֹ) Is 3:10 it is well (with him); אז טוב Je 22:16 (cf. v 15); טוֹב אֶל־ 1 S 20:12 there is good toward David. e.g. Numbers 11:18
- 5. be pleasing טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי (v. ii. טוֹב 2 b c f) Nu 24:1 (J) 2 S 3:19, 36; 15:26; 19:38; אִם טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי 1 K 21:2; Je 40:4; Zc 11:12; later usage is אִם טוֹב עַל if it seem good unto (so Assyrian ṭâbu eli, be pleasing unto, DlHWB 300 a), 1 Ch 13:2; Ne 2:5, 7 Est 1:19; 3:9; 5:4, 8; 7:3; 8:5; 9:13 (cf. טוֹב adj.). e.g. Numbers 24:1
Hiphil
- Pf. 2 ms. הֱטִיבוֹתָ 2 Ch 6:8, הֱטִיבֹתָ 1 K 8:18; 2 K 10:30;—do well, act right, sq. כִּי that 1 K 8:18 thou didst well, that it was in thine heart = 2 Ch 6:8; sq. inf. c. לְ 2 K 10:30 thou hast done well in performing what was right in mine eyes. e.g. 2 Chronicles 6:8
טוב II pleasant, agreeable, good (v. LagBN 26
- 1. pleasant, agreeable to the senses:
- a. to the sight, fair, of daughters of men Gn 6:2 (J); of a son Ex 2:2 (E), 1 S 9:2; 1 K 20:3, young men (but read herds 𝔊 Th We Klo Dr Bu) 1 S 8:16; מראיהם their appearance Dn 1:15, טֹבַת מראה Gn 24:16; 26:7 (both J), 2 S 11:2; Est 1:11; 2:3, 7; טוב ראי 1 S 16:12; טוב תאר 1 K 1:6; טובַת חן Na 3:4; טוֹבוֹת מראה Est 2:2; טוֹבֵי מראה Dn 1:4; טוב לעינים Ec 11:7; טובה בעיניו fair in his eyes Est 8:5; of mantle Jos 7:21 (J); goodly houses Is 5:9 Dt 8:12; cities Dt 6:10; situation of city 2 K 2:19. e.g. Genesis 6:2
- b. to the taste, good, sweet, agreeable for eating למאכל Gn 2:9; 3:6 (both J); ears of grain Gn 41:5, 22, 24, 26 (E); figs Je 24:2, 3(×2), 5; honey Pr 24:13; כְּיֵין הטוב Ct 7:10 as wine of the best sort (Hi reads כַּיַּיִן); תְּנוּבָתִי הַטּוֹבָה Ju 9:11 my sweet fruit (‖ מָתְקִי). e.g. Genesis 2:9
- c. to the smell, sweet-scented, of ointment Ct 1:3; קנה הטוב Je 6:20 the fragrant cane. e.g. Song of Solomon 1:3
- d. of pleasant shadow of tree Ho 4:13. e.g. Hosea 4:13
- 2. pleasant to the higher nature, giving pleasure, happiness, prosperity, and so agreeable, pleasing, well:
- a. of time: יום טוב good day, festal day 1 S 25:8; Est 8:17; 9:19, 22; of feasts Zc 8:19; prosperous years Gn 41:35 (E). e.g. 1 Samuel 25:8
- b. of place, טוב בית הנשׁים Est 2:9 the best part of the women’s house; בַּטּ׳ לוֹ Dt 23:17, בַּטּ׳ בְּעֵינֵי Gn 20:15 (v. c f infr.) e.g. Esther 2:9
- c. of persons, (אתה) טוב בעיני pleasing in the eyes of 1 S 29:6(×2), 9 טוב בעיני י׳ Mal 2:17 (cf. vb. 5, and f infr.); later לִפְנֵי Ec 2:26(×2); 7:26; inserted in 1 S 29:10 𝔊 We Dr; cf. ט׳ עם 1 S 2:26. e.g. 1 Samuel 29:6
- d. of word or message, בְּשׂוֹרָה טוֹבָה 2 S 18:27 good tidings; שְׁמוּעָה ט׳ good report 1 S 2:24 Pr 15:30; 25:25; דבר בעתו Pr 15:23 a word in its season; דבר טוב Pr 12:25 an agreeable word (maketh the heart glad); דבר טוב ψ 45:2 a good theme. e.g. 2 Samuel 18:27
- e. of other things, דֶּרֶךְ טובה 1 S 24:20 a pleasant, prosperous journey; מנחה כי טוב Gn 49:15 (poem); of unity of brethren מה טוב ומה נעים ψ 133:1 how good and how pleasant it is! טוב לְ (יהיה) it shall be well for Ec 2:3; 6:12; 8:12, 13 (cf. vb. 3); הֲטוֹב כִּי Jb 13:9 will it be advantageous that (v. 5). e.g. 1 Samuel 24:20
- f. עשׂה הטוב בעיני do what is pleasing in the eyes of Gn 16:6 (J), Ju 19:24; 1 S 1:23; 3:18; 14:40; 2 S 10:12 = 1 Ch 19:13, 2 S 19:19, 28, 39; 2 K 10:5; 20:3 = Is 38:3, 1 Ch 21:23 = 2 S 24:22 where obj. of העלה; (ה)טוב בע׳ (כל) (כ) עשׂה Gn 19:8 (J), Ju 10:15 1 S 11:10; 14:36 Est 3:11; עשׂה (כ)הטוב ו(כ)הישׁר בע׳ Dt 12:28; Jos 9:25 (D), 2 Ch 14:1; Je 26:14, cf. Est 8:8; nouns reversed Dt 6:18; עשׂה הטוב והישׁר לפני 2 Ch 31:20; טוב בע׳ in other combinations Nu 36:6 (P), Je 40:4; ראה הטוב והישׁר 2 K 10:3; דבּר ט׳ 1 K 22:13 = 2 Ch 18:12, Nu 10:29 (J), 1 S 19:4; Est 7:9; דבּר מטוב עד־רע speak either good or bad Gn 31:24, 29 (E); למרע ועד טוב 2 S 13:22; רע או טוב Gn 24:50 (J); התנבא ט׳ 1 K 22:8, 18 = 2 Ch 18:17; cf. 1 K 22:13 = 2 Ch 18:12. e.g. Genesis 16:6
- 3. good, excellent of its kind:
- a. of the several creations, וירא אלהים כי טוֹב and God saw that it was good, excellent Gn 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25 (P); כל אשׁר עשׂה והנּה טוֹב מאד 1:31 (P) God saw all that he had made, and behold it was very excellent. So e.g. Genesis 1:4
- b. of land, soil, fruitful, fertile: ארץ Ex 3:8; Nu 13:19 (both J), 14:7 (P), Dt 1:25, 35; 3:25; 4:21, 22; 6:18; 8:7, 10; 9:6; 11:17; Jos 23:16 (D), Ju 18:9; 1 Ch 28:8; אדמה 1 K 14:15; Jos 23:13, 15 (D); הר Dt 3:25; חלקה 2 K 3:19, 25; שׂדה Ez 17:8; נָוֶה Ez 34:14; מרעה 1 Ch 4:40; Ez 34:14, 18. e.g. Exodus 3:8
- c. of vegetation, choice, fruitful זֵיתִים 1 S 8:14; עץ 2 K 3:19, 25 Ez 31:16; שׁמן טוב 2 K 20:13 precious oil = Is 39:2, ψ 133:2 Ec 7:1; of seed, אם שׁניהם טובים Ec 11:6 whether both of them will be fruitful. e.g. 1 Samuel 8:14
- d. of animals, fat בקר Gn 18:7 (J); עזים Gn 27:9 (J); פרות Gn 41:26 (E); יָרֵךְ Ez 24:4. e.g. Genesis 18:7
- e. of minerals, fine, pure זהב Gn 2:12 (J), 2 Ch 3:5, 8; כֶּתֶם La 4:1; brass Ezr 8:27, soldering Is 41:7. e.g. Genesis 2:12
- 4. good, rich, valuable in estimation:
- a. in quantity, שׂיבה טובה good old age Gn 15:15 (R), 25:8 (P), Ju 8:32; 1 Ch 29:28; dowry Gn 30:20 (E; many sons); treasury Dt 28:12 (from which י׳ sends blessings). e.g. Genesis 15:15
- b. in price, goodly, valuable: of the estimation put upon house, beast, and tithe Lv 27:10(×2), 12, 14, 33 (H); profit Pr 31:18; hire Ec 4:9; מחמדי הטבים Jo 4:5 my goodly precious things. e.g. Leviticus 27:10
- 5. good, appropriate, becoming, טוב אשׁר Ec 7:18 (cf. 5:4 infr.); טובה חכמה עם נחלה Ec 7:11 wisdom is good with an inheritance (other trans. see in VB); ‖ יָפֶה Ec 5:17; c. עֵצָה 2 S 17:7, 14 good advice; טוב פתר Gn 40:16 (E) that he interpreted well; טוב הדבר (לא) Ex 18:17 (E) the thing is (not) good, wise, so Dt 1:14 1 S 26:16; טוב (ה)דבר the word is good, is well said 1 S 9:10 1 K 2:38, 42; 18:24; 2 K 20:19 = Is 39:8, for which abbreviated טוב well! good! exclamation Ru 3:13 1 S 20:7 2 S 3:13 1 K 2:18; followed by כּי it is good that 2 S 18:3 Ru 2:22 La 3:27 Jb 10:3 (cf. 13:9 2 e); c. inf. Gn 2:18 (J), ψ 73:28; 92:2; 147:1 Pr 25:27 (cf. sub 10); with וְ (strangely) טוֹב וְיָחִיל וגו׳ La 3:26 it is good that one wait (v. דּוּמָם, יָחִיל); בלא דעת נֶפֶשׁ לא טוב Pr 19:2 that a soul be without knowledge is not good. e.g. Ecclesiastes 7:18
- 6. c. מִן compar. = better, sq. inf. Gn 29:19 (E), Ex 14:12 (J), ψ 118:8, 9 Pr 16:19; 25:7 Ec 6:9; 7:2; inf. om. Pr 21:9, 19; 25:24; מן om. Nu 14:3 (J; compar. only implied); c. מן pers. Ju 15:2; Ru 4:15; 1 S 1:8; 9:2; 15:28; 1 K 2:32; 19:4; 2 Ch 21:13; Pr 12:9; 16:32; 19:1, 22; 27:10; 28:6; La 4:9; Est 1:19; Ec 4:3, 9, 13; 6:3; 7:5, 8; c. מן rei Ju 8:2; 1 S 15:22; 2 S 17:14; 1 K 21:2; 2 K 5:12; Ho 2:9; Am 6:2; Is 56:5; Jon 4:3, 8 ψ 37:16; 63:4; 84:11; 119:72; Pr 3:14; 8:11, 19; 15:16, 17; 16:8, 16; 17:1; 22:1; 27:5; Ct 1:2; Ec 4:6; 7:1, 3, 8, 10; 9:4, 16, 18; sq. מִשֶּׁ- Ec 5:4; מַה־טּוֹב … הֲ … אִם is it better … or? Ju 9:2; הֲטוב … אוֹ 18:19; אין טוב שֶׁ- Ec 2:24 (read מִשֶּׁ- v. Comm.); אין טוב מאשׁר Ec 3:22; אין טוב כִי אִם Ec 3:12; 8:15; so 1 S 27:1 𝔊 We Dr Klo Kit Bu (MT only כי c. Impf.) e.g. Genesis 29:19
- 7. of man’s sensuous nature, glad, happy, prosperous: טוב לב merry, glad heart Pr 15:15; Est 5:9; Ec 9:7; טוֹבֵי לב 1 K 8:66 = 2 Ch 7:10; וַנּהיה טובים Je 44:17 we were prosperous; similarly ψ 112:5. e.g. Proverbs 15:15
- 8. of man’s intellectual nature, שֵׂכֶל טוֹב good understanding 2 Ch 30:22 ψ 111:10 Pr 3:4; 13:15; טוֹבַת שֶׂכֶל 1 S 25:3. e.g. 2 Chronicles 30:22
- 9. good, kind, benign:
- a. of men, themselves 1 S 25:15; 2 S 18:27; 2 Ch 10:7; the eye Pr 22:9; דברים טובים kind words 1 K 12:7 = 2 Ch 10:7. e.g. 1 Samuel 25:15
- b. of God, himself Na 1:7; 2 Ch 30:18 ψ 86:5; כי טוב for he is good, kind ψ 34:9; 100:5; 135:3 Je 33:11; כי טוב כי לעולם חסדוֹ 1 Ch 16:34; 2 Ch 5:13; 7:3; Ezr 3:11 ψ 106:1; 107:1; 118:1, 29; 136:1; טוב לְ kind to 73:1; 145:9; La 3:25; יד (ה)טובה על Ezr 7:9; 8:18; Ne 2:8, 18; רוחךָ (ה)טובה 9:20 ψ 143:10; שׁמךָ כי טוב 52:11; 54:8; כּי טוב חסדךָ 69:17; 109:21; הדבר(ים) הטוב(ים) the good, kind word(s) spoken in promise Jos 21:43; 23:14, 15 (D), 1 K 8:56; Je 29:10; 33:14; Zc 1:13. e.g. Nahum 1:7
- 10. good (ethical), right: מה טוב ‖ what Yahweh requires Mi 6:8, ‖ משׁפט Jb 34:4: e.g. Micah 6:8
- a. of man himself ‖ ישׁר Mi 7:4; אישׁ טוב Pr 14:14; (ה)טוב(ים) = (the) good 2 Ch 19:11 ψ 125:4 Pr 2:20; 12:2; 13:22; 14:19; 15:3; Ec 9:2(×2); man’s deeds דברים 2 Ch 12:12; 19:3; מעשׂה 1 S 19:4; Ec 12:14; מעללים Ez 36:31; דֶּרֶךְ הטובה והישׂרה 1 S 12:23 the good and right way; (הַ)דֶּרֶךְ (ה)טוב(ה) (the) good way 1 K 8:36 = 2 Ch 6:27, Is 65:2; Je 6:16 ψ 36:5; Pr 16:29; דבריךָ טובים ונכחים 2 S 15:3 good and right is thy case; דבר טוב good thing 1 K 14:13; לא טוב הדבר Ne 5:9; אשׁר לא טוב עשׂה Ez 18:18; so of מאזני מרמה etc., Pr 20:23; לא טוב c. inf. (v. 5) it is not good or right to: ענושׁ לצדּיק Pr 17:26; שׂאת פני רשׁע 18:5; הכּר פנים 28:21; 24:23 (בל טוב). e.g. Micah 7:4
- b. of God טוב אתה ומטיב ψ 119:68; טוב וישׁר יהוה 25:8; משׁפטיך טובים 119:39; his commands מצות Ne 9:13; חקים Ez 20:25 (לא טובים); לקח טוב Pr 4:2; מפי עליון לא תצא הרעות והטוב La 3:38. e.g. Psalms 119:68
טוב III
- 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 84:12; Je 5:25; נתן ψ 85:13; קוה Jb 30:26; מצא Pr 16:20; 17:20; 18:22; 19:8; נחל Pr 28:10; חסר ψ 34:11; בשׂר 1 K 1:42; Is 52:7; חול לט׳ Mi 1:12; חכמה וט׳ 1 K 10:7; טוב וחסד ψ 23:6; בטוב in prosperity 25:13; Jb 21:13; 36:11; Ec 7:14; מטוב because of prosperity Zc 1:17; afar from happiness ψ 39:3; כטוב Ho 10:1; לטוב Dt 30:9; Je 15:11; לטוב לָנוּ Dt 6:24 for good to us, = for our good, 10:13 (לְךָ), Je 32:39 (לָהֶם; cf. לרע ל Je 7:6; 25:7) e.g. Isaiah 52:7
- 2. good things, (coll.) ברך(ו)ת ט׳ blessing of good things ψ 21:4 Pr 24:25; מִלֵּא בָתֵּיהֶם ט׳ Jb 22:18 filled their houses with good things; obj. of שׂבע ψ 104:28 Pr 12:14; מלא ψ 107:9; אכל Pr 13:2 Is 55:2; לקח Ho 14:3; השׂביע בט׳ ψ 103:5; goods, possessions 1 S 15:9. e.g. Psalms 21:4
- 3. good = benefit: גְּמָלַתְהוּ טוֹב וְלֹא־רָע Pr 31:12 she doeth him good and not evil; תַּאֲוַת צַדִּיקִים אַךְ־טוֹב Pr 11:23 the desire of the righteous is only good; obj. of קבּל Jb 2:10; מנע Pr 3:27; שׁחר 11:27; שׁלּם 13:21; עשׂה Gn 26:29 (J), ψ 119:65; היטיב Nu 10:32 (J); ערב לט׳ ψ 119:122; חֹרְשֵׁי ט׳ Pr 14:22 who devise good. e.g. Proverbs 31:12
- 4. moral good, ידע טוב ורע Gn 2:9, 17; 3:5, 22 (J), Dt 1:39; בין טוב לרע 2 S 19:36; in antithesis with רע elsewhere Dt 30:15; 2 S 14:17; 1 K 3:9; Is 5:20(×2); 7:15, 16 Am 5:14, 15 Mi 3:2 ψ 34:15; 37:27; 52:5; זנח ט׳ Ho 8:3 cast off good; עשׂה טוֹב do good ψ 14:1, 3 = 53:2, 4, 37:3; Ec 7:20, in 3:12 this meaning seems less fitting; read perh. לִרְאוֹת ט׳ (Gr, v. also De) and tr. to 1; רדף ט׳ ψ 38:21 pursue good; מַעְגַּל־ט׳ Pr 2:9 path of good. e.g. Genesis 2:9
טוב IV welfare, benefit, good things, good
- 1. welfare, prosperity, happiness: ‖ שׁלום Dt 23:7; Je 33:9; Ezr 9:12; La 3:17; יוֹם טובה Ec 7:14 day of prosperity; טוֹבָתִי בַּל־עָלֶיךָ ψ 16:2 is not my welfare dependent upon thee? תְּבוֹאָֽתְךָ ט׳ Jb 22:21 prosperity shall come to thee; לטובה Gn 50:20 (E), Dt 28:11; 30:9; 2 Ch 18:7 Je 14:11; לרעה ולא לטובה Am 9:4; Je 21:10; 39:16; 44:27; obj. of vb. בקּשׁ Ne 2:10; הביא Je 32:42; ראה Jb 9:25; Ec 5:17; 6:6; אבּד Ec 9:18; ראה בט׳ ψ 106:5; חסר מט׳ Ec 4:8; obj. of אכל fig. Jb 21:25 = taste happiness; of שׂבע Ec 6:3; after נחם על Je 18:10. e.g. Deuteronomy 23:7
- 2. good things (coll.):
- a. of good words, obj. of דבּר 1 S 25:30 2 S 7:28 = 1 Ch 17:26, Je 18:20; pl. דבּר טובות Je 12:6; 52:32 = 2 K 25:28. e.g. 1 Samuel 25:30
- b. of material possessions ברבות הט׳ Ec 5:10 when good things increase. e.g. Ecclesiastes 5:10
- 3. bounty, good שְׁנַת טוֹבָחֶ֑ךָ ψ 65:12 year of thy bounty (harvest bestowed by God), so also טובתך ψ 68:11; עשׂה (ה)ט׳ Ex 18:9 (E), Nu 24:13 (JE), Ju 8:35; 9:16 1 S 24:19; 2 S 2:6; 1 K 8:66 = 2 Ch 7:10, 2 Ch 24:16; Je 33:9; obj. of גמל 1 S 24:18; שׁלּם 1 S 24:20; רעה תחת טובה Gn 44:4 (J), 1 S 25:21 ψ 35:12; 38:21; 109:5 Pr 17:13; Je 18:20; ט׳ תחת קללה 2 S 16:12; זכר לי לט׳ remember it for me for good Ne 5:19; 13:31; לטובה Ezr 8:22; Ne 2:18; Je 24:5, 6 ψ 86:17; pl. טוֹבֹתָיו Ne 6:19 his benefits (i.e. good deeds of Tobiah). e.g. Psalms 65:12
טוב V loc. (perh. from above √)
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. 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)—
II. adj. pleasant, agreeable, good (v. LagBN 26; Aramaic טַב, Palm. טב Vog No. 81, טבא Vog No. 75)—m. ט׳ Gn 2:12 + 22 times, טוֹבָם Mi 7:4; f. טוֹבָה Est 8:5 + 50 times, טֹבָה Dt 6:18 + 2 times; cstr. טוֹבַת Gn 26:7 + 6 times, טֹבַת Gn 24:16; pl. טוֹבִים Je 44:17 + 28 times; טֹבִים Gn 27:9 + 4 times; cstr. טוֹבֵי Dn 1:4 + 2 times; pl. טוֹבוֹת Est 2:2, טֹבוֹת Je 24:2 + 6 times, טֹבֹת Gn 6:2 + 4 times;—
III. n.m. Je 17:6 (cf. טוֹבָה n.f.) a good thing, benefit, welfare;—ט׳ Gn 26:29 + 134 times;—
I. n.f. welfare, benefit, good things, good;—abs. ט׳ Dt 28:11 + 54 times; cstr. טוֹבַת ψ 106:5; sf. טוֹבָתִי ψ 16:2 etc. + 4 times sfs.; pl. טוֹבוֹת Je 12:6; טֹבוֹת 2 K 25:28; Je 52:32; sf. טוֹבֹתָיו Ne 6:19;—
IV. n.pr.loc. (perh. from above √)—a region beyond Jordan, N. or NE. of Gilead, prob. Aramean; אֶרֶץ טוֹב Ju 11:3, 5, 𝔊 Τωβ; אישׁ טוֹב 2 S 10:6, 8 men of Ṭôb, 𝔊 (Ε)ιστωβ; = Τούβιον, Τώβιον 1 Macc 5:13; identif. by ConderHandb. 295 with southern Bashan, where is still Taiyibeh, 12 m. SE. from Sea of Galilee.
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from טוב (ṭôwb) (H2895) — to be good.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
טוֹב I
- (b. h.) to be good, fit, handsome, valuable.
- 1. to prepare, outfit, dress, adorn. Gen. R. s. 26, v. טַבָּת. Gen. R. s. 83 (play on מהיטבאל, Gen. XXXVI, 39) מְטִיבֵי אלוהות היו they were dressers of idols; שהיו מֵטִיבִין עצמן וכ׳ they adorned themselves in honor of the idols. Ib. מטיבי נשים וכ׳ they dressed women for their wedding; a. e.—Esp. (את הנרות) ה׳ to trim, cleanse the lamps. Yoma III, 4 ולהֵטֵיב. Ib. I, 2. Ib. 14ᵇ יֵיטִיב; a. fr.—V. הֲטָבָה. e.g. Genesis 36:39
- 2. to turn a dream unto good (saying, ‘I have dreamt a good dream’). Ber. 55ᵇ יְטִיבֶנּוּ בפני וכ׳ he shall turn it in the presence of three persons, and say &c.
- 3. to do good, be beneficent. Ib. IX, 2 הטוב והמטיב who is good and beneficent. Taan. 31ᵃ תקנו … הטוב והמ׳ they introduced in Jabneh the benediction ‘who is good &c.’ (in the grace after meal).—Kidd. I, 10 מטיבין לו good will be done to him; a. fr.—Part. Hof. מוּטָב, q. v.
- to improve a field, to till oftener than usual. Y. Shebi. IV, 35ᵇ top טִיְּיבָהּ וכ׳ if, after he improved a field, he died &c.
- to be improved. Shebi. IV, 2; Tosef. ib. III, 10; a. e.—Denom. טִיּיוּב.
טוֹב
- Pa. טַיֵּיב, Af. אָטֵיב to do good, to favor. Targ. Y. I Ex. XXIII, 2 למְטַיְּיבָא; Y. II למֵיטְבָא. V. יְטַב.
טוֹב II
- (b. h.)
- 1. good; a good thing. Ber. 5ᵃ (ref. to Ps. XXXIX, 3) אין ט׳ אלא וכ׳ under good the Torah is meant. Ib. 60ᵇ זו מדה ט׳ this refers to a good dispensation; a. v. fr.—יום טוב (abbr. י"ט) festival. Bets. I, 1; a. fr.—כי טוב (ref. to Gen. I, 4) day-time. Pes. 2ᵃ.—Ber. V, 3 (33ᵇ) על טוב וכ׳ thy name be praised for the good (thou doest).—זכור לַטּוֹב, v. עין טובה—.זָכַר, v. עַיִן.—Pl. טוֹבְים, f. טוֹבוֹת. Ber. l. c. (34ᵃ, omitt. in Mish.) האומר יברכוך ט׳ he who says in prayer, The good praise thee. Ib. IX, 2 בשורות ט׳, v. בְּשוֹרָה; a. v. fr.—V. טוֹבָה. e.g. Psalms 39:3
- 2. noble, elder.—Pl. טוֹבִים. Tosef. Shek. II, 16 בני ט׳ of noble descent; a. fr.—טוֹבֵי העיר representatives of the town. Meg. 27ᵃ
טוּב
- preced.) goodness, good. Ber. 44ᵃ לשבוע מטוּבָהּ to be satisfied out of its (the land’s) riches; a. e.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 180 distinct written forms H2896 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 120 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H2896, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
- טבאל ṭâbᵉʼêl H2870 Tabeel
- טברמון Ṭabrimmôwn H2886 Tabrimon
- טוב Ṭôwb H2897 Tob
- טוב אדניהו Ṭôwb ʼĂdônîyâhûw H2899 Tob-adonijah
- טוביה Ṭôwbîyâh H2900 Tobiah
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 8 — not the complete family. 5 of the same-root words are proper names (people or places). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 486 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 521 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 1:4
- Exodus 2:2
- Leviticus 27:10
- Numbers 10:29
- Deuteronomy 1:14
- Joshua 7:21
- Judges 8:2
- Ruth 2:22
- 1 Samuel 1:8
- 2 Samuel 2:6
- 1 Kings 1:6
- 2 Kings 2:19
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
