# H2896 - tov **Strong's:** [H2896](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2896/) · BLB lookup **Pronunciation:** tobe **Part of speech:** adjective (most uses); also noun ("good" / "goodness") **OT occurrences:** ~559 **Greek equivalent (LXX):** *agathos* (G18), good (moral); *kalos* (G2570), beautiful / good (aesthetic / ethical) ## Semantic range 1. **Good, pleasant, agreeable**, the broad evaluative sense 2. **Beneficial, beautiful, fitting**, what is fit / right / pleasing 3. **Morally good, ethically right**, the moral dimension 4. **Kindness, benevolence** in some contexts 5. **Better, best** in comparative / superlative uses The semantic range spans aesthetic ("beautiful"), pragmatic ("beneficial"), and moral ("ethically good"), a unified Hebraic concept of "what God affirms / blesses / approves." ## Theological force ### *Tov* in the creation narrative [Genesis 1](/codex/genesis-1/) famously declares creation *tov*, seven times in the chapter: - **[Genesis 1:4](/codex/genesis-1-4/)**, light *tov* - **[Genesis 1:10](/codex/genesis-1-10/)**, land/sea separation *tov* - **[Genesis 1:12](/codex/genesis-1-12/)**, vegetation *tov* - **[Genesis 1:18](/codex/genesis-1-18/)**, sun, moon, stars *tov* - **[Genesis 1:21](/codex/genesis-1-21/)**, sea creatures and birds *tov* - **[Genesis 1:25](/codex/genesis-1-25/)**, land animals *tov* - **[Genesis 1:31](/codex/genesis-1-31/)**, *tov me'od*, "very good", humanity included; the climactic affirmation The creation is **good**, in itself, in its design, in its purpose. This is theologically foundational: - **Anti-Gnosticism**, matter / body / creation is not evil; it is *tov* - **Anti-Manichaeism**, there is no co-eternal evil principle; only the good Creator and His good creation - **Anti-asceticism**, physical existence, eating, drinking, marriage are *tov* ([1 Tim 4:1-5](/codex/1-timothy-4-1-5/)) - **Pro-environmental stewardship**, creation matters; it is good; humans care for what God called good The single "not good" in the early creation narrative is **[Genesis 2:18](/codex/genesis-2-18/)**, "*lo-tov hayot ha-adam levado*", "it is not good for the *adam* to be alone." This is a theological-anthropological key: humans are made for relationship. ### *Tov* and *ra*, good and evil The fundamental moral-evaluative pair: *tov* and *ra* (evil / bad, H7451). [Genesis 2:9](/codex/genesis-2-9/), *etz ha-da'at tov va-ra*, "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." The Fall narrative ([Genesis 3](/codex/genesis-3/)) is humanity's grasp at autonomous moral knowledge, to determine *tov* and *ra* apart from God. The contrast appears throughout: - [Numbers 13:19](/codex/numbers-13-19/); 14:7, the spies' good vs evil report - [Deuteronomy 30:15](/codex/deuteronomy-30-15/), "I have set before you today life and good (*tov*), and death and evil (*ra*)" - [Isaiah 5:20](/codex/isaiah-5-20/), "woe to those who call evil (*ra*) good (*tov*) and good (*tov*) evil (*ra*)" - [Amos 5:14-15](/codex/amos-5-14-15/), "seek good (*tov*) and not evil (*ra*)" - [Micah 3:2](/codex/micah-3-2/), those who hate good (*tov*) and love evil (*ra*) ### *Tov* of God YHWH is supremely *tov*: - **[1 Chronicles 16:34](/codex/1-chronicles-16-34/); [Psalm 100:5](/codex/psalms-100-5/); 106:1; 107:1; 118:1, 29; 136:1; [Jeremiah 33:11](/codex/jeremiah-33-11/)**, *ki tov YHWH*, "the LORD is good" - **[Psalm 25:8](/codex/psalms-25-8/)**, *tov v'yashar YHWH*, "good and upright is the LORD" - **[Psalm 34:8](/codex/psalms-34-8/)**, "*ta'amu u-r'u ki-tov YHWH*", "taste and see that the LORD is good" - **[Psalm 73:1](/codex/psalms-73-1/)**, "surely God is *tov* to Israel" - **[Psalm 145:9](/codex/psalms-145-9/)**, "the LORD is *tov* to all" - **[Mark 10:18](/codex/mark-10-18/) / [Luke 18:19](/codex/luke-18-19/)**, Jesus: "no one is *agathos* except God alone" ### *Tov* of God's gifts and covenant - **[Joshua 21:45](/codex/joshua-21-45/); 23:14-15**, God's *tov* promises - **[1 Kings 8:56](/codex/1-kings-8-56/)**, "not one word has failed of all His *tov* promise" - **[Psalm 84:11](/codex/psalms-84-11/)**, "no *tov* will He withhold from those who walk uprightly" - **[Psalm 119:39](/codex/psalms-119-39/), [65](/codex/psalms-119-65/), [68](/codex/psalms-119-68/)**, God's *tov* statutes / promises - **[Romans 8:28](/codex/romans-8-28/)**, "all things work together for *tov*", for those who love God ## *Tov* and Christian ethics The NT continues the *tov* / *agathos* / *kalos* tradition: - [Mark 10:18](/codex/mark-10-18/), God alone *agathos* - [Romans 12:2](/codex/romans-12-2/), [9](/codex/romans-12-9/), [21](/codex/romans-12-21/), "what is the will of God, that which is *agathon*… abhor what is evil, cling to what is *agathon*… overcome evil with *agathō*" - [Galatians 6:9-10](/codex/galatians-6-9-10/), do not lose heart in doing *kalon* / *agathon* - [Ephesians 2:10](/codex/ephesians-2-10/), "created for *ergois agathois*" - [1 Timothy 4:4-5](/codex/1-timothy-4-4-5/), "everything created by God is *kalon*" The pattern: God's people pursue what is *tov* / *agathon* / *kalon*, by His Spirit's empowering, conforming to His character. ## Apologetic significance *Tov* anchors: 1. **The goodness of creation**, against Gnostic / dualistic devaluations 2. **Objective moral goodness**, *tov* is not relative-cultural; it has divine grounding 3. **The character of God**, God is *tov* in His essence; goodness is not above Him but expressed by Him 4. **The Christian-ethical task**, to do good as God-imaging stewards 5. **Eschatological consummation**, the new creation is *tov me'od* without the Fall's distortion ## Notable verses ### Creation - **[Genesis 1:4](/codex/genesis-1-4/), [10](/codex/genesis-1-10/), [12](/codex/genesis-1-12/), [18](/codex/genesis-1-18/), [21](/codex/genesis-1-21/), [25](/codex/genesis-1-25/), [31](/codex/genesis-1-31/)**, sevenfold *tov* - **[Genesis 2:18](/codex/genesis-2-18/)**, "not *tov* for the *adam* to be alone" ### *Tov v'ra*, moral pair - **[Genesis 2:9](/codex/genesis-2-9/), [17](/codex/genesis-2-17/); 3:5, 22**, knowledge of *tov* and *ra* - **[Deuteronomy 30:15](/codex/deuteronomy-30-15/)**, choose life and *tov* - **[Isaiah 5:20](/codex/isaiah-5-20/)**, woe to inverters of *tov* and *ra* - **[Amos 5:14-15](/codex/amos-5-14-15/)**, seek *tov* ### God is *tov* - **[1 Chronicles 16:34](/codex/1-chronicles-16-34/); [Psalm 100](/codex/psalms-100/), 106, 107, 118, 136**, *ki tov* - **[Psalm 34:8](/codex/psalms-34-8/)**, taste and see - **[Psalm 73:1](/codex/psalms-73-1/); 119:68**, *tov* God ### God's *tov* gifts - **[Genesis 50:20](/codex/genesis-50-20/)**, "you meant evil, but God meant *tov*" - **[Psalm 84:11](/codex/psalms-84-11/); 119:39**, God withholds no *tov* - **[Romans 8:28](/codex/romans-8-28/)**, all things work for *tov* ### Ethical *tov* - **[Micah 6:8](/codex/micah-6-8/)**, "He has shown you, *adam*, what is *tov*" - **[Psalm 34:14](/codex/psalms-34-14/)**, "depart from evil and do *tov*" - **[Romans 12:9-21](/codex/romans-12-9-21/)**, adhering to the *agathon* ## Patristic / scholarly note The Augustinian tradition emphasizes the Genesis-1-affirmed goodness of creation against Manichaean / Gnostic dualism. *De Genesi ad Litteram* and *City of God* extensively engage *tov*-creation theology. Modern: Kathryn Tanner; Norman Wirzba (*From Nature to Creation*, 2015), creation-goodness ethics; Jonathan Wilson; Cornelius Plantinga (*Engaging God's World*, 2002). ## See also - H7451 - ra, evil / bad (paired) - G18 - agathos, Greek good (moral) - G2570 - kalos, Greek beautiful / good (aesthetic / moral) - [Genesis 1.1](/codex/genesis-1-1/), creation - [Genesis 1.27](/codex/genesis-1-27/), *imago Dei* / "very good" - [Evil as Privation of Good](/codex/evil-as-privation-of-good/), privation theory - [Romans 5.8](/codex/romans-5-8/), God's love-goodness in atonement ## Notes _Lexical workspace for tov._