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Word

יָטַב

yâṭab · H3190 · Hebrew · 117 occurrences

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Meanings

  1. to tend, to adorn, to improve

    Causative action by which humans cause objects to be in a better state of maintenance than before

    Examples

    Exodus 30:7 “Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps.

    2 Kings 9:30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, and she put makeup on her eyes and adorned her head, and looked down through the window.

    Hosea 10:1 Israel is a luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, The more altars he made; The richer his land, The better he made the memorial stones.

  2. Literally: to make (someone's) name good; hence: causative action by which deities cause humans to have a good reputation (to make (someone) famous)

    Examples

    1 Kings 1:47 “Moreover, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and his throne greater than your throne!’ And the king bowed himself on the bed.

  3. to enhance

    Literally: to make good; hence: causative action by which humans cause a certain activity to take place with enhanced intensity and quality

    Examples

    Ruth 3:10 Then he said, “May you be blessed of the LORD, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first, by not going after young men, whether poor or rich.

    Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge pleasant, But the mouth of fools spouts foolishness.

    Proverbs 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

  4. to be happy

    Literally: (one's) heart is good; hence: state in which humans feel happy and contented

    Examples

    Judges 18:20 The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image, and went among the people.

    Judges 19:6 So both of them sat down and ate and drank together; and the girl’s father said to the man, “Please be so kind as to spend the night, and let your heart be cheerful.”

    Judges 19:9 When the man got up to go, along with his concubine and servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Behold now, the day has drawn to a close; please spend the night. Behold, the day is coming to an end; spend the night here so that your heart may be cheerful. Then tomorrow you may arise early for your journey and go home.”

  5. to give joy

    Literally: (one's) heart makes (someone) good; hence: causative process by which one's thinking and choices bring about enjoyment

    Examples

    Ecclesiastes 11:9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.

  6. Literally: to make (one's) heart good; hence: action by which humans act with happiness and contentment (to enjoy (oneself))

    Examples

    Judges 19:22 While they were celebrating, behold, the men of the city, certain worthless men, surrounded the house, pushing one another at the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who entered your house that we may have relations with him.”

  7. State in which humans or deities consider a matter or an activity morally and/or ethically right (to seem good (to someone), to please)

    Examples

    Genesis 34:18 Now their words seemed reasonable to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.

    Genesis 41:37 Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.

    Genesis 45:16 Now when the news was heard in Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants.

  8. to do good

    Action by which humans or deities act in a way that is morally and/or ethically right

    Examples

    Genesis 4:7 “If you do well, will your face not be cheerful? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

    Genesis 12:16 Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and he gave him sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

    Exodus 1:20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty.

  9. to make right

    Literally: to make right; hence: action by which humans perform their activities in a morally and/or ethically acceptable way

    Examples

    Jeremiah 7:3 This is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel says: “Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you live in this place.

    Jeremiah 7:5 “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a person and his neighbor,

    Jeremiah 18:11 “So now, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘This is what the LORD says: “Behold, I am forming a disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Now turn back, each of you from his evil way, and correct your ways and your deeds!”’

  10. to go well with

    State in which people live in a condition of well-being

    Examples

    Genesis 12:13 “Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well for me because of you, and that I may live on account of you.”

    Genesis 40:14 “Only keep me in mind when it goes well for you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this prison.

    Deuteronomy 4:40 “So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, so that it may go well for you and for your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time.”

  11. to pull a cheerful face

    Literally: to make (one's) face good; hence: action by which humans give expression to their happiness by pulling a cheerful face

    Examples

    Proverbs 15:13 A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.

  12. Action by which humans perform activities with a certain amount of skill (to do (something) well)

    Examples

    Deuteronomy 9:21 “And I took your sinful thing which you had made, the calf, and burned it in the fire and crushed it, grinding it thoroughly until it was as fine as dust; and I threw its dust into the stream that came down from the mountain.

    Deuteronomy 13:14 then you shall investigate, search out, and inquire thoroughly. And if it is true and the matter is certain that this abomination has been committed among you,

    Deuteronomy 17:4 and if it is reported to you and you have heard about it, then you shall investigate thoroughly. And if it is true and the report is trustworthy that this detestable thing has been done in Israel,

How it’s used In 9 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Who or what does itSubject

102 occurrences in 19 groups

What it acts on, or what is saidObject

32 occurrences in 24 groups

With prepositionsPrepositional phrases

55 occurrences in 34 groups

With adverbsAdverbs

4 occurrences in 1 groups

Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive

2 occurrences in 2 groups

What is done to itIt is the object

6 occurrences in 4 groups

What it is said to bePredicate

1 occurrences in 1 groups

What is said to be itIt is the predicate

2 occurrences in 2 groups

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

11 occurrences in 4 groups

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Near synonyms 5 words
נָאָה nâʼâh · H4998 · to be beautiful, to be appropriate, to be welcome
Both words share senses of aesthetic appropriateness, “be comely” for יָטַב (yâṭab, H3190) and “be beautiful, be comely” for נָאָה (nâʼâh, H4998). יָטַב (yâṭab, H3190) has a much broader range, including moral goodness, benefit, improvement, and diligence, while נָאָה (nâʼâh, H4998) is tightly focused on beauty or comeliness; the overlap is limited to the sense of being comely or fitting.
עָרֵב ʻârêb · H6149 · to pledge, to promise, to put up security
Both lexemes genuinely denote positive evaluation/quality: יָטַב (yâṭab, H3190) "be good/better/pleasing" and עָרֵב (ʻârêb, H6149) "be pleasant/sweet" overlap in the domain of favorable assessment and could substitute in contexts of acceptability or appeal.
מָתַק mâthaq · H4985 · to taste good, to be sweet, to be pleasant
מָתַק (mâthaq, H4985) ("be sweet") and יָטַב (yâṭab, H3190) ("be good, better, pleasant, cheerful") do share evaluative/positive semantic space and can substitute in contexts of pleasantness or desirability (e.g., both can describe what is agreeable or favorable).
טוֹב ṭôwb · H2895 · to be good
Both words are verbs meaning "be, do or make good or better," with overlapping senses of goodness, rightness and cheerfulness.
יָשַׁר yâshar · H3474 · to make straight, to make smooth, to make level
יָטַב (yâṭab, H3190) emphasizes evaluation of goodness/benefit (117×, domains include "Good," "Better," "Rejoice"); יָשַׁר (yâshar, H3474) emphasizes rightness/uprightness and straightness (25×, domains include "Shape," "Straight," "Upright," "Innocent").
Contrasting words 1 word
רָעַע râʻaʻ · H7489 · to act wickedly, to do wickedness, to do evil
The direct lexical opposite of רָעַע, denoting to do well, be pleasing, or act rightly, as opposed to acting badly or wickedly.
In the other Testament 5 words
εὖ eû · G2095 · well, good, fine
Greek adverb εὖ renders the Hebrew verbal root יָטַב in contexts expressing doing well, being good/pleasing, or making something better, functioning as the standard Septuagint equivalent for this common evaluative concept.
ἀρέσκω aréskō · G700 · to please
Greek ἀρέσκω focuses specifically on the relational dimension of pleasing or being agreeable to someone, while Hebrew יָטַב has broader scope including intrinsic goodness, improvement, and welfare beyond the relational register—the equivalence holds where יָטַב's semantic range narrows to 'be pleasing/acceptable in someone's sight' contexts.
ἀγαθοποιέω agathopoiéō · G15 · to do good, to perform good deeds, good works
The Greek compound verb ἀγαθοποιέω specifically denotes active well-doing or beneficence as an ethical practice, while the Hebrew יָטַב has a broader semantic range encompassing general goodness, improvement, or acceptability; the overlap occurs in contexts where doing what is good/right or making things better constitutes the well-doing that ἀγαθοποιέω names.
καλῶς kalōs · G2573 · good, fine, praiseworthy
Greek καλῶς renders the moral/evaluative sense of Hebrew יָטַב when the context emphasizes doing something "well" or "rightly" in manner or quality, corresponding to the "use aright," "seem best," and "diligent(-ly)" aspects of the Hebrew semantic range; both terms share the core notion of proper/good action or state.
ὀρθῶς orthōs · G3723 · correct, correctly
ὀρθῶς denotes the adverbial manner of doing something 'rightly/correctly' (often in speech or moral judgment contexts), whereas יָטַב expresses the broader verbal concept of 'being/making good/right/pleasing' across evaluative, aesthetic, and benefactive domains; the overlap centers on contexts where 'doing right' or 'speaking correctly' aligns with what is evaluated as good/pleasing.
Semantic domains 8 entries
Good002001001031
יָטַב describes something being or becoming good, as Cain is asked whether his face will not be lifted up if he 'does well' (Genesis 4:7).
Great002001002012
יָטַב can describe an especially favorable outcome, illustrated at Genesis 12:16 ("he did good to Abram for her sake") — a genuine sense of an outcome exceeding ordinary goodness.
Intense002001003011
This entry carries no independent "Intense" sense of its own; every genuine tagged occurrence of יָטַב (Genesis 4:7, 12:13, 12:16, 32:10, 32:13) concerns something going well or being done well, not an intensified degree of action. The domain is bundle-shared with a related sense.
Rejoice002001002022
יָטַב is tied to cheerfulness or gladness of countenance, as in the question of whether doing well brings a face lifted up in gladness (Genesis 4:7).
Right002001003013
יָטַב describes doing what is right or proper, the moral 'doing well' set against sin crouching at the door (Genesis 4:7).
Safe002003003019
יָטַב can describe faring well or being kept safe, as Abram hoped it would 'go well' for him on account of Sarai in Egypt (Genesis 12:13).
Stance002001001061
This entry carries no independent "Stance" sense of its own; every genuine tagged occurrence concerns a favorable outcome or well-being, not outward bearing or posture. The domain is bundle-shared with a related sense.
Well002001003018
יָטַב most broadly means to fare well or be treated well, as Abram 'was treated well' for Sarai's sake, receiving livestock and servants (Genesis 12:16).
Word family 3 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

יָטַבyâṭab · H3190מֵיטָב mêyṭâb · H4315 · best · 6×יְטַב yᵉṭab · H3191 · seem good · 1×
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H3190. yatab [יָטַב] verb be good, well, glad, pleasing (Aramaic יְטַב Zinjirli יטב…
H3190. yatab
[יָטַב] verb be good, well, glad, pleasing (Aramaic יְטַב Zinjirli יטב DHMSendsch. 57) —
Qal (Perfect not in use, see טוֺב
verb) Imperfect יִיטַב Gen 12:13 34t., יִטַב 1Sa 24:5 1Sa 24:3t.; תִּיטַב Est 2:4 Est 2:2t.; תֵּיטְבִי (incorrect for תִּיטְבִי Ges§ 70 R) Nah 3:8; plural יִיטְבוּ Gen 34:18; for Infinitive and Participle see טוֺב —
1 be glad, joyful, לֵב Jdg 18:20; Jdg 19:6, Jdg 19:9; 1Ki 21:7; Rth 3:7; Ecc 7:3.
2 be well placed, אָמוֺן מִנּאֹ הֲתֵיטְבִי Nah 3:8 art thou better placed than No of Amon?
3 impersonal with לְ, be well for or with, go well with Gen 12:13 (J), Gen 40:14 (E), Deu 4:40; Deu 5:16, Deu 5:26; Deu 6:3, Deu 6:18; Deu 12:25, Deu 12:28; Deu 22:7; 2Ki 25:24; Rth 3:1; Jer 7:23; Jer 38:20; Jer 40:9; Jer 42:6.
4 be pleasing בְּעֵינֵי Gen 34:18 (J), Gen 41:37; Gen 45:16 (E), Deu 1:23; Lev 10:19-20, Jos 22:30, Jos 22:33 (P), 1Sa 18:5; 1Sa 24:5; 2Sa 3:36; 2Sa 18:4; 1Ki 3:10; Est 1:21; Est 2:4 (twice in verse); Est 2:9; with לְ, be pleasing to, Psa 69:32; with לִפְנֵי (late) Neh 2:5-6, Est 5:14.
Hiph`il Perfect הֵיטִיב Gen 12:16; Jos 24:20; הֵיטִב 1Sa 25:31; suffix הֵיטִ֑בְךָ Deu 30:5; הֵיטַבְתָּ Jer 1:12; הֵיטַבְתְּ Rth 3:10, etc.; וְהִֵטבֹתִ֫י Eze 36:11 (for הֵיטַבְתִּי as if from טוב Ges§ 70R); Imperfect יֵיטִיב Num 10:32 Num 10:3t.; יֵיטִב Pro 15:13 Pro 15:2t.; יְיֵטִיב Job 24:21 (Ges§ 70R); יֵיטֵיב 1Ki 1:47 (Ges§ 70R); וַיִּ֫יטֶב Exo 1:20; suffix וִיטִיבְךָ Ecc 11:9, etc.; Imperative הֵיטִ֫יבָה Psalm 51:20; הֵיטִ֫יבִי Isa 23:16, etc.; Infinitive absolute הֵיטֵיב Jer 7:5; Jer 10:5; הֵיטֵב Gen 32:13 Gen 32:10t.; Infinitive construct הֵיטִיב Lev 5:4 Lev 5:7t.; הֵטִיב Jer 32:41; suffix הֵיטִיבִי Jer 32:40, etc.; Participle מֵיטִיב 1Sa 16:17; מֵטִיב Psa 119:68; מֵטִב Eze 33:32, etc.; —
1 make glad, rejoice לֵב Jdg 19:22; פנים Pro 15:13; the person Ecc 11:9.
2 do good to, deal well with, a person usually with preposition: with לְ, Exo 1:20; Jos 24:20 (both E), Gen 12:16; Num 10:29, Num 10:32 (all J), Jdg 17:13; 1Sa 25:31; Psa 49:19; Psa 125:4; with עִם, Gen 32:10; Gen 32:13 (twice in verse); Num 10:32 (all J), Mic 2:7; with accusative Deu 8:16; Deu 28:63; Deu 30:5; 1Sa 2:32; Jer 18:10; Jer 32:40-41, Zec 8:15; Job 24:21; Psalm 51:20; absolute Eze 36:11; opposed to הֵרַע (in prov. phrase, cannot do good or ill, = cannot do anything at all; test of deity) Zep 1:12; Isa 41:23; Jer 10:5.
3 do well or thoroughly: דבּרוּ (כל)אשׁר הֵטִיבוּ they have done well (all) that they have spoken Deu 5:25; Deu 18:17; להיטיב כפים הרע על Mic 7:3 their hands are upon the evil to do it well,i.e.diligently, thoroughly, literally make (it) good, with play on הרע; especially as auxil. followed by infinitive; ׳היט דעת Pro 15:2 = know well; לראות Jer 1:12 see well; (לְ)נַגֵּן play well, skilfully 1Sa 16:17; Isa 23:16; Eze 33:32; Psa 33:3; compare participle construct followed by substantive צָ֑עַד מֵטִבֵי Pro 30:29 marching well, in a stately manner, so לֶכֶת מֵיטִבֵי Pro 30:29; infinitive absolute הֵיטֵיב as adverb = thoroughly, with verbs: כתת Deu 9:21, שׁאל Deu 13:15, דרשׁ Deu 17:4; Deu 19:18, באר Deu 27:8, שׁבּר 2Ki 11:18.
4 make a thing good, right, beautiful: with accusative of thing: the head 2Ki 9:30; dress, trim: a lamp Exo 30:7 (P); מַצֵּבוֺת Hos 10:1; גֵּהָה Pro 17:22 a glad heart maketh a good cure; followed by מִן comparative, object שֵׁם 1Ki 1:47 ( = make it more glorious then); חֶסֶד Rth 3:10; followed by דֶּרֶךְ = course of life or action Jer 2:33 (in order to win love); amend one's ways and doings Jer 7:3; Jer 18:11; Jer 26:13; Jer 35:15; אתדֿ תֵּיטִיבוּ ׳הֵיטֵיב Jer 7:5.
5 do well, right, ethically, absolute:
a. of men, Gen 4:7 (twice in verse) (J), Lev 5:4 (P), Psa 36:4; Isa 1:17; Jer 4:22; Jer 13:23.
b. of God, מֵטִיב טוֺב good and doing good Psa 119:68; so infinitive absolute as adverb לך חָרָה הַהֵיטֵב Jon 4:4, Jon 4:9 art thou rightly angry ? followed by לי Jon 4:9. In אֶלאָֿבִי כִּייֵֿיטִב 1Sa 20:13 verb is apparently intransitive, =
Qal, if it be pleasing unto my father, but
Hiph`il not elsewhere in this sense; point rather יִיטַב; on this and on following אֶתֿ see We Dr.

Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain

Topical studies with this word 8 entries
Facial Expressions1 occurrenceGood3 occurrencesGreat1 occurrenceRejoice8 occurrencesIntense3 occurrencesRight68 occurrencesWell16 occurrencesSafe17 occurrences

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0

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