יָטַב (H3190) — Hebrew Lexicon

יָטַב

𐤉𐤈𐤁

yâṭab

H3190 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To be good, pleasant, right, or fitting in quality or action; to act or become beneficial or appropriate. Used of moral, aesthetic, or practical 'goodness'—including being well, pleasing, successful, or proper. In the causative, to make good, improve, or treat well.

Semantic Range

to be good, to become good, to act rightly, to be pleasing, to prosper, to make good, to improve, to treat well, to benefit, to make beautiful or fitting, to please, to be accepted, to succeed, to bring joy, to deal kindly, to act skillfully

Root / Etymology

From the root יטב, meaning 'to be good' or 'do good.' The verb derives directly from this root and fundamentally denotes a state or action characterized by goodness, suitability, or propriety.

Historical & Contextual Notes

יָטַב is commonly used throughout the Hebrew Bible in descriptions of action, state, or circumstance being good or pleasing, either inherently (as in quality) or in effect (as in conduct or treatment). The verb can be stative ('to be good/pleasant') or active-causative ('to do good, make something good'). It often carries moral or evaluative weight, as with being 'right' or 'well-pleasing' in the sight of others or of God. In legal and narrative texts, it can mean to deal favorably or act kindly toward others. In poetry and wisdom literature, it may describe success, happiness, or harmony. Later, during the post-exilic and Second Temple periods, derivatives of this root continued to carry both moral and practical implications. The range of translations in English (such as 'do good,' 'be well,' 'please,' 'prosper') can obscure the consistent emphasis on goodness or suitability at the core of יָטַב. Distinguish from טוֹב (H2896)—the adjective/noun 'good'—which more commonly denotes inherent quality, while יָטַב focuses on the act or process of becoming or making good. The standard translations do not always capture nuances such as fittingness or suitability.

Translation Consistency

primary "be" 0 occurrences

yâṭab primarily describes a state or condition — to be good, well, pleasing, or to prosper — which the English verb “be” naturally conveys. This keeps renderings consistent for the common stative uses (be good, be well, go well, be pleasing), while causative or benefactive senses can be expressed with auxiliaries (make/bring) in the target phrase while retaining the same core verb form.

Alternatives (12 occurrences):

"good" (5x) "pleased" (2x) "made good" (1x) "become good" (1x) "make-good" (1x) "pleases" (1x) "pleasing" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to be (causative) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right); be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, [phrase] be content, diligent(-ly), dress, earnestly, find favour, give, be glad, do (be, make) good(-ness), be (make) merry, please ([phrase] well), shew more (kindness), skilfully, [idiom] very small, surely, make sweet, thoroughly, tire, trim, very, be (can, deal, entreat, go, have) well (said, seen).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

יטב (Ytevah) — to be good, to do good, to make good, to treat well

Root יטב to be good, to do good, to make good, to treat well

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H3192	יׇטְבָה	Pleasant-Place
H3193	יׇטְבָתָה	in Pleasant-Place
H4105	מְהֵיטַבְאֵל	God-does-good
H4315	מֵיטָב	in the choicest portion of

Word Forms

42 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H3190-42`	יִטַ֣ב	yitav	`HVqi3ms`	it may be well	he will be good	it may be well	17
`H3190-28`	וַ/יִּיטַ֥ב	vayitav	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and it was good	and he became good	and it was good	15
`H3190-08`	הֵיטֵ֔ב	heytev	`HVha`	thoroughly	to make good	thoroughly	9
`H3190-14`	לְ/הֵיטִ֣יב	leheytiv	`HR/Vhc`	to do good	to make good	to do good	7
`H3190-40`	יֵיטִ֖יב	yeytiv	`HVhi3ms`	does good	he will make good	he will cause to be good	7
`H3190-13`	הֵיטִ֖יבוּ	heytivu	`HVhp3cp`	they have done well	they made good	make good	6
`H3190-36`	וְ/יִטַ֣ב	veyitav	`HC/Vqj3ms`	and let it be good	and he will be good	and it will be well	6
`H3190-20`	תֵּיטִיב֙	teytiv	`HVhi2ms`	you do well	you will make good	you will be good	4
`H3190-03`	הַ/הֵיטֵ֖ב	haheytev	`HTi/Vha`	Is it right	to make good	to cause to be good	2
`H3190-09`	הֵיטֵיב֙	heyteyv	`HVha`	do good	to make good	to cause to be good	2
`H3190-10`	הֵיטִ֖יב	heytiv	`HVhp3ms`	dealt well	he made good	he made it be good	2
`H3190-18`	מֵיטִ֣יבֵי	meytivey	`HVhrmpc`	stately in	makers-good of	stately of	2
`H3190-22`	תֵּיטִ֣יבוּ	teytivu	`HVhi2mp`	do good	you will make good	you will cause to be good	2
`H3190-31`	וְ/הֵטַ֣בְנוּ	vehetavenu	`HC/Vhq1cp`	and we will do good to	and we made good	and we will do good	2
`H3190-34`	וְ/הֵיטִ֥יבוּ	veheytivu	`HC/Vhv2mp`	and-amend	and make good	and make good	2
`H3190-01`	בְּ/הֵיטִיב֛/וֹ	beheytivo	`HR/Vhc/Sp3ms`	when he trims	in his making him good	when he makes it good	1
`H3190-02`	אֵיטִ֖יב	eytiv	`HVhi1cs`	I will do good	I will make good	I will make good	1
`H3190-04`	הֲ/תֵֽיטְבִי֙	hateytevi	`HTi/Vhi2fs`	are you better?	you will make good	are you better	1
`H3190-05`	הַ/יִּיטַ֖ב	hayitav	`HTi/Vqi3ms`	would it be good	will he be good?	would it be good	1
`H3190-06`	הֵיטַ֣בְתָּ	heytaveta	`HVhp2ms`	You have done well	you have made good	you have done well	1
`H3190-07`	הֵיטַ֛בְתְּ	heytavete	`HVhp2fs`	you have made better	you have made good	you have made good	1
`H3190-11`	הֵיטִ֣יבָ/ה	heytivah	`HVhv2ms/Sh`	Do good	Make good	Do good	1
`H3190-12`	הֵיטִ֤יבִי	heytivi	`HVhv2fs`	make sweet	Make good	Make good	1
`H3190-15`	לְ/הֵיטִֽבְ/ךָ֖	leheytivekha	`HR/Vhc/Sp2ms`	to do you good	to do good to you	to do good to you	1
`H3190-16`	לְ/הֵיטִיבִ֖/י	leheytivi	`HR/Vhc/Sp1cs`	to-do-good-to-them	my making good	to do good to them	1
`H3190-17`	מֵיטִ֣יב	meytiv	`HVhrmsa`	who can play well	the one who makes good	who makes good	1
`H3190-19`	מֵיטִיבִ֣ים	meytivim	`HVhrmpa`	were making merry	those who make good	were making merry	1
`H3190-21`	תֵּיטִ֥בִי	teytivi	`HVhi2fs`	do you make good	you will make good	do you make good	1
`H3190-23`	תִּיטַב֙	titav	`HVqi3fs`	pleases	she will be good	pleases	1
`H3190-24`	וּ/לְ/הֵיטִ֖יב	uleheytiv	`HC/R/Vhc`	but to do good	and to make good	and to make good	1
`H3190-25`	וַ/תֵּ֣יטֶב	vateytev	`HC/Vhw3fs`	and she adorned	and she made good	and she made good	1
`H3190-26`	וַ/תִּיטַ֨ב	vatitav	`HC/Vqw3fs`	and she was good	and she became good	and she was pleasing	1
`H3190-27`	וַ/יֵּ֥יטֶב	vayeytev	`HC/Vhw3ms`	Therefore God dealt well	and he made good	and he did good	1
`H3190-29`	וַ/יִּֽיטְב֥וּ	vayitevu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	pleased	and they became good	and they became good	1
`H3190-30`	וְ/אֵיטִ֥יבָה	veeytivah	`HC/Vhh1cs`	and I will do good	let me make good	and I will do good	1
`H3190-32`	וְ/הֵיטִ֤ב	veheytiv	`HC/Vhq3ms`	and when YHWH	and he made good	and it made good	1
`H3190-33`	וְ/הֵיטִֽבְ/ךָ֥	veheytivekha	`HC/Vhq3ms/Sp2ms`	and will do you good	and he will make you good	and he will do you good	1
`H3190-35`	וְ/תִיטַ֣ב	vetitav	`HC/Vqi3fs`	will please	and she will be good	and it will please	1
`H3190-37`	וִֽ/יטִֽיבְ/ךָ֤	vitivekha	`HC/Vhj3ms/Sp2ms`	let cheer you	may he make-good you	may he make-good you	1
`H3190-38`	יְיֵטִֽיב	yeyetiv	`HVhi3ms`	he does good	he will make good	he does good	1
`H3190-39`	יֵיטֵ֨ב	yeytev	`HVhj3ms`	make good	let him make good	let him make good	1
`H3190-41`	יֵיטִ֔יבוּ	yeytivu	`HVhi3mp`	do good	they will make good	they will make good	1

Occurrences in Scripture

112 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H3190-42`	Ruth 3:1	יִֽיטַב	yitav	`HVqi3ms`	it may be well	he will be good	it will be good
`H3190-28`	Ruth 3:7	וַ/יִּיטַ֣ב	vayitav	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and it was good	and he became good	and it was good
`H3190-07`	Ruth 3:10	הֵיטַ֛בְתְּ	heytavete	`HVhp2fs`	you have made better	you have made good	you have made good
`H3190-42`	Ecclesiastes 7:3	יִ֥יטַב	yitav	`HVqi3ms`		he will be good	it will become good
`H3190-37`	Ecclesiastes 11:9	וִֽ/יטִֽיבְ/ךָ֤	vitivekha	`HC/Vhj3ms/Sp2ms`	let cheer you	may he make-good you	may he make-good you
`H3190-28`	Esther 1:21	וַ/יִּיטַב֙	vayitav	`HC/Vqw3ms`	And it pleased	and he became good	and it pleased
`H3190-23`	Esther 2:4	תִּיטַב֙	titav	`HVqi3fs`	pleases	she will be good	pleases
`H3190-28`	Esther 2:4	וַ/יִּיטַ֧ב	vayitav	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and it was good	and he became good	and it was good
`H3190-26`	Esther 2:9	וַ/תִּיטַ֨ב	vatitav	`HC/Vqw3fs`	and she was good	and she became good	and she was pleasing
`H3190-28`	Esther 5:14	וַ/יִּיטַ֧ב	vayitav	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and it was good	and he became good	and it was good
`H3190-42`	Nehemiah 2:5	יִיטַ֥ב	yitav	`HVqi3ms`	it be good	he will be good	it will be good
`H3190-28`	Nehemiah 2:6	וַ/יִּיטַ֤ב	vayitav	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and it pleased	and he became good	and it pleased

← H3189 Hebrew Lexicon H3191 →