'Goodness' in the Bible

Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the Lord had done to Israel, in that He had rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.

And God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion (lovingkindness) on whom I will show compassion.”

On the eighth (fifteenth) day he sent the people away and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and in good spirits because of all the goodness which the Lord had shown to David His servant and Israel His people.

I did not believe the report until I came and saw it with my own eyes. Behold, the half of it was not told to me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard.

“Now then arise, O Lord God, [and come] to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength and power. Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation and let Your godly ones rejoice in [Your] goodness.

And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month Solomon sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy in heart because of the goodness that the Lord had shown to David, to Solomon, and to His people Israel.

“They captured fortified cities and a fertile land.They took possession of houses full of all good things,Hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves,And fruit trees in abundance.So they ate and were filled and became fat,And they reveled and were delighted in Your great goodness.

“But they, in their kingdom,With Your great goodness which You gave them,With the broad and rich land which You set before them,Did not serve You or turn from their wicked deeds.

Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life,And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.

Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;According to Your lovingkindness remember me,For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.

I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the LordIn the land of the living.

How great is Your goodness,Which You have stored up for those who [reverently] fear You,Which You have prepared for those who take refuge in You,Before the sons of man!

Blessed is the one whom You choose and bring nearTo dwell in Your courts.We will be filled with the goodness of Your house,Your holy temple.

You crown the year with Your bounty,And Your paths overflow.

Your flock found a dwelling place in it;O God, in Your goodness You provided for the poor.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!

They will overflow [like a fountain] when they speak of Your great and abundant goodnessAnd will sing joyfully of Your righteousness.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for [the hands of] the righteous.

Many a man proclaims his own loyalty and goodness,But who can find a faithful and trustworthy man?

“Many daughters have done nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness],But you excel them all.”

I will tell of the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,According to all that the Lord has done for us,And His great goodness toward the house of Israel,Which He has shown them according to His compassionAnd according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses.

“They will come and sing aloud and shout for joy on the height of Zion,And will be radiant [with joy] over the goodness of the Lord—For the grain, for the new wine, for the oil,And for the young of the flock and the herd.And their life will be like a watered garden,And they shall never sorrow or languish again.

“I will fully satisfy the soul of the priests with abundance,And My people will be satisfied with My goodness,” says the Lord.

Afterward the sons of Israel will return [in deep repentance] and seek the Lord their God and [seek from the line of] David their king [the King of kings—the Messiah]; and they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness and blessing in the last days.

For I desire and delight in [steadfast] loyalty [faithfulness in the covenant relationship], rather than sacrifice,And in the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Israel is a luxuriant and prolific vine;He produces fruit for himself.The more his fruit,The more altars he made [to Baal];The richer his land,The better he made the [idolatrous] pillars.

For how great is God’s goodness and how great is His beauty! And how great [He will make Israel’s] goodliness and [Israel’s] beauty!Grain and new wine will make the young men and virgins flourish.

Personally I am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, amply filled with all [spiritual] knowledge, and competent to admonish and counsel and instruct one another.

We must not tempt the Lord [that is, test His patience, question His purpose or exploit His goodness], as some of them did—and they were killed by serpents.

He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].

As it is written and forever remains written,“He [the benevolent and generous person] scattered abroad, he gave to the poor,His righteousness endures forever!”

Now He who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing [that is, your resources] and increase the harvest of your righteousness [which shows itself in active goodness, kindness, and love].

But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

[and He did this] so that in the ages to come He might [clearly] show the immeasurable and unsurpassed riches of His grace in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus [by providing for our redemption].

(for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),

for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [how you lean on Him with absolute confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness], and of the [unselfish] love which you have for all the saints (God’s people);

For even though I am absent [from you] in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, delighted to see your good discipline [as you stand shoulder to shoulder and form a solid front] and to see the stability of your faith in Christ [your steadfast reliance on Him and your unwavering confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].

For the word of the Lord has resounded from you and has echoed [like thunder], not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place [the news of] your [great] faith in God has spread, so that we never need to say anything about it.

With this in view, we constantly pray for you, that our God will count you worthy of your calling [to faith] and with [His] power fulfill every desire for goodness, and complete [your] every work of faith,

But as for you, O man of God, flee from these things; aim at and pursue righteousness [true goodness, moral conformity to the character of God], godliness [the fear of God], faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.

I remember your sincere and unqualified faith [the surrendering of your entire self to God in Christ with confident trust in His power, wisdom and goodness, a faith] which first lived in [the heart of] your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am confident that it is in you as well.

and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Hebrew Scriptures) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus [surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness].

And he must be hospitable [to believers, as well as strangers], a lover of what is good, sensible (upright), fair, devout, self-disciplined [above reproach—whether in public or in private].

But when the goodness and kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared [in human form as the Man, Jesus Christ],

For indeed we have had the good news [of salvation] preached to us, just as the Israelites also [when the good news of the promised land came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not united with faith [in God] by those who heard.

so that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who through faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in His power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises.

let us approach [God] with a true and sincere heart in unqualified assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Remember your leaders [for it was they] who brought you the word of God; and consider the result of their conduct [the outcome of their godly lives], and imitate their faith [their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider of eternal salvation through Christ, and imitate their reliance on God with absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].

if in fact you have [already] tasted the goodness and gracious kindness of the Lord.