Word study
Favor
11 Hebrew and 4 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: favor, favors, favored. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “favor” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- חֵן chênfavour, gracetranslated this way 49 times of its 66 uses · Strong’s H2580Noun · Translated: favor 48, grace 9, gracious 3, charm 2Full study and all 64 verses →
Genesis 6:8 Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
Exodus 3:21 And I will grant this people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you leave, you will not go away empty-handed.
- רָצוֹן râtsôngoodwill, favour, acceptance, willtranslated this way 16 times of its 54 uses · Strong’s H7522Noun · Translated: favor 15, delight 5, acceptable 3, acceptance 3Full study and all 54 verses →
Deuteronomy 33:16 with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it, and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers.
Psalm 5:12 For surely You, O LORD, bless the righteous; You surround them with the shield of Your favor.
- חָנַן chânanshew favour, be gracioustranslated this way 8 times of its 76 uses · Strong’s H2603Verb · Translated: gracious 17, mercy 14, merciful 7, favor 4Full study and all 72 verses →
Judges 21:22 When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’”
Esther 4:8 Mordecai also gave Hathach a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for the destruction of the Jews, to show and explain to Esther, urging her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead before him for her people.
- פָּנִים pânîmface, beforetranslated this way 8 times of its 1,836 uses · Strong’s H6440Noun · Translated: before 448, face 222, presence 147, before you 123Full study and all 1,671 verses →
- רָצָה râtsâhbe pleased with, accept favourablytranslated this way 8 times of its 57 uses · Strong’s H7521Verb · Translated: accept 12, delight 6, pleased 5, accepted 4Full study and all 55 verses →
Deuteronomy 33:24 And concerning Asher he said: “May Asher be the most blessed of sons; may he be the most favored among his brothers and dip his foot in oil.
1 Samuel 29:4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with Achish and told him, “Send that man back and let him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go down with us into battle only to become our adversary during the war. What better way for him to regain the favor of his master than with the heads of our men?
- חֶסֶד chesedgoodness, kindnesstranslated this way 4 times of its 247 uses · Strong’s H2617Noun · Translated: loving devotion 175, kindness 31, according to your loving devotion 6, favor 4Full study and all 241 verses →
Ezra 7:28 and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.
Esther 2:9 And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.
- חָלָה châlâhbe weak, sicktranslated this way 3 times of its 75 uses · Strong’s H2470Verb · Translated: ill 8, sick 8, grievous 5, sought 4Full study and all 73 verses →
Exodus 32:11 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?
Daniel 9:13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquities and giving attention to Your truth.
- נֹעַם nôamdelightfulness, pleasantnesstranslated this way 3 times of its 7 uses · Strong’s H5278Noun · Translated: pleasant 3, favor 2, beauty 1, called favor 1Full study and all 7 verses →
Psalm 90:17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish for us the work of our hands— yes, establish the work of our hands!
Zechariah 11:7 So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, especially the afflicted of the flock. Then I took for myself two staffs, calling one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock.
- תַּזְנוּת taznûthfornicationtranslated this way 3 times of its 19 uses · Strong’s H8457Noun · Translated: prostitution 6, promiscuity 6, lust 2Full study and all 18 verses →
Ezekiel 16:15 But because of your fame, you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot. You lavished your favors on everyone who passed by, and your beauty was theirs for the asking.
Ezekiel 16:33 Men give gifts to all their prostitutes, but you gave gifts to all your lovers. You bribed them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.
- טוֹב ṭôbpleasant, agreeable, goodtranslated this way 2 times of its 538 uses · Strong’s H2896Adjective · Translated: good 249, better 72, prosperity 19, good things 12Full study and all 499 verses →
2 Samuel 2:6 Now may the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness, and I will also show you the same favor because you have done this.
Nehemiah 13:31 I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.
- נָשָׂא nâsâlift, take, carrytranslated this way 2 times of its 642 uses · Strong’s H5375Verb · Translated: bear 49, lift 45, lifted 41, carried 38Full study and all 601 verses →
Greek words (New Testament)
- χάρις chárisgrace, favor, kindnesstranslated this way 5 times of its 153 uses · Strong’s G5485Noun · Translated: grace 120, thanks 6, favor 5, credit 3Full study and all 145 verses →
Luke 1:30 So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Acts 2:47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
- μέλω mélōit is a care, it concernstranslated this way 2 times of its 10 uses · Strong’s G3199Verb · Translated: seek favor 2, concern 2Full study and all 10 verses →
Matthew 22:16 They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance.
Mark 12:14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and seek favor from no one. Indeed, You are impartial and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or not?”
- δεκτός dektósacceptable, acceptedtranslated this way 2 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s G1184Adjective · Translated: favor 2, accepted 1, welcomes 1, acceptable 1Full study and all 5 verses →
Luke 4:19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
2 Corinthians 6:2 For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!
- κατατίθημι katatíthēmiI lay down, deposittranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s G2698Verb · Translated: Jews a favor 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Acts 24:27 After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
Acts 25:9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?”
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
What the Bible says about favor: passages by topic →
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.