Favor

Favor appears as the reward for those who diligently pursue good — not passive luck but a divine response to intentional, consistent pursuit of what is right.

Favor is the social and divine reward for good sense — wise conduct earns it, while treacherous behavior cancels it, showing that favor flows toward those aligned with how God designed things to work.

Favor here is the king's positive attention directed toward the wise servant — contrasted with the wrath earned by shameful conduct, it is the tangible social reward of character-driven wisdom.

Favor here describes the life-giving quality of a good leader's approval — like spring rain, a righteous ruler's goodwill creates conditions where people and communities genuinely flourish.

Favor here describes the goodwill and esteem one earns from others — Solomon places it alongside a good name as more valuable than silver or gold.

Favor is the distinction Abraham refuses here — the Hittites offer him honorary access to their tombs, but Abraham declines borrowed goodwill in favor of a permanent, legally owned burial site.

Favor appears in Rachel's naming of Dan — she interprets Bilhah's successful birth as God finally siding with her in the rivalry, a sign of divine vindication.

Favor is the concrete expression of God's grace here: the prison warden entrusts Joseph with oversight of all the other prisoners, mirroring the authority Joseph held in Potiphar's house.

Favor is what Jacob is strategically trying to purchase through luxury gifts — balm, honey, myrrh, nuts — sent ahead to soften the Egyptian official's disposition toward his sons.

Favor appears here as the closing explanation for Noah's survival — circling back to verse 8, the author resolves the chapter by confirming that divine favor, expressed through the covenant and fulfilled through obedience, is what made the difference between death and deliverance.

Bathsheba is not appealing for a casual favor here — she's invoking David's sworn oath before God as the basis for urgent royal action, making it clear this is a matter of covenant fidelity, not personal preference.

Favor is the concept the text uses to explain Solomon's changed circumstances — the enemies that couldn't touch the kingdom before now have an open lane because God's favor has been withdrawn.

Favor is referenced here to contrast Solomon's approach — rather than exploiting his royal position, he acknowledges Hiram's expertise and offers fair wages, modeling God-honoring diplomacy over entitled favor-seeking.

Favor is what Hannah asks Eli to extend to her — after correcting him, she humbly requests his goodwill, and Eli's blessing becomes the first human acknowledgment that her prayer may be answered.

Favor here describes Samuel's growing standing with both God and people — a direct counterpoint to Eli's sons who despised God and lost everything, while Samuel's faithfulness is quietly accumulating divine blessing.

Jonathan explicitly blesses David with the same divine favor that once rested on Saul — a remarkable acknowledgment that God's anointing has shifted from his father's house to David's.

Favor is the social standing the early church enjoyed with their neighbors — their generosity and joyful community life earned them goodwill in Jerusalem, which contributed to their explosive growth.

Favor here describes Felix's parting act of political calculation — leaving Paul imprisoned not for justice but to curry goodwill with the Jewish leaders before his term ended.

The transfer request is framed as a routine legal favor, but Luke reveals it as a deadly manipulation — showing how the pursuit of political goodwill can be weaponized against the innocent.