The word goods had formerly a wider applica- tion than it has now. Thus Dt 28" ' And the Loud shall make thee plenteous in {joods ' ; 2 Ch 21" ' Behold with a great jilafpie will the Lord smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods.' RV changes 'goods of AV into some other word in the foil, places : Gn 24'° ' all the goods of his master were in his hand ' (310-S; RV 'all goodly things," RVm as AV) : 31'» ' And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten' (rrn ir'K Wrj-^j, RV 'all his substance which he had gatliered'); Nu 35' ' the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods' (c^'p-j^ RV 'for their sub- stance'); Dt 28" 'plenteous in goods' {n:i='-, RV 'for good'); 2 Ch 21" 'all thy goods' (^.v'n'''?. RV ' all thy substance') ; Neh 9^ ' houses full of all goods' (niD-Sij-c-N^?, RV ' full of all good things') ; Job 20"" ' his hands shall restore their goods ' (ij'iK, RV ' his wealth ') ; 20-' ' therefore shall no man look for his goods' (^dsd S'n;-^^ jr'^y, RV ' Therefore his prosperity shall not endure') ; Zeph 1" 'their goods shall become a booty ' (cVn, RV ' their wealth ') ; Sir 14' ' he shall not take pleasure in his goods ' {iy ToU xP^f^^^^ auToO, RV * in his possessions ') ; Mt 24" ' Verily I say unto you. That he shall make him ruler over all his goods ' (^i jraffi Tois inrdpxovffi.i' ai>ro5, RV ' over all that he hath ') ; Lk 15" ' the portion of goods that falleth to me ' {to HrifiaWov fUpo^ rijs ouaias, RV ' the portion of My [RVm 'the'] substance'); He 10** ' took joyfully the spoiling of your goods ' {tu.v vTrapxi''ru!i' i'liwv, RV ' your possessions ') ; Rev 3" ' I am rich, and increased with goods ' (TreirXovniKa, RV ' have gotten riches'). J. Hastings.
GOOD, CHIEF.— According to Scripture, the chief good for man is of a moral and spiritual nature. The fact that man was made in the image of God (Gn 1^) is determinative. God is the highest and best of beings ; and man. His image, while recognizing the relative goodness which is conveyed through material blessings, e.g., discerns the chief good, that which answers to our deepest needs, and leads us to the goal which our own nature establishes for us, in the region of the unseen, the spiritual and divine. God is revealed in the OT as holy, and Israel is chosen to be a holy people to Himself. The chief good is thus secured to the nation as a nation, by faithfulness in worshipping the God of Israel and in keeping His law. It consists in God's favour and friendship, and victorious aid against the nation's enemies ; it appears in the acquisition of blessings which, in tne absence of a clearly conceived doctrine of immortality, can only take the form of worldly prosperity (Dt 28'^-). The enigmas with which faith is often confronted, if it remains at any such low stage of development, are exemplified in the Bk. of Job ; but there too, as we see, the struggle for light and peace goes on, not without success.
At all times the individual must have had his personal religious needs, and God must have had a regard for him, simultaneously with the favour which He showed to Israel. Accordingly, in many parts of OT a supreme good is represented as brought near to the soul of the godly person. It is obtained by worshipping the true God, and turning from sm to the righteousness of the law ; and so healthful and comforting is it in the ex- perience of its possessor that it is described by a special term, blessedness, a mode of designation which is still preserved. Other good things pro- cure for men a measure of happiness, but only the chief good of religion confers blessedness (Ps 1. 23. 32' ", Pr 3, Is 55, etc.). The overthrow of the
Jewish nation at the period of the Captivity taught the mcmlicrs tliat if a true blessing was thereuftor to be looked for at all, it must be sought by pioua individuals in the privacy of their own souls, and in the pursuit of righteous purposes such as God could approve (Jer 31""-, Ezk 18).
Christ came preaching the kingdom of God. Men were invited to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. In that case they might have nothing, but yet they would have all ; they should trust their I'ather in heaven, and suppress anxiety (Mt B^'"-)- But, again, the Infinite Spirit is not sufficiently kno^^^l even to the heart that turns to Him as Father. Christ has declared Him. Jesus was perfectly righteous in His human cir- cumstances, and presented in Himself a copy of the diWne nature which is level to our apprehen- sion. In seeking the perfect blessing, men have thus to learn of Christ (Mt ll-^), to acknowledge Him as the Light of the world (Jn 8'-), to receive Him as the Bread that came down from heaven (Jn e""-). etc. Further, the righteousness and love of Christ were proved to be invincible and infinite by His voluntary endurance of death. The fullest revelation of divine goodness is seen in the cross of Clirist, and through it man obtains the chief good, viz. full forgiveness, and power to live a life which approaches the perfect standard (1 Co l'""-. Gal 6", Eph 2""-, Col V"; He 12'»-, 1 P 2""'-).