Favor

Divine favor is the point of the entire speech — David is being shown that his whole life story is an act of unearned grace, the ultimate reversal where the recipient shows up to give and leaves holding a gift.

Favor here describes the mutual goodwill between David and Nahash — a reciprocal kindness that David feels morally obligated to honor by reaching out to Nahash's grieving son.

Divine favor is the explicit explanation given for Obed-edom's eight sons — the Chronicler treats his large, gifted family as a tangible sign of God's blessing rather than mere demographic luck.

Favor here describes the dual approval Samuel is accumulating — growing in standing before both God and people, the same phrase later used of Jesus in Luke 2, echoing this very passage.

The queen names God's favor as the explanation for everything she has witnessed — a pagan ruler crediting divine delight, not human achievement, as the source of Solomon's greatness.

Favor appears here as something the Shunammite woman explicitly declines — she doesn't want political connections or social advancement, just to keep living quietly among her own people.

Favor is the flattery the woman deploys as her exit strategy — calling David angelic in wisdom after her mission is complete, cushioning the exposure of Joab's orchestration.

God's favor is what David trusts to bring him the throne — rather than accepting help from assassins, he waits for God to act, treating divine favor as incompatible with human shortcuts.

Favor here describes Felix's parting political gesture — leaving Paul imprisoned not for justice but to curry goodwill with the Jewish leaders, making Paul a bargaining chip in Felix's exit strategy.

The religious leaders are asking Festus for a personal favor — using social and political goodwill to maneuver Paul into a vulnerable position where he can be killed outside Roman protection.

Favor is what God grants Daniel with the chief official before any solution is proposed — the door opens supernaturally even as the official voices very real, reasonable fear.

Favor is used ironically here — the sacred Temple vessels, set apart for God's honor, are being treated as mere party favors, illustrating the depth of Belshazzar's contempt for what belongs to God.

Favor here describes the self-interested calculation Moses is warning against — the reluctance to give when the financial math doesn't work in the lender's advantage.

Favor is the defining word of Naphtali's blessing — an overflowing abundance of divine goodwill spilling past what can be contained, given to a tribe whose territory would later host Jesus' most concentrated work.

Favor is the consistent thread running through Esther's interactions — she wins it from Hegai, from everyone who sees her, and finally from the king himself, marking her as someone God has set apart.

Favor is what Mordecai instructs Esther to seek from the king — she must walk into the throne room uninvited and hope that Ahasuerus extends his scepter rather than ordering her death.

Favor is the operative word at this hinge moment — Esther's survival depends entirely on the king's eyes softening toward her, which the text presents as a grace she cannot manufacture on her own.

Favor is the concept Haman's inner circle implicitly invokes — recognizing that divine favor rests on Mordecai and the Jewish people in a way that cannot be overcome by human power or scheming.

Favor is the divine disposition that caused Egyptian neighbors to willingly hand over silver, gold, and clothing to the Israelites — God had softened their captors' hearts toward generosity at the very moment of departure.

Favor appears here as something God explicitly forbids in the courtroom — even sympathy for the poor cannot bend testimony, because justice requires impartiality over sentiment.

Favor is the key term Moses deploys as leverage in his argument — he cites God's own declaration that Moses has found favor with Him, then uses that stated favor as grounds to demand full relational presence rather than a substitute.

Favor appears here not as a religious blessing but as political providence — what looks like royal generosity toward Israel is actually God's hand engineering circumstances through an unwitting king.

Divine favor is the explicit explanation twice in this passage for why Ezra received everything he asked from the king and completed the four-month journey safely — the text frames all his success as God's doing, not his own.

Favor is used here to contrast with what God is actually doing — this is not a small personal kindness but a world-altering commission that will reshape all of human history.

Favor appears here as the thing Abraham deliberately refuses — accepting a borrowed tomb as a gift would leave him with no legal claim, so he insists on buying rather than receiving charity.

Favor is exactly what Laban is trying to preserve for himself — after rigging the flock deal, he ensures the arrangement structurally benefits him, keeping God's blessing flowing his direction.

Favor is what Joseph requested from the cupbearer — not wealth or revenge, but the simple kindness of being mentioned to Pharaoh — and it's the one thing the cupbearer failed to extend.

Favor is invoked here to contrast this king with all others — he will not grant special access to the powerful or ignore the overlooked, making his rule categorically different.

Favor is the concept behind the devastating phrase "I will show them my back, not my face" — in the ancient world, God's face meant his attentive presence and blessing, making its withdrawal the ultimate sign that favor has been forfeited.

Favor appears here in its absence — Job clarifies he never asked his friends for special pull or influence on his behalf, only the basic human kindness of honest, engaged friendship.

Favor here refers to political standing with the Roman emperor — the crowd's threat to report Pilate as disloyal to Caesar exploits his fear of losing imperial favor to compel the verdict.