GOODMAN.The only occurrence of this Eng. word in the OT is Pro_7:19 the goodman is not at home. The Heb. is simply the man; but as the reference is to the womans husband, goodman, still used in Scotland for husband, was in 1611 an accurate rendering. In the NT the word occurs 12 times (always in the Synop. Gospels) as the trans. of oikodespotçs, master of the house. The same Gr. word is translated householder in Mat_13:27; Mat_13:52; Mat_20:1; Mat_21:33, and master of the house in Mat_10:25, Luk_13:25.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
Edited by James Hastings, D.D. Published in 1909
good?man (אישׁ, 'ı̄sh; οἰκοδεσπότης, oikodespótēs): The word occurs once in the Old Testament and is a translation of the ordinary word for ?man,? 'ı̄sh (Pro_7:19). ?The goodman is not at home,? so the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American), but the American Standard Revised Version, more correctly, ?The man is not at home?; i.e. the husband is not at home; the Geneva and Douay versions have ?My husband is not at home?: so Wycliffe; while the Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 ad) has ?There is not a man in her house.? In the New Testament ?goodman? is a translation of oikodespotēš. This word occurs 12 times in the Synoptists, and nowhere else. the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) have 3 translations of the word, the American Standard Revised Version 2. In 4 places the King James Version has ?goodman? while the American Standard Revised Version has ?householder? or ?'master of the house? (Mat_20:11; Mat_24:43; Luk_12:39; Luk_22:11). In all the other places, it is translated ?householder? or ?master of the house.? the Revised Version (British and American) retains ?goodman? in Mar_14:14 and Luk_22:11. The word liteerally means ?master of the house,? or ?husband.? The adjective is a mark of respect, and is used somewhat as our word ?Mr.,? an appellative of respect or civility. Relationship by marriage was distinguished by this epithet, as ?good-father,? ?good-sister,? both in England and Scotland. Later the adjective lost its distinguishing force and was swallowed up in the word.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PRINTER 1915.