Lexical Summary
ratson: Favor, goodwill, acceptance, pleasure, delight, will
Original Word:רָצוֹן
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:ratsown
Pronunciation:rah-tsone'
Phonetic Spelling:(raw-tsone')
KJV: (be) acceptable(-ance, -ed), delight, desire, favour, (good) pleasure, (own, self, voluntary) will, as(what) would
NASB:favor, accepted, acceptable, delight, pleases, will, desire
Word Origin:[fromH7521 (רָצָה - accept)]
1. delight (especially as shown)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
be acceptable, delight, desire, favor, good pleasure, own, self, voluntary will, as
Or ratson {raw-tsone'}; fromratsah; delight (especially as shown) -- (be) acceptable(-ance, -ed), delight, desire, favour, (good) pleasure, (own, self, voluntary) will, as...(what) would.
see HEBREWratsah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
ratsahDefinitiongoodwill, favor, acceptance, will
NASB Translationacceptable (5), acceptance (1), accepted (8), delight (5), desire (2), desired (1), desires (1), earnestly* (1), favor (17), favorable (2), good will (1), please (1), pleased (1), pleases (3), self-will (1), what is acceptable (1), what they pleased (1), will (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — absolute
Deuteronomy 33:23 +; construct
Psalm 145:19 +; suffix
Isaiah 60:10,
Daniel 8:4 +, etc.; —
goodwill, favour:
,Deuteronomy 33:16;Isaiah 60:10;Psalm 5:13;Psalm 30:6;Psalm 30:8;Psalm 51:20;Psalm 89:18;Psalm 106:4;Proverbs 8:35;Proverbs 12:2;Proverbs 18:22;Isaiah 49:8;Psalm 69:14;Isaiah 58:5;Isaiah 61:2; ""Deuteronomy 33:23; opposed toProverbs 11:1,20;Proverbs 12:22;Proverbs 15:8.
Proverbs 10:32;Proverbs 11:27;Proverbs 14:9; of kingsProverbs 14:35;Proverbs 16:13,15;Proverbs 19:12.
acceptance, of persons, offering sacrifice,Exodus 28:38 (P); with personfor acceptance for him before ; with suffix personLeviticus 1:3; abbreviatedLeviticus 22:20,Leviticus 19:5;Leviticus 22:19,29;Leviticus 23:11,Leviticus 22:21;Isaiah 56:7;Jeremiah 6:20;Psalm 19:15 (of words; compareHosea 14:3);Isaiah 60:7 (read , so Manuscripts, see Gi, also Du),Malachi 2:13.
will, desire, pleasure:
,do his willEzra 10:11;Psalm 40:9;Psalm 103:21;Psalm 143:10.
,do according to his will, exactly as he pleased,Daniel 8:4;Daniel 11:3,16,36;Nehemiah 9:24;Esther 1:8;Esther 9:5, compareNehemiah 9:37;desirePsalm 145:16;Psalm 145:19; 2Chronicles 15:15; = self-willGenesis 49:6 (poem).
Topical Lexicon
Semantic Scopeרָצוֹן gathers the ideas of delight, favor, pleasure, goodwill, acceptance and voluntary willingness. It describes (1) God’s gracious disposition toward His people, (2) what pleases God, and (3) the free, willing response of human beings. Although the contexts are varied—cultic, covenantal, relational, royal and eschatological—the center of gravity is always the intersection of will and favor: either the favor that flows from the LORD’s sovereign will, or the human will rendered pleasing to Him.
Occurrences by Canonical Section
• Torah – 17 occurrences
• Historical Books – 6 occurrences
• Wisdom & Psalms – 19 occurrences
• Major Prophets – 8 occurrences
• Minor Prophets – 6 occurrences
(≈56 total)
Divine Favor
The core usage presents רָצוֹן as the decisive blessing that secures Israel’s existence and hope.
Deuteronomy 33:16 speaks of “the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush,” locating divine goodwill at the heart of covenant history.
Psalm 5:12: “For surely You, O LORD, bless the righteous; You surround them with favor as with a shield.”
Psalm 30:5 contrasts fleeting anger with lifelong favor.
Psalm 44:3 credits the conquest of the land not to Israel’s sword “but … the light of Your face, because You favored them.”
When God’s favor rests, protection, provision and victory follow; when it is withdrawn, the people languish (Psalm 52:18;Isaiah 60:10).
Acceptable Worship
In the sacrificial legislation רָצוֹן marks the sacrifice—and therefore the worshiper—as accepted.
Leviticus 1:3: “He shall bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD.”
Leviticus 22:19-21 stresses that only an unblemished male “will be accepted on your behalf.”
Psalm 19:14 translates the concept into prayer: “May the words of my mouth … be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD.”
Psalm 119:108 extends the principle to verbal praise: “Accept, O LORD, the freewill offerings of my mouth.”
Thus, acceptable worship is never mechanical; it flows from a life brought into alignment with God’s own pleasure.
Human Will and Voluntary Service
רָצוֹן can speak of human initiative, whether noble or self-serving.
Genesis 49:6 laments the “self-will” of Simeon and Levi that produced violence.
Judges 5:2, 9 celebrates leaders and people who volunteer for battle.
Esther 1:8 permits each guest to drink “as he desired,” illustrating unrestrained human choice.
Psalm 54:6: “I will freely sacrifice to You,” revealing devotion that is both voluntary and God-pleasing.
Whenever human will embraces God’s purpose, רָצוֹן becomes the language of joyful obedience.
Prayer and Lament
Supplicants seek the “time of favor.”
Psalm 69:13: “My prayer to You, O LORD, is for a time of favor.”
Psalm 106:4 prays, “Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor toward Your people.”
Isaiah 49:8 promises, “In the time of favor I will answer you,” a pledge Paul applies to the gospel call (2 Corinthians 6:2).
The Psalter repeatedly turns divine favor into liturgy, urging the congregation to pray until God’s pleasure is manifest.
Prophetic and Messianic Expectation
Isaiah 61:2 heralds “the year of the LORD’s favor,” proclaimed by Jesus inLuke 4:19 as the agenda of His messianic ministry. The Servant ofIsaiah 42–53 embodies what is perfectly pleasing to God, securing everlasting favor for His people (Isaiah 53:10, where “will” reflects the same root).
Thus רָצוֹן moves from cultic acceptance to eschatological restoration, culminating in the gospel proclamation that the acceptable time has arrived.
Wisdom Teachings on Pleasing God
Proverbs links favor with moral order.
Proverbs 16:7: “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies live at peace with him.”
Proverbs 14:35: “A king delights in a wise servant.”
Psalm 147:11: “The LORD delights in those who fear Him.”
Psalm 145:19: “He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him.”
Wisdom literature thus anchors success not in technique but in living a life agreeable to the Creator’s will.
National and Royal Blessing
Moses blesses Naphtali: “full of favor” (Deuteronomy 33:23). The Chronicler explains Judah’s military victories as proceeding “according to the will of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 18:31). Mordecai “sought the welfare [favor] of his people” (Esther 10:3), reflecting how godly leadership channels divine goodwill to the nation.
Pastoral and Ministry Application
1. Gospel Invitation: Isaiah’s “time of favor” is now proclaimed in Christ, assuring sinners that the once-for-all acceptable sacrifice has been made (Hebrews 10:10).
2. Worship: Believers pursue inward and outward integrity so that offerings of praise remain “acceptable.”Romans 12:1 echoes Leviticus by urging presentation of the body as a “living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”
3. Prayer: Seasons of distress warrant pleas for favor; the biblical pattern expects God to answer in accordance with His steadfast love.
4. Leadership: As inJudges 5, spiritual leaders call God’s people to volunteer service, aligning personal will with God’s pleasure.
5. Perseverance:Psalm 30 reminds that divine displeasure is temporary for the covenant believer; favor is lasting and will renew joy.
Key Theological Observations
• Divine favor is sovereign yet relational; it cannot be earned, yet it rests where God’s righteous requirements are honored.
• Acceptance before God relies on a blameless substitute—anticipated in Levitical sacrifices and fulfilled in Christ’s atonement.
• Human will finds true freedom only when surrendered to God’s will; such surrender proves pleasing to Him and beneficial to others.
• The eschatological “year of favor” confirms the unity of Scripture, binding Law, Prophets and Gospel into a single redemptive storyline.
Forms and Transliterations
בִ֭רְצוֹנְךָ בִּרְצ֣וֹן בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ בִּרְצוֹנְךָ֮ ברצון ברצונו ברצונך וּ֝בִרְצֹנְךָ֗ וּ֝רְצוֹנ֗וֹ וּבִרְצֹנָ֖ם וּבִרְצוֹנִ֖י וּרְצ֥וֹן וברצוני וברצנך וברצנם ורצון ורצונו כִּרְצ֥וֹן כִּרְצוֹנ֔וֹ כִּרְצוֹנָ֔ם כִּרְצוֹנָֽם׃ כִּרְצוֹנֽוֹ׃ כִרְצֹנ֖וֹ כִרְצוֹנ֜וֹ כרצון כרצונו כרצונו׃ כרצונם כרצונם׃ כרצנו לְרָצ֔וֹן לְרָצ֖וֹן לְרָצ֥וֹן לְרָצ֨וֹן ׀ לִֽרְצֹנְכֶ֑ם לִֽרְצֹנְכֶ֖ם לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ לרצון לרצנו לרצנכם רְֽצוֹן־ רְצ֣וֹן רְצוֹן־ רְצוֹנ֑וֹ רְצוֹנְךָ֣ רְצוֹנֶךָ֮ רְצוֹנָ֣ם רְצוֹנֽוֹ׃ רָ֝צ֗וֹן רָ֭צוֹן רָצ֑וֹן רָצ֔וֹן רָצ֖וֹן רָצ֗וֹן רָצ֥וֹן רָצֽוֹן׃ רָצוֹן֙ רצון רצון־ רצון׃ רצונו רצונו׃ רצונך רצונם bir·ṣō·w·nōw bir·ṣō·wn bir·ṣō·wn·ḵā ḇir·ṣō·wn·ḵā birṣōwn birṣōwnḵā ḇirṣōwnḵā birṣōwnōw birTzon birtzonCha birTzoNo chirtzoNo ḵir·ṣō·nōw kir·ṣō·w·nām kir·ṣō·w·nōw ḵir·ṣō·w·nōw kir·ṣō·wn ḵirṣōnōw kirṣōwn kirṣōwnām kirṣōwnōw ḵirṣōwnōw kirTzon kirtzoNam kirtzoNo lə·rā·ṣō·wn lərāṣōwn leraTzon lir·ṣō·nə·ḵem lir·ṣō·nōw lirṣōnəḵem lirṣōnōw lirtzoneChem lirtzoNo rā·ṣō·wn rāṣōwn raTzon rə·ṣō·w·nām rə·ṣō·w·ne·ḵā rə·ṣō·w·nōw rə·ṣō·wn rə·ṣō·wn- rə·ṣō·wn·ḵā rəṣōwn rəṣōwn- rəṣōwnām rəṣōwneḵā rəṣōwnḵā rəṣōwnōw retzon retzoNam retzonCha retzoneCha retzoNo ū·ḇir·ṣō·nām ū·ḇir·ṣō·nə·ḵā ū·ḇir·ṣō·w·nî ū·rə·ṣō·w·nōw ū·rə·ṣō·wn ūḇirṣōnām ūḇirṣōnəḵā ūḇirṣōwnî ūrəṣōwn ūrəṣōwnōw ureTzon uretzoNo uvirtzoNam uvirtzonecha uvirtzoNi Virtzoncha
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