Goodman vs Good Man

(Proverbs 7:19 KJV)  For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

The KJV has an interesting bit of interpretation going on. Notice the term “goodman” (376) instead of the common “man” of the NASB.  Most modern readers would assume that this was just another way of writing “the good man”.  Not so to the translators of the KJV.  By using this term in its archaic way they were bringing social class into the picture.  Modern Americans are not into traditional class structure but your class determined how you were addressed.  To address someone as “goodman” or “goodwife” was a way for you to be courteous to a person below you on the pecking order.  The goodman would address the next step up as “mister”.  The class above that were those with a knighthood and were addressed as “sir”.

The distinction is not in the Hebrew at this point.  Although there are distinct classes conceded in Proverbs the Biblical standard is that the ground is level at the foot of the cross.  There is no room for looking down on others because of social class, economics, gender or ethnic background.  God wants us to life up the righteous and reject the wicked.

So?  We must respond and relate to people around us.  Make it a Biblical system based on the standards that God has given us.  That might mean changing political affiliation or finding a new mechanic.  It certainly applies to picking our friends and spouse.