εὐφραίνω G2165
To rejoice, be glad, celebrate; transitively, to make glad or gladden another person.
Built from eu ('well') and phren ('mind'), this verb captures the fullness of gladness -- from quiet inner joy to exuberant feasting. Its middle/passive form dominates the New Testament, appearing prominently in Jesus' parables of recovery: the father commands 'let us celebrate' when the prodigal returns (Luke 15:23-24, 32), and the elder brother complains he was never given a goat to 'make merry' with friends (Luke 15:29). Revelation echoes the verb in both heavenly worship ('Rejoice over her, O heaven!' Rev 18:20) and earthly corruption (Rev 11:10; 18:7). The single active-transitive occurrence in 2 Corinthians 2:2 -- 'who is there to make me glad?' -- reveals Paul's pastoral tenderness. Spanish 'alegrarse/regocijarse' and French 'se réjouir' consistently render the intransitive joy.
Senses
1. to rejoice, be glad, celebrate — To rejoice, be glad, or celebrate, used intransitively in the middle or passive voice for persons experiencing gladness or festivity. Dominates in Luke's parables of the lost: the father's repeated 'let us eat and celebrate' (Luke 15:23-24) and the rebuke to the elder brother, 'we had to celebrate and be glad' (Luke 15:32). Also appears in eschatological contexts: Revelation 18:20 summons heaven to rejoice over Babylon's fall, while Acts 2:26 quotes the Psalms, 'my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced.' Spanish 'alégrate/alegraos' and German 'sich freuen' consistently capture this reflexive, experiential gladness. The rich man's self-address in Luke 12:19 -- 'eat, drink, be merry' -- ironically employs the same verb for misplaced celebration. 13×
AR["أَفْرَحَ","افرَحي","افْرَحي","افْرَحِي","اِفرَحي","اِفْرَحُوا","فَرِحَ","فَرِحُوا","مُتَنَعِّمًا","نَفْرَحُ","يَبتَهِجونَ","يَفْرَحُونَ","يَنْبَغِي-أَنْ-نَفْرَحَ"]·ben["আনন্দ-কর","আনন্দ-কর,","আনন্দ-করছিল","আনন্দ-করত","আনন্দ-করতে","আনন্দ-করা","আনন্দ-করি","আনন্দিত-হইল","উল্লাস-করে"]·DE["freut-sich","sich-freuen"]·EN["I-might-celebrate","Rejoice","To-celebrate","be-merry","celebrate","enjoying","let-us-celebrate","rejoice","to-celebrate","was-glad","were-rejoicing"]·FR["réjouir","se-réjouir"]·heb["אֶשְׂמָח","וְ-","לִשְׂמֹחַ","נִשְׂמָח","שִׂמְחִי","שִׂמְחוּ","שָׂמְחוּ","שָׂמֵחַ","שָׂמַח"]·HI["-हृदय","आनंदित-हो","आनन्दित-हो","आनन्दित-हो-रहे-थे","आनन्दित-हों।","आनन्दित-होता-हुआ","आनन्दित-होता।","आनन्दित-होना","आनन्दित-होने।","खुश-हो,","मगन-होते-हैं","मौज-कर"]·ID["Bergembiralah","Bersukacitalah","aku-bersukacita","bergembira,","bersenang-senanglah","bersukacita","bersukacitalah"]·IT["euphrainesthe","euphrainontai","euphrainou","euphranthēti","rallegrare"]·jav["Bingaha","Bingaha,","Panjenengan-sami-bungah","bingah","bingah-bingah","bingaha","bungaha","kita-sami-bingah.","kula-saged-bingah.","sami-bingah.","suka-rena"]·KO["기믔하라","기믭했다","기뻐하라","기뻐하라,","말하니","즐거워하고","즐거워하기를","즐거워하니","즐거워하도록","즐거워하라","즐거워하며","즐거워하자"]·PT["Alegra-te","Alegrai-vos","a-alegrar-se","alegrai-vos","alegrar-se","alegravam-se","alegremo-nos","alegrou-se","festejando","me-alegrasse","regozijam-se"]·RU["будем-веселиться","веселись","веселитесь","веселиться","веселясь","веселятся,","возвеселилось","возвеселись","возвеселитесь","повеселиться","радовались"]·ES["Alégrate","a-regocijarse","alegraos","algrate","celebrando","me-regocijara","regocijarse","regocijémonos","se-alegraban","se-alegran","se-alegró"]·SW["Furahi","Furahini","akifurahi","furahia","furahini","kufurahi","nifurahie","tufurahi","ulifurahi","wakafurahi","watashangilia,"]·TR["-o","Sevin","Sevinin","eğlen","eğlenen","neşeleniyorlar","sevinelim","sevineyim","sevinin","sevinmek","sevinmeye","ve"]·urd["خوش-رہ","خوش-ہو","خوش-ہوا","خوشی-مناؤ","خوشی-مناؤں","خوشی-منائیں","خوشی-منائیں-گے","خوشی-مناتے-تھے","خوشی-مناتے-ہوئے","خوشی-منانا"]
Luke 12:19, Luke 15:23, Luke 15:24, Luke 15:29, Luke 15:32, Luke 16:19, Acts 2:26, Acts 7:41, Rom 15:10, Gal 4:27, Rev 11:10, Rev 12:12 (+1 more)
2. to make glad, gladden — To make glad or gladden someone, used transitively in the active voice to describe causing joy in another person. The sole New Testament instance appears in Paul's anguished rhetorical question: 'If I grieve you, who is left to make me glad?' (2 Cor 2:2). The shift from reflexive celebration to causative gladness is significant -- Paul's joy depends on the Corinthians' spiritual health. Spanish 'que alegra' (that which gladdens) and the active construction distinguish this from the far more common intransitive sense. The Old Testament background (LXX Ps 104:15, wine that gladdens the heart) enriches this causative usage. 1×
AR["المُفرِحُ"]·ben["যে-আনন্দিত-করে"]·DE["sich-freuen"]·EN["making-glad"]·FR["réjouir"]·heb["מְשַׂמֵּחַ"]·HI["जो-आनन्दित-करता-है"]·ID["menggembirakan"]·IT["rallegrare"]·jav["ingkang-mbingahaken"]·KO["기쁘게-하는-자"]·PT["que-alegra"]·RU["радующий"]·ES["que-alegra"]·SW["anayenifurahisha"]·TR["sevindiren-"]·urd["خوش-کرنے-والا"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
εὐφραίνω, Epic dialect ἐϋφρ-, future Attic dialect εὐφρᾰνῶ Refs 4th c.BC+, Ionic dialect and Epic dialect εὐφρανέω Refs 8th c.BC+aorist 1 εὔφρᾱνα or ηὔφρ-Refs 5th c.BC+; Epic dialect εὔφρηνα Refs 8th c.BC+, subjunctive ἐϋφρήνῃς Refs:—passive, with future middle εὐφρᾰνοῦμαι Refs 5th c.BC+; Ionic dialect 2nd pers. singular εὐφρανέαι (variant -έεαι) Refs 5th c.BC+; also passive εὐφρανθήσομαι Refs…