ἡδονή G2237
Pleasure, sensual enjoyment; desire for gratification that competes with devotion to God
Denotes pleasure or enjoyment, especially of a sensual or self-indulgent kind. In classical Greek the word covered a broad spectrum from bodily delight to intellectual satisfaction, but in the New Testament it consistently carries a negative valence—pleasures that choke faith, enslave the will, or fuel conflict. Spanish 'placer' and French 'plaisir' share Latin roots that sound neutral, yet every NT context frames this pleasure as spiritually corrosive. James's piercing question about the origin of conflict (Jas 4:1) locates it precisely in these cravings.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Sensual pleasure or self-indulgent desire, portrayed in the NT as spiritually destructive. In Luke 8:14 pleasures choke the growing word alongside riches and cares; Titus 3:3 recalls a former life enslaved to various pleasures; Jas 4:1 identifies pleasures warring in the members as the source of quarrels; Jas 4:3 exposes prayer corrupted by the desire to spend on pleasures; and 2 Pet 2:13 condemns those who count daytime indulgence as pleasure. Spanish 'placeres' and French 'plaisir' render the term neutrally, but every NT attestation frames it as a competing allegiance that draws the heart away from God. 5×
AR["لَذَّةً", "لَذّاتٍ", "لَذّاتِ", "لَذّاتِكُم"]·ben["আনন্দ", "আনন্দগুলিতে", "আনন্দের", "সুখে", "সুখের"]·DE["ἡδοναῖς", "ἡδονὴν", "ἡδονῶν"]·EN["pleasure", "pleasures"]·FR["plaisir"]·heb["תַּעֲנוּג", "תַּעֲנוּגוֹת"]·HI["आनन्द", "भोग-विलासों-में", "भोग-विलासों-से", "सुख", "सुखों"]·ID["kenikmatan-kenikmatan", "kesenangan", "kesenangan-kesenangan"]·IT["edonon", "ēdonais", "ēdonēn", "ēdonōn"]·jav["kasenengan", "kesenengan", "senengan"]·KO["쾌락들", "쾌락들-에", "쾌락들-의", "쾌락을"]·PT["a-prazeres", "prazer", "prazeres"]·RU["наслаждений", "наслаждения", "удовольствие", "удовольствиям"]·ES["placer", "placeres"]·SW["anasa", "starehe"]·TR["zevki", "zevklere", "zevklerinizde", "zevklerinizden", "zevklerle"]·urd["خواہشوں", "لذتوں", "لذتوں-کی", "لطف"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἡδονή, Doric dialect ἁδονά (or in Trag. chorus ἡδονά Refs 5th c.BC+, ἡ, (ἥδομαι) enjoyment, pleasure, first in Refs 5th c.BC+; properly of sensual pleasures, αἱ τοῦ σώματος or περὶ τὸ σῶμα ἡ., Refs 5th c.BC+; αἱ κατὰ τὸ σῶμα ἡ. Refs 5th c.BC+; σωματικαὶ ἡ. Refs 4th c.BC+; αἱ περὶ πότους καὶ περὶ ἐδωδὰς ἡ. Refs 5th c.BC+; but also ἀκοῆς ἡ. Refs 5th c.BC+; ἡ ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰδέναι ἡ. Refs 5th c.BC+; of…