χαίρω G5463
To rejoice, be glad, or experience joy; also a conventional greeting meaning 'hail' or 'greetings.'
Chairō is the foundational Greek verb of joy, commanding believers to rejoice even amid suffering (Matt 5:12; Phil 4:4). From personal gladness to cosmic celebration, it appears in contexts ranging from the Magi's great joy at the star (Matt 2:10) to Paul's exhortation to 'rejoice always' (1 Thess 5:16). The imperative form also crystallized into a standard greeting — 'Hail!' or 'Greetings!' — used both sincerely (the angel to Mary, Luke 1:28) and in cruel mockery (soldiers to Jesus, Matt 27:29). Spanish captures this dual nature with 'alegraos/gozaos' for joy and 'Salve' for the greeting.
1. rejoice, be glad — To experience or express joy, gladness, and delight — the emotional core of the word across 63 occurrences. Translations emphasize rejoicing: Spanish 'regocijaos/alegraos/gozaos,' German 'sich freuen,' French 'se réjouir.' The Magi rejoiced with exceeding great joy (Matt 2:10), Jesus told the persecuted to 'rejoice and be glad' (Matt 5:12), and the shepherd rejoices over the found sheep more than the ninety-nine (Matt 18:13). Paul's letters elevate this to a programmatic command: 'Rejoice in the Lord always' (Phil 4:4). 63×
AR["أَفرَحُ","أَفْرَحُ","أَفْرَحُ،","افرَحوا","افْرَحوا","افْرَحُوا","اِفْرَحوا","تَفْرَحوا","فَرِحُوا"]·ben["আনন্দ-কর","আনন্দ-কর।","আনন্দ-করলেন","আনন্দ-করি","আনন্দ-করো","আনন্দিত","আনন্দিত-হই","আনন্দিত-হই,","আমি-আনন্দ-করি","আমি-আনন্দিত","আমি-আনন্দিত,"]·DE["freut-sich","sich-freuen"]·EN["I-rejoice","Rejoice","rejoice","they-rejoiced"]·FR["se-réjouir"]·heb["שִׂמְחוּ","שִׂמְחוּ!","שִׂמְחוּ,","שָׂמְחוּ","שָׂמֵחַ","שָׂמֵחַ-אֲנִי","שָׂמֵחַ.","תִּשְׂמְחוּ"]·HI["अनन्द-मनअओ","आनन्द-करो","आनन्दित-रहो","आनन्दित-हुए","आनन्दित-हूँ","आनन्दित-हूं","आनन्दित-हो","खुश-हूँ","खुश-हो","खुश-हो!","खुश-हो,","मैं-आनन्दित-हूँ","मैन-अनन्द-करत-होओन","मैन-खुश-होत-हुन","मैन-खुश-होत-हुन."]·ID["Aku-bersukacita","Bersukacitalah","aku bersukacita","aku-bersukacita","aku-bersukacita,","bersukacita","bersukacitalah","bersukacitalah!"]·IT["rallegrarsi"]·jav["Kula-bingah","Sami-bingaha","bingah","bingah-bingaha","bingaha","bingaha,","kawula-bingah","kula-bingah","kula-bingah,","padha-bingah.","sami-bingaha"]·KO["기뮴하라","기믭했다","기뻐하노라","기뻐하노라.","기뻐하라","기뻐하라!","기뻐하라,","기뻐하라.","기뻐하지-말고","기뻐한다","기뼐하노라","기쁘하다","기쁘하라","나는-기뻐한다","내가-기뻐한다"]·PT["alegrai-vos","alegrai-vos,","alegraram-se","alegro-me","alegro-me,","me-alegro"]·RU["Радуйтесь","возрадовались","радуйтесь","радуйтесь,","радуюсь","хочу"]·ES["Regocijaos","alegraos","gozaos","me-alegro","me-gozo","me-regocijo","os-gocéis","regocijaos","se-alegraron"]·SW["Furahini","furahie","furahini","furahini.","nafurahi","nafurahi,","ninafurahi","ninafurahi,","walifurahi"]·TR["Sevinin","sevindiler","sevinin","sevinirim","seviniyorum"]·urd["خوش-رہو","خوش-ہو","خوش-ہو،","خوش-ہوئے","خوش-ہوو","خوش-ہوں","خُوش-ہو","خُوش-ہوں"]
Matt 2:10, Matt 5:12, Matt 18:13, Mark 14:11, Luke 6:23, Luke 10:20, Luke 10:20, Luke 15:5, Luke 19:6, Luke 19:37, Luke 22:5, Luke 23:8 (+38 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. greet, hail — A formulaic greeting or salutation — 'Hail!' or 'Greetings!' — derived from the imperative 'rejoice' but functioning as a conventional address. Appearing in 11 occurrences, the multilingual evidence shows Spanish distinguishing this as 'Salve' or 'Alégrate' versus the emotional 'gozaos.' The angel Gabriel's 'Hail, favored one!' to Mary (Luke 1:28) is the most theologically rich instance, while the soldiers' 'Hail, King of the Jews!' (Matt 27:29; Mark 15:18) and Judas's 'Hail, Rabbi!' (Matt 26:49) deploy the greeting with bitter irony. 11×
AR["السَّلَامُ","اِفرَحنَ","سَلاماً","سَلامٌ","سَلامُ","سَلَامٌ"]·ben["আনন্দ","নমস্কার","প্রণাম","প্রণাম,","শান্তি","শুভেচ্ছা","স্বাগতম"]·DE["freut-sich","sich-freuen"]·EN["Greetings","Hail","Rejoice","greetings","hail"]·FR["se-réjouir"]·heb["הוֹאִיל","שָׁלוֹם"]·HI["नमस्कार","नमस्कार।","नमस्ते","प्रणाम"]·ID["Salam","salam","salam."]·IT["rallegrarsi"]·jav["Sugeng","Sugeng!","Sugeng,","salam","salam.","sugeng"]·KO["기믭하다","기뻐하라","기뻝하라","기뻝하여라","기쁨을-빌며.","만세","말했다-랫비여","문안한다","안녕하라"]·PT["Salve","alegrar-se","saudações","saudações."]·RU["Радуйся","Радуйся,","привет","радоваться","радоваться.","радуйтесь"]·ES["Alegraos","Alégrate","Salve","alegrarse","salud","saludos"]·SW["Salamu","hujambo","salamu"]·TR["Selam","Selamlar","hoş-geldin","selam","selamlama"]·urd["سلام","سلام۔"]
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×)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×)H2654a 1. take pleasure in, delight in (48×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
χαίρω, Refs 8th c.BC+; 3rd.pers. plural imperative χαιρόντων Refs 5th c.BC+: imperfect, Epic dialect χαῖρον Refs 8th c.BC+, Ionic dialect χαίρεσκον Refs: future χαιρήσω Refs 5th c.BC+; Epic dialect reduplicate infinitive κεχᾰρησέμεν Refs 8th c.BC+; later χᾰρῶ variant in NT: aorist ἐχαίρησα Refs 1st c.AD+: perfect κεχάρηκα Refs 5th c.BC+, participle -ηκώςRefs 8th c.BC+ —middle (in same sense),…