שָׂמַח, H8055
To rejoice, be glad; in Piel, to make glad or gladden; a fundamental emotion word spanning festive celebration, spiritual joy, and divine delight.
Samach is the Hebrew Bible's most common and most direct verb of joy. Unlike its near-synonyms — gil (exultant, dancing joy), ranan (joyful shouting), sus (exuberant delight) — samach covers the broadest emotional ground, from the glad heart of a person drinking wine at a festival (Deut 14:26) to the cosmic rejoicing of heavens and earth before Yahweh (Ps 96:11-12). The Piel stem adds a causative dimension: wine 'gladdens' the heart of man (Ps 104:15), and a husband is to 'make glad' his new wife for a full year (Deut 24:5). Across languages the word maps remarkably consistently — Arabic fariha, Spanish alegrarse, Korean 기뻐하다, Swahili -furahi, and Hindi khush hona all select their most general, unmarked joy vocabulary, confirming samach as the default, central term in Hebrew's rich emotional lexicon.
1. Qal: rejoice, be glad — The basic Qal intransitive: to rejoice, be glad — the dominant sense at 123 occurrences spanning all finite verb forms (perfect, imperfect, imperative, jussive, cohortative, consecutive). This is the core emotional experience of gladness in response to God's acts (Ps 16:9, 'my heart is glad'), at festivals (Deut 12:18, 'you shall rejoice before Yahweh'), in victory (1 Sam 11:15), and in everyday life (Eccl 11:9, 'rejoice, young man'). Arabic fariha, Spanish se alegró/alegrarse, Korean 기뻐하다, and Swahili -furahi all converge on their most general gladness vocabulary. The verb frequently parallels gil and ranan in poetic parallelism (Ps 14:7, 31:7, 32:11), confirming its place as the semantically broadest joy term. 123×
AR["الَّذِي-","فَرِحُوا","فَفَرِحَ","وَ-تَفْرَحُ","وَ-فَرِحوا","وَ-فَرِحُوا","وَ-يَفرَحونَ","وَتَفْرَحُ","وَفَرِحَ","يَفرَحُ","يَفْرَحُ"]·ben["আনন্দ-করে","আনন্দিত-করে","আনন্দিত-হবে","আনন্দিত-হয়","আর-আনন্দিত-হল","আর-আনন্দিত-হলেন","আর-তারা-আনন্দিত-হল","এবং-আনন্দ-করবে","এবং-আনন্দিত-হলেন","এবং-তারা-আনন্দিত-হল","এবং-তুমি-আনন্দ-করবে","সে-আনন্দ-করে"]·DE["freute-sich","und-du-sich-freuen","und-du-soll-sich-freuen","und-freute-sich","und-sich-freuen","und-sie-rejoiced"]·EN["And-rejoiced","and-rejoiced","and-they-rejoiced","and-you-rejoice","and-you-shall-rejoice","he-rejoices","rejoices"]·FR["et-ils-se-réjouit","et-se-réjouir","et-tu-devra-se-réjouir","et-tu-se-réjouir","il-se-réjouira","se-réjouir"]·heb["ו-ישמחו","ו-שמחת","וַ-יִּשְׂמָחוּ","ישמח"]·HI["आनन्दित-हो","आनन्दित-होगा","आनन्दित-होता-है","आनन्दित-होती","और-आनंदित-हुए","और-आनंदित-होगा","और-आनन्दित-थे","और-आनन्दित-हुए","और-आनन्दित-होगा-तू","और-आनन्दितहुई","और-खुश-हुए","और-तुम-आनन्दित-होओगे","और-वे-आनन्दित-हुए","वह-आनंदित-होता-है"]·ID["Dan-bersukacitalah","bersukacita","dan-bersukacita","dan-bersukacitalah","dan-bersukacitalah-mereka","dan-mereka-bersukacita","dan-mereka-bersukacitalah","ia-bersukacita"]·IT["e-essi-si-rallegrò","e-rallegrare","e-rallegrarsi","e-si-rallegro'","e-tu-dovra-rallegrarsi","e-tu-rallegrarsi","rallegrarsi","si-rallegro'"]·jav["Lan-bingah","Lan-panjenengan-badhe-bingah","Lan-sami-bingah","badhé-bingah","bingah","bungah","lajeng-sami-bingah","lan-bingah","lan-panjenengan-badhe-bingah","lan-piyambakipun-bingah"]·KO["그리고-그들이-기믭했다","그리고-기믭하라","그리고-기믭하리라-네가","그리고-기믭하였다","그리고-기믭했다","그리고-기빠할지니","그리고-기빠했다","그리고-기뻐하였으니","그리고-기뻐했다","그리고-즐거워하라","기믭하는-것이다","기믭하다","기빠하다","기뻐하고","기뻐하니","기뻐하지"]·PT["E-alegraram-se","E-alegrou-se","E-regozijou-se","alegra-se","e-alegrar-te-ás","e-alegraram-se","e-regozijaram-se","e-se-alegraram","se-alegra","se-alegrará","se-alegre","¶ E-alegrar-te-ás"]·RU["И-возрадуешься","И-радуйся","И-радуются","и-возрадовались","и-возрадуешься","и-обрадовались","и-радовались","и-радовался","и-радуйся","радует","радуется"]·ES["Y-se-alegraron","Y-se-alegró","Y-te-alegrarás","se-alegra","se-alegrará","se-alegre","y-se-alegraron","y-te-alegrarás"]·SW["Na-utafurahi","Na-wakafurahi","afurahi","anafurahi","hatafurahi","hufurahi","inafurahi","na-utafurahi","na-wakafurahi","utafurahi"]·TR["Ve-sevindi","Ve-sevindiler","sevinir","ve-sevindiler","ve-sevineceksin"]·urd["اور-خوش-ہو","اور-خوش-ہو-گا","اور-خوش-ہوئے","خوش-کرتی-ہے","خوش-ہو","خوش-ہوتا-ہے","خوش-ہوتی-ہے","خوشی-مناتا","خوشی-مناتا-ہے"]
Deut 12:18, Deut 14:26, Deut 16:11, Deut 16:14, Deut 26:11, Deut 27:7, Judg 9:19, 1 Sam 6:13, 1 Sam 11:9, 1 Chr 29:9, 2 Chr 6:41, 2 Chr 15:15 (+38 more)
▼ 4 more senses below
Senses
2. Piel: make glad, gladden — The Piel causative: to make glad, gladden, cause to rejoice — 27 occurrences. Here the subject actively produces joy in another: God gladdens his people (Ps 86:4, 'gladden the soul of your servant'), wine gladdens the heart (Ps 104:15, Judg 9:13), a wise son gladdens his father (Prov 10:1). The causative is cross-linguistically distinctive: Arabic farraha (Form II intensive-causative), Spanish alegrar (transitive), Korean 기쁘게 하다 ('cause to be joyful'), and Swahili -furahisha (causative extension) all deploy dedicated causative morphology. Deut 24:5's year-long exemption for newlyweds — so the husband may 'make glad' his wife — is one of the Torah's most humanely tender provisions. 27×
AR["أَفرَحَهُم","أَفْرِحْ","أَفْرِحْنَا","إِيَّاهُ-فَرَحًا","تُفَرِّحُ","تُفَرِّحُهُ","تُفَرِّحْ","فَرَّحَهُم","فَرَّحَهُمْ","مُفَرِّحًا","وَ-أُفَرِّحُهُمْ","وَأُفْرِحُهُمْ","يُفرِحونَ-","يُفَرِّح","يُفَرِّحُ-","يُفْرِحُ","يُفْرِحُ-","يِسَمَّحَ"]·ben["-এবং-আমি-তাদের-আনন্দিত-করব","আনন্দ-দেয়","আনন্দিত-করে","আনন্দিত-করে-","আনন্দিত-করেছিলেন","আনন্দিত-করেছিলেন-তাদের","আনন্দিত-করো","আনন্দিত-করো-আমাদের","আর-আনন্দিত-করব-তাদের-আমি","তাকে-আনন্দিত-করে","তাকে-আনন্দে।","তুমি-আনন্দিত-করেছ"]·DE["freute-sich","lass-sich-freuen","sich-freuen","und-sich-freuen"]·EN["and-I-will-make-them-joyful","and-I-will-make-them-rejoice","gladdens","gladness-him","had-made-them-joyful","had-made-them-rejoice","let-rejoice","made-them-rejoice","make-glad","make-us-glad","makes-glad","makes-it-glad","making-glad","they-make-glad-"]·FR["et-se-réjouir","il-se-réjouira","se-réjouir"]·heb["ו-שימחתים","ישמח","ישמח-","ישמח־","ישמחו","ישמחו-","ישמחנה","שימחת","שמח","שמחהו","שמחם-ם","שמחנו"]·HI["आनंदित-कर","आनंदित-कर-हमें","आनंदित-करती-है","आनन्दित-करता","आनन्दित-करता-है","आनन्दित-करता-है-उसे","आनन्दित-करती-है","आनन्दित-करती-हैं","आनन्दित-करते-","आनन्दित-किया","आनन्दितकियाउनको","उन्हें-आनन्दित-किया-था","और-आनन्दित-करूँगा-उनको-मैं","और-उन्हें-आनन्दित-करूँगा","खुश-करते-हुए","खुश-करते-हैं-","खुशी-उसे","हर्षित-होने-दिया-तूने"]·ID["Gembirakanlah","Gembirakanlah-kami","dan-Aku-akan-menyukakan-mereka","dengan-sukacita","membuat-mereka-bersukacita","menyukakan","menyukakan-","menyukakan-mereka","menyukakannya","mereka-menyukakan","sangat-membahagiakannya"]·IT["e-rallegrare","rallegrare","rallegrarsi","si-rallegro'"]·jav["Bingahna","Bingahna-kita","Panjenengan-ndadosaken-bingah","Yéhuwah-sampun-damel-bingah","kasenengan-nipun.","lan-Kawula-badhe-damel-piyambakipun-bingah","lan-Kawula-mbingahaken","mbingahaken","mbingahaken-piyambakipun-sadaya","mbungahaken","ndadosaken-bingah","sami-damel-bingah"]·KO["그것-을-기쁘게한다","그리고-기뻐게-하리라","그리고-기뽰하게-하리라-그들을","기믭게-한다","기믭으로-그를","기믭하게-하라-그를","기뻐게-하도다","기뻐게-하소서","기뻐하게하지","기뻝게-하소서-우리-를","기뽐게-하리라","기쁘게-하느니라-","기쁘게-하다","기쁘게-하셨다-그들을","기쁘게-했다-그들을","기쁘게하셨다-그들-을","기쁘게한다","기쯨게-하는도다-"]·PT["Alegra","Alegra-nos","a-alegra","alegra","alegra-","alegram","alegram-","alegrando-o","alegrou-os","e-alegrarei-eles","fizeste-alegrar","grandemente.","os-alegrou","que-alegra"]·RU["веселит","веселят","веселят-","дал-радоваться","и-обрадую-их","обрадовав","обрадовал-их","обрадуй","обрадуй-нас","радостью-его","радует","радует-","радует-его"]·ES["Alegra","Alégranos","alegra","alegran","alegran-","alegrando","alegraste","alegrándolo","lo-alegra","los-alegró","que-alegra","y-los-alegraré"]·SW["Furahisha","Tufurahishe","akimfurahisha","aliwafurahisha","anamfurahisha","hufurahisha","hufurahisha-","humfurahisha","inayofurahisha","kwa-furaha","linamfurahisha","na-kuwafurahisha","na-nitawafurahisha","unafurahisha","vinafurahisha","wafurahi","wanamfurahisha-"]·TR["onu-sevindir","sevindir","sevindir-bizi","sevindirdi-onlari","sevindirdi-onları","sevindirdin","sevindirerek","sevindirir","sevindirir-","sevindirir-onu","sevindiriyorlar-","ve-sevindirecegim-onlari","ve-sevindireceğim-onları"]·urd["اور-خوش-کروں-گا-انہیں","اور-خوش-کروں-گا-اُنہیں","خوش-کر","خوش-کر-ہمیں","خوش-کرتا-ہوا","خوش-کرتا-ہے","خوش-کرتی-ہیں","خوش-کرتی-ہے","خوش-کرتے-ہیں","خوش-کرتے-ہیں-","خوش-کرے-گی-اُسے","خوش-کیا","خوش-کیا-انہیں","خوش-کیا-تھا","خوشی-سے-اُسے","خوشی-منانے-دیا"]
3. Qal inf: to rejoice, rejoicing — The Qal infinitive construct with prepositions: 'to rejoice,' 'when rejoicing' — 5 occurrences used as verbal complements or temporal clauses. In Eccl 3:12 'there is nothing better than to rejoice (lismōach) and do good'; in Ezek 35:14 'when the whole earth rejoices (bismo'ach).' Arabic 'inda farahi ('at the time of my rejoicing') and Swahili kufurahi (infinitive) both use dedicated infinitive or gerundive forms. This grammatical category matters lexicographically because the infinitive often appears in wisdom literature's reflections on whether joy is a proper human pursuit. 5×
AR["أَنْ-يَفْرَحُوا","عِنْدَ-فَرَحِ","لِأَفرَحَ","وَيَفْرَحُ"]·ben["আনন্দ-করায়","আনন্দিত-হতে","এবং-আনন্দিত-হতে"]·DE["freute-sich","sich-freuen","und-freute-sich","und-zu-freute-sich","zu-freute-sich"]·EN["and-to-rejoice","to-rejoice","when-rejoices"]·FR["et-se-réjouir","se-réjouir","à-se-réjouir"]·heb["ו-ל-שמוח","כ-שמוח","ל-שמוח"]·HI["आनन्दित-होना","आनन्दित-होने-के-लिए","और-आनन्दित-होना","और-आनन्दित-होने-को","जैसे-आनन्दित-होगी"]·ID["bersukacita","dan-bersukacita","dan-untuk-bersukacita","seperti-sukacita","untuk-bersukacita"]·IT["e-per-rallegrarsi","per-rallegrarsi","rallegrarsi","si-rallegro'"]·jav["bingah","kados-bingahipun","lan-bingah","lan-kangge-bingah","supados-bingah"]·KO["그리고-기믭하기-위함","그리고-기믭하기-위해","기믭하기","기뻐하게-하소서","처럼-기믭함의"]·PT["Quando-alegrar-se","alegrar-se","e-alegrar-se","para-me-alegrar"]·RU["и-радоваться","и-радоваться;","когда-радовалась","радоваться"]·ES["Al-alegrarse","alegrarse","para-alegrarme","y-alegrarse"]·SW["Wakati-wa-kufurahi-kwa","kufurahi","na-kufurahia"]·TR["sevindiğinde","sevinmek","sevinmek-için","ve-sevinmek","ve-sevinmek-icin"]·urd["اور-خوش-ہونا","اور-خوش-ہونے","خوش-ہونا","خوشی-مناتے-ہوئے","خوشی-منانے-کو"]
4. Adj: rejoicing, glad — The adjective sameach used substantively: 'the rejoicing ones, the glad' — 2 occurrences. In Job 3:22 those who 'rejoice exceedingly' when they find the grave, and in Amos 6:13 those who 'rejoice over a thing of nothing.' The substantival use with the article creates a category of persons defined by their emotional state. Arabic al-farihūna and Korean 기뻐하는 자들 both nominalize the adjective into a class designation. These two passages are notably ironic — the 'rejoicers' in both cases are celebrating something perverse or illusory. 2×
AR["الفرِحونَ","الفَرِحونَ"]·ben["যারা-আনন্দ-করে","যারা-আনন্দিত"]·DE["freute-sich"]·EN["The-ones-rejoicing","who-rejoice"]·FR["le-se-réjouir","se-réjouir"]·heb["ה-שׂמחים","ה-שמחים"]·HI["आनन्दित-होनेवाले","जो-खुश-होते-हैं"]·ID["Hai-yang-bersukacita","Yang-bersukacita"]·IT["il-rallegrarsi","rallegrarsi"]·jav["ingkang-bingah","kang-bingah"]·KO["그-기빠하는-자들이","기믭하는-자들아"]·PT["Os-que-se-alegram","os-que-se-alegram"]·RU["Радующиеся","радующимся"]·ES["Los-que-se-alegran"]·SW["Mnaofurahi","wanaofurahi"]·TR["Sevinenler","sevinenler"]·urd["-خوش-ہونے-والے","خوشی-منانے-والے"]
5. sense 5 — A single Piel occurrence at Ps 89:42 (Eng. 89:41) where the context is God causing enemies to rejoice over the fallen anointed king: 'you have made all his adversaries rejoice.' English 'you have made rejoice' and Spanish alegraste both render the Piel causative, but the passage stands apart because God is the agent of hostile joy — a theological reversal of the usual Piel pattern where God gladdens his own people. This inversion of the expected joy-giver/joy-recipient relationship gives the verse its bitter, lament-psalm force. 1×
AR["أَفْرَحْتَ"]·ben["তুমি-আনন্দিত-করেছ"]·DE["freute-sich"]·EN["you-have-made-rejoice"]·FR["le-se-réjouir"]·heb["השמחת"]·HI["तूने-आनंदित-किया"]·ID["Engkau-membuat-bergembira"]·IT["si-rallegro'"]·jav["Panjenengan-mbingahaken"]·KO["기뻝게-하셨나이다"]·PT["alegraste"]·RU["обрадовал-Ты"]·ES["alegraste"]·SW["umewafurahisha"]·TR["sevindirdin"]·urd["خوش-کیا-تُو-نے"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)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×)H2654a 1. take pleasure in, delight in (48×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
שָׂמַח, שָׂמֵ֑חַ, vb. rejoice, be glad (NH id.; cf. perhaps Assyrian šamâḫu, flourish, Arabic شَمَخَ be high, proud; Pun. n.pr. f. שמחת);— Qal126 Pf. 3 ms. שָׂמַח ψ 16:9 +; וְשָׂמֵ֑חַ consec. Pr 29:6; 3 fs. שָׂמֵ֑חָה Est 8:15; 2 ms. וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֫ Dt 12:18 +; 3 mpl. שָׂמֵ֑חוּ Ne 12:43, etc.; Impf. יִשְׂמַח Is 9:16 +, 3 mpl. יִשְׂמָ֑חוּ 65:13 ψ 69:33, 3 fpl. תִּשְׂמַחְנָה 2 S 1:20, etc.; Imv. ms.…