שִׂמְחָה93 H8057
Joy, gladness, or mirth; ranging from sacred celebration before God to pleasure evaluated as a human pursuit.
Simkhah (שִׂמְחָה) is the Hebrew Bible's primary noun for joy and gladness, appearing in contexts as diverse as harvest festivals, royal coronations, and intimate personal delight. Laban rebukes Jacob for leaving without the 'joy' of music and celebration (Gen 31:27), the people rejoice with great simkhah at Solomon's anointing (1 Kgs 1:40), and the Psalmist declares that in God's presence is 'fullness of joys' (Ps 16:11). In Ecclesiastes, however, simkhah takes on a more searching tone — Qoheleth examines 'pleasure' (simkhah) as a potential life-goal and finds it wanting (Eccl 2:1-2). Spanish alegría, French joie, and German Freude all carry this range from sacred gladness to evaluated pleasure.
1. joy, gladness, delight — The predominant sense of joy, gladness, and delight — encompassing rejoicing before God, festive celebration, happiness at good fortune, and sacred worship. Spanish alegría and German Freude consistently render this broad emotional and ceremonial sense. The people shout with great joy at Solomon's anointing (1 Kgs 1:40), and Israel is commanded to serve the Lord 'with gladness' (Deut 28:47; Ps 100:2). 90×
AR["فَرَحًا","فَرَحٌ"]·ben["আনন্দ","আনন্দ,","আনন্দ-","আনন্দে","আনন্দে-"]·DE["Freude","mit-Freude"]·EN["gladness","gladness-","is-gladness","is-joy","joy","rejoicing","with-gladness"]·FR["joie"]·heb["שמחה"]·HI["आनंद","आनंद-","आनंद।","आनन्द","आनन्द-का","आनन्द-से"]·ID["Sukacita","adalah-sukacita","sukacita","sukacita-"]·IT["gioia"]·jav["kabingahan","kabingahan-","kabungahan"]·KO["기쁨","기쁨-으로","기쁨-을","기쁨-의","기쁨-이","기쁨-이다","기쁨-이로다","기쁨과","기쁨으로","기쁨을","기쁨이","기쁨이-","기쁨이-있느니라","기쁨이니라"]·PT["Alegria","alegria","alegria-","de-alegria"]·RU["веселья","радости","радость","радость-","радостью"]·ES["Alegría","Gozo","alegría","con-gozo","de-alegría"]·SW["furaha","kubwa","na-kutuma","ni-furaha","shimchah"]·TR["sevinc","sevincin","sevinç","sevinç-","sevinçle","sevinçtir"]·urd["خوشی","خوشی-","خوشی-سے","خوشی-کا","خوشی-ہے"]
Gen 31:27, Deut 28:47, 1 Sam 18:6, 2 Sam 6:12, 1 Kgs 1:40, 1 Chr 12:40, 1 Chr 15:25, 1 Chr 29:9, 1 Chr 29:17, 1 Chr 29:22, 2 Chr 20:27, 2 Chr 23:18 (+38 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. pleasure, mirth (as pursuit) — Pleasure or mirth viewed as a human pursuit to be evaluated — especially in Wisdom Literature where Qoheleth tests simkhah as a life philosophy. 'I said of laughter, it is mad, and of pleasure (simkhah), what does it accomplish?' (Eccl 2:2). Also in Jeremiah 15:16, where God's words become a 'joy' to the prophet — but a deeply personal, almost solitary kind. This sense carries an undertone of critical assessment absent from the celebratory first sense. 4×
AR["لِلْفَرَحِ","وَ-فَرَحَ","وَ-لِلْفَرَحِ","وَلِلْفَرَحِ"]·ben["আর-উল্লাসের","এবং-আনন্দ-করতে","এবং-আনন্দের-প্রতি","তুলে"]·DE["Freude","und-Freude","und-fuer-rejoicing","und-zu-Freude"]·EN["and-for-gladness-of","and-for-rejoicing","and-of-pleasure","for-joy"]·FR["et-joie","et-pour-rejoicing","joie"]·heb["ו-ל-שמחה","ו-ל-שמחת","ל-שמחה"]·HI["आनंद-के-लिए","और-आनंद-के-लिए","और-आनन्द-के-विषय-में","और-खुशी-को"]·ID["dan-tentang-kesenangan","dan-untuk-bersukacita","dan-untuk-kegembiraan","untuk-sukacita"]·IT["e-gioia","e-per-gioia","e-per-rejoicing","gioia"]·jav["kanggé-kabingahan","lan-kanggé-bingah","lan-kanggé-suka-bungahing","lan-tumrap-kabingahan"]·KO["그리고-기쁘에","그리고-기쁨-에","그리고-즐거움이","에-기쁨"]·PT["e-para-alegria","e-para-alegria-de","e-à-alegria","para-alegria"]·RU["а-о-радости:","для-радости","и-в-веселие","и-для-веселья"]·ES["para-alegría","y-a-la-alegría","y-para-alegría","y-para-alegría-de"]·SW["kwa-furaha","na-kwa-furaha","na-kwa-shangwe-ya"]·TR["sevinç-için","ve-neşesi-olarak","ve-sevince","ve-sevinç-için"]·urd["اور-خوشی-کو","اور-خوشی-کے-لیے","اور-مسرت","خوشی-کے-لیے"]
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×)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
שִׂמְחָה93 n.f. joy, gladness, mirth;—abs. שׂ׳ Gn 31:37 +, cstr. שִׂמְחַת Is 9:2 +; sf. שִׂמְחָתִי ψ 137:6, etc.; pl. שְׂמָחוֹת ψ 16:11, -ת֗ 45:16;— 1. mirth, gladness, e.g. in festivity, Gn 31:27 (E), ψ 137:3, 6, 1 K 1:40; 1 S 18:6; Is 9:2(×2); 16:10 ψ 45:16; יוֹם מִשְׁתֶּה וְשׂ׳ Est 9:17, 18, 22 cf. (יוֹם om.) v 19 (+ יוֹם טוֹב), v 22 (‖ יוֹם טוֹב), + 5 times, + קוֹל שׂ׳ Je 7:34 = 16:9 = 25:10…