There’s one thing that every human is chasing: joy or happiness. The Bible has quite a few things to say about gladness. For example, it tells us to serve the Lord with gladness. But what exactly does the word gladness mean in Hebrew and Greek? Let’s take a look.
All scriptures are taken from NKJV unless otherwise marked.
“Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.”
– Psalm 100:2
What Does The Word ‘Gladness’ Mean In Hebrew?
giyl- age, stage in life.
chedvah- rejoicing, joy.
tuwb- good; goodness; gladness.
rinnah- shout (of joy or grief)
simchah- blithesomeness or glee.
Simchah usually refers to spontaneous emotion or extreme happiness which is expressed in some visible or external manner. It doesn’t normally represent an abiding state of well-being or feeling. This kind of emotion arises at festivals, wedding feasts, circumcision feasts, or the overthrow of one’s enemy’s.
As a verb, it can be accompanied by singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments.
sasown- cheerfulness; welcome.
Related: What Does The Word ‘Discern’ Mean In Hebrew and Greek?
What Does The Word ‘Gladness’ Mean In Greek?
agalliasis- exultation, delight.
This word is translated into the following words:
- gladness (Luke 1:14)
- joy (Luke 1:44)
- exceeding joy (Jude 1:24)
“For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.“
– Luke 1:44
euphrosune- joyfulness, cheerfulness.
Euphrosune is translated into these two words:
- joy (Acts 2:28)
- gladness (Acts 14:17)
“You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’”
– Acts 2:28
chara- calm, delight joy.
“Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”
– Luke 2:10
Conclusion
There are many seasons in life, but we should definitely have some seasons of gladness in our lives. People should worship God with joy and be glad of the everlasting gift He’s given us.
That’s what the word gladness means in Hebrew and Greek. I pray this article was helpful to you. If so, please share this content. Also, feel free to share any thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
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