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χαίρω

chaírō

G5463 verb

SILEX Entry

Root χαρ- to rejoice, to be glad, to greet, to wish well

Definition

To rejoice, to be glad, to experience joy or delight. In various contexts, also means to be well, to prosper, or to express a wish for well-being. As a salutation, it functions as a wish for health or happiness (i.e., 'greetings', 'farewell'). Semantic range includes emotional rejoicing, general gladness, and conventional expressions of goodwill or greeting at initial or terminal encounters.

Semantic Range

to experience joy, to be glad, to rejoice, to be well, to prosper, to wish well (as in greetings or farewells), to offer a polite salutation, to enjoy, to take delight

Root / Etymology

Derives from the root χαρ- (char-), related to the noun χαρά ('joy'), and the verb is attested from at least classical Greek onward. The stem χαρ- expresses joy or pleasure, and forms related words across Greek, e.g., χάρις ('grace', 'favor').

Historical & Contextual Notes

χαίρω is found from Homeric Greek and throughout classical, Hellenistic, and Koine Greek. In early Greek literature, it described states of inward joy or delight, and also functioned as a courteous greeting or farewell. By the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the use as a formal salutation ('greetings!', 'rejoice!') became conventional in letters and encounters (see Acts 15:23, James 1:1). In the Septuagint and New Testament, χαίρω frequently denotes inner joy or rejoicing, often with a strong emotional component linked to positive news or events (Phil 4:4, 'rejoice in the Lord always'). The use of χαίρειν as an infinitive (typically at the opening of letters) had become formulaic by the New Testament period, roughly equivalent to 'greetings' or 'hail'. Standard English translations often render χαίρω variously as 'rejoice', 'be glad', 'farewell', or 'greetings', depending on the context, but may not fully capture the range from inward joy to strategic politeness or conventional greeting. Contrasts with λυπέομαι ('to be grieved, sorrowful'). While the root also underlies χάρις ('grace', 'favor'), χαίρω itself focuses on the emotional and relational expression of joy or well-wishing.

Translation Consistency

primary "rejoice" 68 occurrences

Most central and frequent sense in the SILEX range is emotional gladness—'to rejoice'—and this form appears most often (36/74) in the P2 renderings. It is a single, natural English verb that cleanly generates all required inflections (rejoices, rejoiced, rejoicing) and can cover the greeting/well‑wishing uses idiomatically (e.g., render salutations as a wish to rejoice or be glad) while preserving consistency.

Alternatives (6 occurrences):
"greetings" (4x) "rejoice, all of you" (1x) "greet" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary verb; to be "cheer"ful, i.e. calmly happy or well-off; impersonally, especially as salutation (on meeting or parting), be well:--farewell, be glad, God speed, greeting, hall, joy(- fully), rejoice.

Root Family

χαίρω (chairō) — to rejoice, to be glad, to greet, to wish well

Word Forms

22 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G5463-04 χαίρετε chairete V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL rejoice Rejoice! Rejoice! 11
G5463-05 χαίρω chairo V PRS ACT IND 1P SG I rejoice I rejoice I rejoice 8
G5463-03 χαίρειν chairein INTJ greetings to rejoice to rejoice 7
G5463-08 χαίροντες chairontes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL rejoicing those rejoicing rejoicing 6
G5463-01 χαῖρε chaire INTJ Hail Rejoice! Rejoice! 6
G5463-21 ἐχάρησαν echaresan V AOR PASS IND 3P PL they rejoiced they rejoiced they rejoiced 5
G5463-07 χαίρων chairon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG rejoicing rejoicing rejoicing 4
G5463-20 ἐχάρην echaren V AOR PASS IND 1P SG I rejoiced I rejoiced I rejoiced 3
G5463-18 ἐχάρη echare V AOR PASS IND 3P SG he rejoiced was gladdened he was rejoiced 3
G5463-02 χαίρει chairei V PRS ACT IND 3P SG rejoices he/she/it rejoices he/she/it rejoices 3

Occurrences in Scripture

74 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G5463-21 Matthew 2:10 ἐχάρησαν echaresan V AOR PASS IND 3P PL they rejoiced they rejoiced they rejoiced
G5463-04 Matthew 5:12 χαίρετε chairete V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL Rejoice Rejoice! Rejoice!
G5463-02 Matthew 18:13 χαίρει chairei V PRS ACT IND 3P SG he rejoices he/she/it rejoices he/she/it rejoices
G5463-01 Matthew 26:49 χαῖρε chaire INTJ Greetings Rejoice! Greetings
G5463-01 Matthew 27:29 χαῖρε chaire INTJ Hail Rejoice! Rejoice!
G5463-04 Matthew 28:9 χαίρετε chairete INTJ Greetings Rejoice! Rejoice!
G5463-21 Mark 14:11 ἐχάρησαν echaresan V AOR PASS IND 3P PL rejoiced they rejoiced they rejoiced
G5463-01 Mark 15:18 Χαῖρε chaire INTJ Hail Rejoice! Rejoice!
G5463-14 Luke 1:14 χαρήσονται charesontai V FUT PASS IND 3P PL will rejoice they will be gladdened they will rejoice
G5463-01 Luke 1:28 χαῖρε chaire INTJ Greetings Rejoice! Rejoice!
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