שָׂמַח

𐤔𐤌𐤇

sâmach

H8055 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שׂמח to rejoice, be glad, bring joy

Definition

To experience or express joy, gladness, or delight; to rejoice inwardly or outwardly. The verb primarily denotes a state or expression of happiness or pleasure, particularly in response to favorable circumstances, blessings, celebrations, or acts of divine intervention. Its semantic range includes emotional joy, public rejoicing, festive celebration, and making others glad.

Semantic Range

to experience gladness, to express joy, to celebrate, to be joyful, to make (oneself or others) glad, to cause to rejoice, to delight, to be merry, public celebration or festivity

Root / Etymology

From the root שׂמח (smḥ), meaning 'to rejoice, be glad.' The root connotes a sense of emotional uplift or positive feeling, and the verb form expresses the action or state of experiencing or causing joy. The development of the root centers on the emotional state of pleasure or happiness, often related to celebratory or favorable events.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, שָׂמַח is used broadly for both internal emotions and external expressions of gladness. It appears in diverse contexts: rituals (e.g., festival observances), personal experiences (e.g., birth, victory), and communal gatherings. The root is used in both qal (be glad/rejoice) and pi'el (make glad/cause to rejoice) stems, with the latter emphasizing the act of inducing gladness in others or oneself. The term can refer to both spontaneous emotional responses and ritualized or commanded rejoicing (e.g., Deut 16:14). In some psalms and prophetic texts, it is linked with deliverance or divine intervention. שָׂמַח is distinct from related roots such as גִּיל (gil, to exult, often denoting exuberant or leaping joy), and denotes a more general joy or gladness. Modern English translations using 'rejoice' or 'be glad' usually capture its core meaning, though the range of usage in Hebrew nuances both internal experience and external, communal festivity. Later Jewish tradition preserved the term in liturgical and folk usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; probably to brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome; cheer up, be (make) glad, (have, make) joy(-ful), be (make) merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice, [idiom] very.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׂמח (ś-m-ḥ) — rejoicing, gladness, joy

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H8056 שָׂמֵחַ those who rejoice
H8057 שִׂמְחָה in rejoicing

Word Forms

58 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8055-56 יִשְׂמַ֣ח yisemach HVqi3ms will rejoice he will rejoice 24
H8055-58 יִשְׂמְחוּ yisemechu HVqj3mp let rejoice let them rejoice 10
H8055-36 וַֽ/יִּשְׂמְח֖וּ vayisemechu HC/Vqw3mp and they rejoiced and they rejoiced 7
H8055-34 וַ/יִּשְׂמַ֖ח vayisemach HC/Vqw3ms and rejoiced and he rejoiced 7
H8055-53 יְשַׂמַּ֬ח yesamach HVpi3ms makes glad he causes to rejoice 7
H8055-41 וְ/שָׂמַחְתָּ֗ vesamacheta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall rejoice and you rejoiced 6
H8055-51 וְ/יִשְׂמְח֨וּ veyisemechu HC/Vqi3mp and let them be glad and they will rejoice 5
H8055-21 שִׂמְחוּ֙ simechu HVqv2mp Rejoice Rejoice! 4
H8055-50 וְ/יִשְׂמָֽחוּ veyisemachu HC/Vqi3mp and rejoice and they will rejoice 4
H8055-39 וְ/נִשְׂמְחָ֖ה venisemechah HC/Vqh1cp and be glad and let us rejoice 4

Occurrences in Scripture

158 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8055-40 Exodus 4:14 וְ/שָׂמַ֥ח vesamach HC/Vqq3ms he will be glad and he rejoiced
H8055-30 Leviticus 23:40 וּ/שְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם usemachetem HC/Vqq2mp and-you-shall-rejoice and you rejoiced
H8055-30 Deuteronomy 12:7 וּ/שְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם usemachetem HC/Vqq2mp and you shall rejoice and you rejoiced
H8055-30 Deuteronomy 12:12 וּ/שְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם usemachetem HC/Vqq2mp and you shall rejoice and you rejoiced
H8055-41 Deuteronomy 12:18 וְ/שָׂמַחְתָּ֗ vesamacheta HC/Vqq2ms you shall rejoice and you rejoiced
H8055-41 Deuteronomy 14:26 וְ/שָׂמַחְתָּ֖ vesamacheta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall rejoice and you rejoiced
H8055-41 Deuteronomy 16:11 וְ/שָׂמַחְתָּ֞ vesamacheta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall rejoice and you rejoiced
H8055-41 Deuteronomy 16:14 וְ/שָׂמַחְתָּ֖ vesamacheta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall rejoice and you rejoiced
H8055-45 Deuteronomy 24:5 וְ/שִׂמַּ֖ח vesimach HC/Vpq3ms and cheer and he gladdened
H8055-41 Deuteronomy 26:11 וְ/שָׂמַחְתָּ֣ vesamacheta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall rejoice and you rejoiced