שָׂמַח
𐤔𐤌𐤇
sâmach
H8055 verb
SILEX Entry
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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שׂמח (ś-m-ḥ) — rejoicing, gladness, joy
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 |