Hebrew word · H2302

חָדָה

vaiyichad

to rejoice

To rejoice, be glad. It is rare in Hebrew (Exodus 18:9 'Jethro rejoiced'; possibly Job 3:6), but it is the ordinary word for rejoicing in Aramaic (cf. ḥedwah 'joy', Ezra 6:16; Nehemiah 8:10).

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to rejoice

1a) (Qal) to rejoice

1b) (Piel) to make glad, gladden

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Psalm 21:6

Range of meaning

To rejoice, be glad. It is rare in Hebrew (Exodus 18:9 'Jethro rejoiced'; possibly Job 3:6), but it is the ordinary word for rejoicing in Aramaic (cf. ḥedwah 'joy', Ezra 6:16; Nehemiah 8:10).

Against the English

BSB 'cheer him' is a little light for a word paired with 'joy'; KJV 'exceeding glad' and others 'make him glad' are closer.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exodus 18:9 (simple form); Psalm 21:6 is the only use of this causative form. Aramaic cognates are common, and some scholars therefore see a poetic or northern flavour.

Where it appears

Exodus · 1

  1. Exodus 18:9 וַיִּ֣חַדְּ and he rejoiced

    And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Egyptians.

Job · 1

  1. Job 3:6 יִ֭חַדְּ it rejoice

    If only darkness had taken that night away! May it not appear among the days of the year; may it never be entered in any of the months.

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 21:6 תְּחַדֵּ֥הוּ you make rejoice him

    For You grant him blessings forever; You cheer him with joy in Your presence.

    Here: A rare verb, used in a causative form: 'you make him rejoice', 'you gladden him'. God is the source of the king's joy.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.