Hebrew word · H2304

חֶדְוָה

chedvat

joy

Joy, gladness, rejoicing. A late word, common in Aramaic (the verb ḥdh, "rejoice"). In Hebrew it appears only here and in 1 Chronicles 16:27. In the Aramaic of Ezra 6:16 the rebuilt Temple is dedicated "with joy" (ḥedwāh).

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament.

What it means

joy, gladness

Aramaic equivalent: ched.vah (חֶדְוָה "joy" H2305)

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 Nehemiah 8:10

Range of meaning

Joy, gladness, rejoicing. A late word, common in Aramaic (the verb ḥdh, "rejoice"). In Hebrew it appears only here and in 1 Chronicles 16:27. In the Aramaic of Ezra 6:16 the rebuilt Temple is dedicated "with joy" (ḥedwāh).

Against the English

"Joy" is a fair rendering. But modern English readers tend to hear a private, inward contentment. Here the word names the celebration of a festival, eaten and shared, as Ezra 6:16 and 1 Chronicles 16:27 confirm.

Used elsewhere in the period

1 Chronicles 16:27, "Splendour and majesty are before him; strength (ʿōz) and gladness (ḥedwāh) are in his place." Strength and joy sit side by side in God's sanctuary there. The older parallel in Psalm 96:6 has "strength and beauty in his sanctuary", which suggests the Chronicler's era used ḥedwāh for joy in worship. Ezra 6:16 (Aramaic) uses it for the joy of the Temple dedication.

Where it appears

1 Chronicles · 1

  1. 1 Chronicles 16:27 וְחֶדְוָ֖ה and joy

    Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy fill His dwelling.

Nehemiah · 1

  1. Nehemiah 8:10 חֶדְוַ֥ת [the] joy of

    Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

    Here: "Gladness". The word is rare and late, and it is common in Aramaic. Elsewhere in Hebrew it occurs only in 1 Chronicles 16:27 ("strength and gladness are in his place"), in a hymn about God's sanctuary. It is festive, shared rejoicing.

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