H8055 — שָׂמַח (sâmach)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H8055
Original: שָׂמַח
Transliteration: sâmach
Pronunciation: saw-makh'
Part of Speech: Verb (primitive root)
Cognate Noun: שִׂמְחָה simchâh (H8057) "joy, gladness, mirth"
Cognate Adjective: שָׂמֵחַ sâmêach (H8056) "glad, joyful, merry"
Occurrences: 148 unique verses (197 tokens), 31 books
First Occurrence: Exo 4:14 — "he [Aaron] will be glad in his heart" (when he sees Moses)
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

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, very.

The root carries both the intransitive sense ("to be glad, rejoice") in the Qal and the transitive causative sense ("to gladden, cause to rejoice, cheer") in the Piel and (rarely) Hiphil. The underlying image is of brightening — a face lighting up, a heart warmed — rather than the leaping/exulting motion of גִּיל (gîyl, H1523) or שׂוּשׂ (sûws, H7797).

Verb Stem Distribution¶

Tallied from ETCBC morphology for lemma שׂמח (verb forms only; noun H8057 and adjective H8056 excluded):

Stem	Approx. Count	Sense	Representative Verses
Qal	~150	be glad, rejoice (intransitive / stative)	Deu 12:7; 1Sa 2:1; Psa 9:2; Psa 122:1
Piel	~27	gladden, make rejoice, cheer (transitive causative)	Jdg 9:13; Psa 19:8; Psa 86:4; Psa 104:15; Pro 10:1; Pro 27:11; Jer 20:15
Hiphil	1	cause to rejoice (rare; Psa 89:42 "made his adversaries rejoice")	Psa 89:42

Piel is the distinctive causative stem. Where Qal describes the worshipper's gladness, Piel describes what gladdens them — wine (Psa 104:15; Jdg 9:13; Ecc 10:19), a wise son (Pro 10:1; 15:20; 29:3), a good word (Pro 12:25), the statutes of the LORD (Psa 19:8), God's own action toward his people (Psa 86:4; 90:15; 92:4; Neh 12:43; Ezr 6:22).

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Roots of the English renderings across 148 unique verses:

Root Rendering	Verses	%
rejoice / rejoiced / rejoiceth / rejoicing	~90	61%
(be / was / shall be / make / made) glad	~36	24%
joy / have joy / shall joy	~6	4%
merry / make merry	~3	2%
cheer / cheereth / cheer up	~2	1%
joyful / make joyful	~4	3%
other / auxiliaries	~7	5%

KJV translators overwhelmingly chose "rejoice" for Qal and "make glad / make to rejoice / cheer" for Piel. "Merry" clusters in sapiential contexts (Ecc 8:15; 10:19; Pro 15:13 — though the latter uses the adjective H8056).

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Obadiah	1	4.8
Ecclesiastes	8	3.6
Joel	2	2.7
Psalms	52	2.1
Jonah	1	2.1
Zephaniah	1	1.9
Habakkuk	1	1.8
Proverbs	16	1.7
Zechariah	3	1.4
Lamentations	2	1.3
Deuteronomy	10	1.0
Hosea	2	1.0
Micah	1	1.0
2 Chronicles	7	0.9
Isaiah	9	0.7
Amos	1	0.7
1 Samuel	5	0.6
Esther	1	0.6
Job	5	0.5
Judges	3	0.5
Ezra	1	0.4
Jeremiah	4	0.3
1 Chronicles	2	0.2
Ezekiel	3	0.2
Nehemiah	1	0.2
Exodus, Leviticus, 1-2 Sam, 1-2 Kings	1 each	0.1

Observations: The verb is concentrated in Psalms (52 uses — the single largest reservoir), Proverbs/Ecclesiastes (wisdom), and Deuteronomy (covenant feast). It is rare in the Pentateuchal narrative outside of Deuteronomy (one use each in Exo/Lev) and rare in the historical books relative to poetic/prophetic material. The prophets use it frequently in oracles against the nations ("rejoice not, O my enemy") and in restoration promises.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Covenant Festal Joy (Deuteronomic)¶

Joy before YHWH at the central sanctuary, with family, servants, Levite, and stranger — commanded as the proper response to God's provision. - Deu 12:7 — "there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto" - Deu 12:12 — "ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters" - Deu 16:11 — "thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God" - Deu 26:11 — "thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given"

2. Rejoicing in YHWH Himself¶

The worshipper's delight in God's person, salvation, and reign — the dominant Psalms usage. - 1Sa 2:1 — "My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD" - Psa 5:11 — "let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice" - Psa 33:21 — "For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name" - Psa 97:1 — "The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice"

3. Piel — God or an Agent Gladdens Another¶

The causative: something or someone is the cause of joy. - Jdg 9:13 — "my wine, which cheereth (Piel ptcp) God and man" - Psa 104:15 — "wine that maketh glad (Piel impf) the heart of man" - Psa 19:8 — "The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing (Piel ptcp) the heart" - Psa 86:4 — "Rejoice (Piel impv) the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul" - Psa 90:15 — "Make us glad (Piel impv) according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us"

4. Piel — Domestic / Wisdom Joy¶

A wise son, a good word, or a friend's counsel gladdens. - Pro 10:1 — "A wise son maketh a glad father (Piel impf)" - Pro 12:25 — "a good word maketh it [the heart] glad (Piel impf)" - Pro 15:30 — "The light of the eyes rejoiceth (Piel impf) the heart" - Pro 27:9 — "Ointment and perfume rejoice (Piel impf) the heart"

5. Eschatological / Restoration Joy¶

Promised joy at God's future intervention — often paired with the reversal of mourning. - Isa 25:9 — "we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation" - Isa 66:10 — "Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her" - Jer 31:13 — "Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance... I will turn their mourning into joy" - Zep 3:14 — "Sing, O daughter of Zion... be glad and rejoice with all the heart" - Zec 2:10 — "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come"

6. Celebratory Joy at Deliverance or Enthronement¶

Historical narrative uses around political/military triumph. - 1Sa 11:15 — "Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly" - 1Ki 5:7 — "when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly" - 2Ki 11:20 — "all the people of the land rejoiced" (after Athaliah's overthrow) - 2Ch 29:36 — "Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people" (at restoration of temple service)

7. Forbidden / Condemned Joy (Malicious or Wrongly-Placed)¶

The verb frequently appears negated in prophetic oracles: rejoice not over an enemy's fall, rejoice not in iniquity. - Pro 24:17 — "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth" - Oba 1:12 — "thou shouldest not have rejoiced over the children of Judah" - Mic 7:8 — "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy" - Eze 7:12 — "let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn" - Hos 9:1 — "Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God"

8. Sapiential Joy — The Limits and Goods of Mirth¶

Wisdom literature evaluates joy: commended as a gift, interrogated as vanity. - Ecc 3:12 — "I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life" - Ecc 3:22 — "a man should rejoice in his own works" - Ecc 11:9 — "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth" - Pro 23:15 — "My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-vv	Typical Pattern
יְהוָה (YHWH)	H3068	47x (32%)	"rejoice in the LORD / before the LORD" — the object or locus of joy
כֹּל (kol)	H3605	42x (28%)	"rejoice with all the heart / in all thy increase"
אֱלֹהִים (ʼĕlōhîm)	H430	27x (18%)	"rejoice before God / in our God"
גִּיל (gîyl)	H1523	23x (16%)	hendiadys "rejoice and be glad" / "be glad and rejoice" (Psa 14:7; 31:7; 48:11; Isa 25:9; Joel 2:21)
לֵב (lêb)	H3820	21x (14%)	"the heart rejoiceth" — seat of gladness (Psa 13:5; 16:9; 105:3; Pro 15:30)
פָּנִים (pānîm)	H6440	13x (9%)	"rejoice before (lit. 'at the face of') the LORD" — Deuteronomic temple idiom
בַּיִת (bayith)	H1004	12x (8%)	"make joyful in my house of prayer" / rejoicing at house/temple
עַם (ʻam)	H5971	16x (11%)	"the people rejoiced" (coronation / restoration narratives)
בֵּן / בַּת (son/daughter)	H1121/H1323	25x (17%)	family rejoicing: daughters of Zion, glad father, son of the wise

The signature construction is שׂמח + ב (beth) — "rejoice in/at" — marking the object or ground of joy (in YHWH, in his salvation, in thy feast, in the wife of thy youth, in the works of thy hands).

Word Family / Cognates¶

Word	Strong's	POS	Relationship
שָׂמֵחַ sâmêach	H8056	Adjective	"joyful, glad" — stative adjective from same root
שִׂמְחָה simchâh	H8057	Feminine noun	"joy, gladness, mirth, festal celebration" — primary noun of the root

Synonyms¶

Word	Strong's	Nuance	Key Difference
גִּיל gîyl	H1523	rejoice, spin, circle	A more exuberant, physical joy (root idea: circling/leaping); common hendiadys partner
שׂוּשׂ / שִׂישׂ sûws	H7797	be bright, rejoice, exult	Poetic; overlaps strongly; LXX also uses εὐφραίνω
רָנַן rânan	H7442	shout for joy, sing	Vocal expression (shout, ringing cry), not emotion per se
עָלַז ʻâlaz	H5937	exult, triumph	Often of victory or malicious exultation
עָלַץ ʻâlats	H5970	jump for joy, exult	Cognate of עלז; relatively rare
מָשׂוֹשׂ mâsôws	H4885	delight, object of joy	Noun from שׂוּשׂ
שָׂשׂוֹן sâsôwn	H8342	joy, gladness	Noun cognate of שׂוּשׂ
חָדָה châdâh	H2302	rejoice, make glad	Rare (Exo 18:9; Job 3:6); the Aramaic cognate (H2305) is common
טְאֵב ṭᵉʼêb	H2868	(Aramaic) be glad	Dan 6:23 only

Antonyms¶

No antonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for H8055.

Easily Confused Words (KJV Overlap)¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
שׂוּשׂ sûws	H7797	"rejoice," "Rejoice"	Brighter/more exuberant; often of God rejoicing over his people (Isa 62:5; Zep 3:17)
גִּיל gîyl	H1523	"rejoice," "be glad," "shall rejoice"	Dynamic/physical "spin with joy"; frequently paired with H8055
עָלַז ʻâlaz	H5937	"shall rejoice," "and rejoice"	Exultation, especially triumphant
עָלַץ ʻâlats	H5970	"rejoiceth"	Jump for joy
רָנַן rânan	H7442	"rejoice," "to rejoice"	Vocal shout, not inward gladness
חָדָה châdâh	H2302	"rejoiced" (Exo 18:9)	Rare synonym

LXX Mapping¶

Ranked by PMI (co-occurrence strength, not raw count):

Greek Equivalent	Strong's	Co-occ	Notes
εὐφραίνω (euphraínō)	G2165	119	Primary LXX equivalent — "make merry, gladden"; used for both Qal and Piel
χαίρω (chaírō)	G5463	19	General "rejoice"; secondary rendering
ἀγαλλίασις (agallíasis)	G20	21	Noun "exultation"; used where Hebrew has cognate noun H8057
ἐπαινέω (epainéō)	G1867	6	"applaud, praise" — occasional for Piel causative
εὐφροσύνη (euphrosýnē)	G2167	10	Noun "gladness"; cognate of εὐφραίνω
χαρά (chará)	G5479	4	Noun "joy"

The LXX translators strongly preferred the εὐφραίνω/εὐφροσύνη pair for שׂמח/שׂמחה — preserving the "make glad, gladden" semantic whenever the Piel causative is in view (e.g., Psa 104:15 LXX τοῦ εὐφρᾶναι καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου). χαίρω handles the simple "rejoice" sense.

The bridge to εὐφραίνω has enough weight (co-occ 119) to warrant a cross-testament trace — see TR-samach-euphraino.md if/when created.

Semantic Domains¶

[002001002022] Rejoice Other words: אֹשֶׁר (H837), גיל (H1523), גִּיל (H1524), גִּילָה (H1525), דַּחֲוָה (A1761), הלל (H1984)