Mounce definition of Joy

Depending on the context, śimḥâ can be translated “joy, rejoicing, gladness, pleasure,” or “happiness.” It can be expressed by singing (Gen 31:27; 2 Chr. 23:18; Ps 137:3), shouting (Ezr 3:12, 13; Isa 16:10; Jer 31:7; 48:33), dancing (1 Chr. 15:29; Jer 31:13), and playing musical instruments (1 Sam. 18:6; 1 Ki. 1:40), but it is also a matter of the heart (Prov 12:20; Song 3:11; Isa 30:29; Jer 15:16; Ezek 36:5). Weddings and harvest time epitomize joy in Israel, and therefore they are common images throughout the Scriptures, especially in the Hebrew prophets (Isa 9:3; Jer 7:34; 16:9; 25:10). Apart from the Day of Atonement, Israel’s feasts and festivals are also times of joy and celebration (Num 10:10; 2 Chr. 30:21, 23, 26; Neh 8:17). The Psalms are full of joyful praise and thanksgiving. The Lord has clothed the psalmist with joy (30:11) and filled his heart with joy (4:7), which is found in the presence of the Lord (21:6). Joy belongs to the righteous (68:3; 97:11). According to the prophets, messianic hope brings śimḥâ. Just before Isaiah foretells the birth of the Wonderful Counselor (Isa 9:6), he prophesies that God will magnify the joy of his people (Isa 9:3). Indeed, the Lord will crown his people with śimḥâ ʿôlām (“everlasting joy”; Isa 51:11). Though they may have suffered, the Lord promises future joy (Isa 51:3; Zech 8:19; Zeph 3:17). See NIDOTTE, 3:1251–54. śāmaḥ can describe both one’s feeling of joy and the outward expression of such gladness in the form of rejoicing. As an antonym of grief and sorrow (Jn 16:20), chara denotes “joy, happiness, gladness.” It can refer to feelings and can result from circumstances (Jn 16:21), but for the believer, it is continual because of our relationship with Christ (1 Pet. 1:8). The first use of chara in the NT describes the joyful response of the Magi when they saw the star that led them to Christ (Mt 2:10). This is an emphatic construction of chara along with the related verb chairō (see rejoice), thus expressing the overwhelming nature of their joy. So from the beginning of the NT, Jesus is a source of joy for those who find him. Jesus teaches that there is joy in heaven whenever a sinner repents and returns to the Father (Lk 15:7, 10). His incarnation and death on the cross were fulfilled with the joy of this redemption and reconciliation in mind (Heb 12:2). chara is one of the elements in the fruit produced by the Spirit in our lives (Gal 5:22). With joy, believers pray (Phil 1:4), give thanks (Col 1:11), receive the Word of God (1 Thess. 1:6), and welcome fellow believers (Phil 2:29). The NT authors emphasize that the joy of the Lord transcends all earthly circumstances and that Christian joy is actually proven through hardship (2 Cor. 7:4; 8:2; 1 Thess. 1:6; Heb 10:34). Though Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians from prison, in the midst of personal suffering, he maintains the steadfast joy that he instructs the Philippian believers to maintain (Phil 1:25; 2:2; 4:1). He also emphasizes in his letters that the work of ministry, however difficult or dangerous, is a joy (2 Cor. 1:24; 2:3; 1 Thess. 2:19–20; 3:9). See NIDNTT-A, 599–600. William D. Mounce,

Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 368–369.

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