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Psalms 100:2 — Word Study

Depth

WLCעִבְד֣וּ אֶת־ יְהוָ֣ה בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה בֹּ֥אוּ לְ֝פָנָ֗יו בִּרְנָנָֽה׃

BSAServeʻâbad [worship, obey] the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] with gladnesssimchâh [joy, joyful celebration] comebôwʼ [approach, enter] into His presencepânîym [before His face, into His sight] with joyful songsrᵉnânâh [triumphant, celebratory, singing, shouts of joy]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 100
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 2 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (bir.na.Nah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 100:2quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist calls for joyful service to the LORD, emphasizing the attitude and approach of worship.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, addressing all the earth.
Where we areIn a psalm of praise, inviting worshipers into God's presence.
The hard wordעִבְד֣וּ
Take awayJoyful service is an essential part of worship.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, AdamClarke & more — read them › clause verbעָבַד The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Psalms 100:2

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — A Call to Joyful Worshipgenerated

1Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth.
2Serve the LORD with gladness; come into His presence with joyful songs.
3Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
4Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name.

Psalm 100:2 invites all the earth to serve the LORD with joy and to approach Him with songs of celebration. This psalm emphasizes the importance of attitude in worship, encouraging believers to enter into God's presence with gladness. The surrounding verses reinforce this theme of joy and gratitude, as seen in Psalm 100:1 and Psalm 100:4.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 63:4–5So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift my hands.
2Psalm 71:23When I sing praise to You my lips will shout for joy, along with my soul, which You have redeemed.
3Psalm 107:21–22Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.
4Deuteronomy 12:12And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.
5Deuteronomy 16:11–14and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.

The Key Word עִבְד֣וּ, 'iv.Dugenerated

The verb עָבַד (avad) means to serve or work, and it encompasses a range of activities from laboring for others to serving God. This imperative form calls the audience to action, specifically addressing the second person masculine plural, which indicates a communal call to worship.

In this context, serving the LORD implies an active engagement in worship, highlighting the joy and gladness that should accompany such service. The word is often associated with various forms of service, including religious duties, and reflects the relationship between the worshiper and God.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse is structured around two main verbs: עִבְד֣וּ (serve) and בֹּ֥אוּ (come), which govern the actions of the worshipers. The imperative form of these verbs indicates a direct call to the audience.

The first clause emphasizes the act of serving the LORD, while the second clause invites worshipers to approach Him, creating a parallel structure that highlights both service and presence in worship.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates עִבְד֣וּ as δουλεύσατε (douleusate), which also means to serve but carries a connotation of being a servant or slave. This choice emphasizes the commitment and devotion required in worship.

For בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה, the LXX uses εὐφροσύνῃ (euphrosynē), which conveys a sense of joy and merriment, aligning with the psalmist's call for joyous worship.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 100:2 calls everyone to serve the LORD joyfully and to come into His presence with songs of joy. This verse emphasizes the importance of attitude in worship, inviting all to celebrate and express their joy in serving God.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to serve the LORD with gladness?

Serving the LORD with gladness means engaging in worship and service with a joyful heart, recognizing the goodness of God.

Why is joy important in worship?

Joy is important in worship because it reflects our gratitude and appreciation for God's blessings and presence.

How can we approach God with joyful songs?

We can approach God with joyful songs by expressing our praise and thanksgiving through music and celebration, both in personal and communal settings.

What does it mean to come into His presence?

Coming into His presence means seeking a close relationship with God, entering into a space of worship and communion.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways can I serve the LORD joyfully in my daily life?
  2. How do I express my joy in worship, both personally and with others?
  3. What are some specific songs or expressions of joy that help me connect with God?
  4. How can I encourage others to approach God with gladness?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

The early church fathers often referenced this psalm to discuss the nature of joyful worship. Here are some quotations where they draw from this verse.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 100 354–430
"O serve the Lord with gladness" [Psalms 100:2]: he addresses you, whoever you are who endure all things in love, and rejoice in hope.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 100 →
Theodoret of CyrusCOMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 100:1 c. 393–460
“Serve the Lord with gladness,” for the kingship of our God and Savior has nothing of the harsh tyranny of the devil; rather, his lordship is mild and loving.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 100 →

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 100:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Serve the Lord with gladness,.... Not with a slavish fear, under a spirit of bondage, as the Jews under the legal dispensation; not in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the Spirit:

Read John Gill on Psalms 100 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 100 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.Ver. 2. Serve the Lord with gladness] The Cabbalists have a proverb, The Holy Ghost singeth not but out of a glad heart. Cheerfulness is much called for in both Testaments, God loveth a cheerful server.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 100 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 2. Serve the Lord with gladness] It is your privilege and duty to be happy in your religious worship. The religion of the true God is intended to remove human misery, and to make mankind happy. He whom the religion of Christ has not made happy does not understand that religion, or does not make a proper use of it.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 100 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. Serve] The homage of worship takes the place of the homage of submission (Psalms 2:11); and now the nations can draw near with joy instead of fear. singing] Cp. Psalms 95:1; Psalms 98:4.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 100 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Serve the Lord with gladness - That is, In your worship, and in all your acts of obedience. Let there be joy in this service.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 100 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

2. Serve the Lord with gladness—Different from “serve the Lord with fear,” Psalms 2:11.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 100 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Serve the LORD with gladness; come into His presence with joyful songs.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Serve Yahweh with gladness. Come before his presence with singing.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Serve the LORD with gladness; come into His presence with joyful songs.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Worship the Lord with joy! Enter his presence with joyful singing!

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Serve Jehovah with gladness: Come before his presence with singing.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Serue the Lord with gladnes: come before him with ioyfulnes.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Serve Jehovah with joy: come before his presence with exultation.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Serve Jehovah with joy, come before him with singing.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Serve YHWH with joy, come before Him with singing.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Serve the Lord with joy; come before his presence with triumphal song.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Serve Yahweh with gladness; come before his presence with joyful singing.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And I will understand in the unspotted way, when thou shalt come to me. I walked in the innocence of my heart, in the midst of my house.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with joyful songs!

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Give worship to the Lord with joy; come before him with a song.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clauseverbעִבְד֣וּservenoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)יְהוָ֣הYahwehprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּwithשִׂמְחָ֑הjoyclauseverbבֹּ֥אוּcomeprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְ֝beforenoun phraseפָנָ֗יpresenceוhimprepositional phrase · prepositionalבִּwithרְנָנָֽהa.cry.of.joy

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text reads, "עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־ יְהוָ֣ה בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה בֹּ֥אוּ לְ֝פָנָ֗יו בִּרְנָנָֽה׃" which translates to "Serve the LORD with gladness; come into His presence with joyful songs." The Septuagint has a similar structure, with 5 of the 7 words matching the Masoretic Text, but it presents them in a different order and includes its own articles. The Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q84) contain a fragment that includes the words for "serve," "LORD," "gladness," "come," and "joyful song," but some words are either partially restored or supplied by an editor, indicating that while the core meaning is preserved, the text is not fully intact. Overall, the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in meaning, while the Dead Sea Scrolls provide partial support for the same ideas with some textual differences.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־ יְהוָ֣ה בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה בֹּ֥אוּ לְ֝פָנָ֗יו בִּרְנָנָֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
עִבְד֣וּδουλεύσατεבְּשִׂמְחָ֑הεὐφροσύνῃבֹּ֥אוּεἰσέλθατεלְ֝פָנָ֗יוαὐτοῦבִּרְנָנָֽה׃ἀγαλλιάσει

5 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q84a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

עבדו [את] [יהוה] [בשמחה] באו [לפני׳ו] [ברננה]

1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 5 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Psalms 100:2עָבַדserveserveעָבַדאֵתthe object the object markאֵתיהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהשִׂמְחָהwith joywith joyשִׂמְחָהבּוֹאcomecomeבּוֹאפָּנֶהbefore himbefore himפָּנֶהרְנָנָהwith cries with cries of jרְנָנָהאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתהָיָהto beto beהָיָהשָׂמֵחַgladgladשָׂמֵחַפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהרוּןto overcomto overcomeרוּןבַּ֫עַלBaalBaalבַּ֫עַלעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאשָׂשׂוֹןrejoicingrejoicingשָׂשׂוֹןשָׂמַחto rejoiceto rejoiceשָׂמַחשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁסָתַרto hideto hideסָתַרנוּסto fleeto fleeנוּסשִׂמְחָהjoyjoyשִׂמְחָהבּוֹאLeboLeboבּוֹא
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Psalms 100:2

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

serve the object marker Yahweh with joy come before him with cries of joy
עִבְד֣וּ'iv.Du serve H5647 Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine plural
288× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To serve or work is the meaning of this verb, which can also imply slavery or bondage, as seen in the story of the Israelites in Egypt. It is used to describe various types of work or service, including serving God or other people. The word has different forms and meanings in different contexts.
Amplified meaning
worship, obey
Tyndale gloss
to serve
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָבַד (abad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to work or serve, encompassing a range of activities from laboring for others to serving God, including Levitical service. It can also refer to the cultivation of land or the act of enslaving. The word appears in various forms, indicating different nuances of service and labor.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָבַד 290 vb. work, serve

Qal

labour, work, do work

work for another, serve him by labour

serve as subjects

serve God

serve י׳ with Levitical service

Niph.

be tilled, of land

dub. cultivated field

Pu. worked

Hiph.

compel to labour as slaves

make to serve as subjects

cause to serve God

Hoph. be led or enticed to serve

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5647 עָבַד work, serve .. labour, work, do work

. work for another, serve him by labour

. serve as subjects

. serve God

. serve י׳ with Levitical service

. . be tilled, of land

. dub. cultivated field

. worked

. . compel to labour as slaves

. make to serve as subjects

. cause to serve God

. be led or enticed to serve

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5647 `abad aw-bad'

a primitive root; to work (in any sense); by implication, to

serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.:--X be, keep in

bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear,

execute, + husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass,

(cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become)

servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er), transgress (from

margin), (set a) work, be wrought, worshipper,

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָבַד (a.vad) — to serve.

: serve[someone]

1) to work, serve

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to labour, work, do work

1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour

1a3) to serve as subjects

1a4) to serve (God)

1a5) to serve (with Levitical service)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land)

1b2) to make oneself a servant

1c) (Pual) to be worked

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve

1d2) to cause to serve as subjects

1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve

עָבַד (a.vad) — to serve: minister.

: minister/serve[God/tabernacle/temple]/worship

1) to work, serve

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to labour, work, do work

1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour

1a3) to serve as subjects

1a4) to serve (God)

1a5) to serve (with Levitical service)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land)

1b2) to make oneself a servant

1c) (Pual) to be worked

1d) (Hiphil)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Impv-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine plural
HVqv2mp
serve the object marker Yahweh with joy come before him with cries of joy
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
serve the object marker Yahweh with joy come before him with cries of joy
יְהוָ֣הYah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, The covenant Name of God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
serve the object marker Yahweh with joy come before him with cries of joy
בְּשִׂמְחָ֑הbe.sim.Chah with joy H8057 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
94× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means joy or gladness, often used to describe a happy occasion or celebration, like a festival. It's used in the Bible to express God's joy and pleasure. In the KJV, it's translated as joy, gladness, or mirth.
Amplified meaning
joy, joyful celebration
Tyndale gloss
joy
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שִׂמְחָה (simchah) refers to joy, gladness, and mirth. It encompasses a range of meanings from general joyfulness to religious or festival-related happiness. The word is derived from שִׂמְחָה (H8056), which also relates to pleasure and rejoicing. The entries consistently highlight its positive connotations.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שִׂמְחָה 93 n.f. joy, gladness, mirth

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8057 שִׂמְחָה joy, gladness, mirth

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8057 simchah sim-khaw'

from 8056; blithesomeness or glee, (religious or

festival):--X exceeding(-ly), gladness, joy(-fulness), mirth,

pleasure, rejoice(-ing).

see HEBREW for 08056

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שִׂמְחָה (sim.chah) — joy.

1) joy, mirth, gladness

1a) mirth, gladness, joy, gaiety, pleasure

1b) joy (of God)

1c) glad result, happy issue

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HR/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

joi (simchah; chara):

1. Terms:

The idea of joy is expressed in the Old Testament by a wealth of synonymous terms that cannot easily be differentiated. The commonest is simchah (1Sa 18:6, etc.), variously translated in English Versions of the Bible "joy," "gladness," "mirth"; from sameah, properly "to be bright," "to shine" (Pr 13:9, "The light of the righteous rejoiceth," literally, "is bright"), but generally used figuratively "to rejoice," "be glad" (Le 23:40 and very frequent).

Other nouns are masos and sason, both from sus, properly "to spring," "leap," hence, "exult," "rejoice"; rinnah, "shouting." "joy"; gil, from verb gil or gul, "to go in a circle," hence, "be excited" (dancing round for joy), "rejoice." In the New…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Attributed to God De 28:63; 30:9; Jer 32:41

→ In heaven Lu 15:10-32

→ UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO De 12:18; 1Sa 2:1; 1Ch 16:27; 2Ch 7:10; Ezr 6:22; Ne 8:10,12; 12:43; Job 8:21; 22:21,26; 33:26; Ps 2:11; 4:7; 5:11; 9:2,14; 13:5; 14:7; 16:5,6,8,9,11; 17:15; 19:8; 20:5; 21:1,6; 28:7…

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- God gives

Ec 2:26; Ps 4:7

- Christ appointed to give

Isa 61:3

- Is a fruit of the Spirit

Ga 5:22

- The gospel, good tidings of

Lu 2:10,11

- God's word affords

Ne 8:12; Jer 15:16

- The gospel to be received with

1Th 1:6

- Promised to saints

Ps 132:16; Isa 35:10; 55:12; 56:7

- Prepared for saints

Ps 97:11

serve the object marker Yahweh with joy come before him with cries of joy
בֹּ֥אוּBo.'u come H935 Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine plural
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Amplified meaning
approach, enter
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

. . be brought in (of pers. and things)

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of

applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +

besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X

certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,

upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,

(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be

fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),

grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,

pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken

(in age), X surely, take (in), way.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Impv-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine plural
HVqv2mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kum: The translation of many Hebrew and Greek words. In the phrase "The Spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon him" (Jud 14:6,19; 15:14; 1Sa 10:10; 11:6; 16:13), the word is tsaleah; Jud 14:6; 15:14 "came mightily," which is the uniform translation of the Revised Version (British and American) (compare Jud 13:25 "to move," i.e. to disturb or stir up). In Jud 6:34; 1Ch 12:18; 2Ch 24:20, it is labhesh, "to clothe"; the Revised Version, margin "The Spirit .... clothed itself with Gideon" and .... "with Zechariah,"…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
serve the object marker Yahweh with joy come before him with cries of joy
לְ֝פָנָ֗יוle.fa.Nav before him H6440 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
2,127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.
Amplified meaning
before His face, into His sight
Tyndale gloss
face
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces

face, faces

presence, person

technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

face of seraphim

face of animals

face (= surface) of ground

as adv.loc. before

for other phrases

with prepositions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces

. . presence, person

. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

. face of seraphim

. face of animals

. face (= surface) of ground

. as adv. loc. before

. for other phrases

. with prepositions

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6440 paniym paw-neem'

plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh

{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);

used in a great variety of applications (literally and

figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a

preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),

against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),

+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,

face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er

time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +

honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +

meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,

open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,

presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right

forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,

X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.

: before/to/front

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.

: face

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cp | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
serve the object marker Yahweh with joy come before him with cries of joy
בִּרְנָנָֽה׃bir.na.Nah with cries of joy H7445 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
4× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a triumphant shout for joy, like the joyful singing in Psalm 100. It's about celebrating with a loud, ringing cry. In the Bible, it's often used to describe worship and praise.
Amplified meaning
triumphant, celebratory, singing, shouts of joy
Tyndale gloss
triumphing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רְנָנָה (rənānā) refers to a joyful shout or exultation. It is derived from the root word meaning to shout or sing, and encompasses expressions of joy and triumph. The entries highlight its use in contexts of joyful voices and singing, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רְנָנָה n.f. id. [t.de.ab]; exultation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7445 רְנָנָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7445 rnanah ren-aw-naw'

from 7442; a shout (for joy):--joyful (voice), singing,

triumphing.

see HEBREW for 07442

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רְנָנָה (re.na.nah) — triumphing.

ringing cry, shout (for joy)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HR/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

joi (simchah; chara):

1. Terms:

The idea of joy is expressed in the Old Testament by a wealth of synonymous terms that cannot easily be differentiated. The commonest is simchah (1Sa 18:6, etc.), variously translated in English Versions of the Bible "joy," "gladness," "mirth"; from sameah, properly "to be bright," "to shine" (Pr 13:9, "The light of the righteous rejoiceth," literally, "is bright"), but generally used figuratively "to rejoice," "be glad" (Le 23:40 and very frequent).

Other nouns are masos and sason, both from sus, properly "to spring," "leap," hence, "exult," "rejoice"; rinnah, "shouting." "joy"; gil, from verb gil or gul, "to go in a circle," hence, "be excited" (dancing round for joy), "rejoice." In the New…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Attributed to God De 28:63; 30:9; Jer 32:41

→ In heaven Lu 15:10-32

→ UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO De 12:18; 1Sa 2:1; 1Ch 16:27; 2Ch 7:10; Ezr 6:22; Ne 8:10,12; 12:43; Job 8:21; 22:21,26; 33:26; Ps 2:11; 4:7; 5:11; 9:2,14; 13:5; 14:7; 16:5,6,8,9,11; 17:15; 19:8; 20:5; 21:1,6; 28:7…

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- God gives

Ec 2:26; Ps 4:7

- Christ appointed to give

Isa 61:3

- Is a fruit of the Spirit

Ga 5:22

- The gospel, good tidings of

Lu 2:10,11

- God's word affords

Ne 8:12; Jer 15:16

- The gospel to be received with

1Th 1:6

- Promised to saints

Ps 132:16; Isa 35:10; 55:12; 56:7

- Prepared for saints

Ps 97:11

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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