Rejoice?

Ps 2:11—”Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (ESV).

“Rejoice” is a fairly common word in the Bible. In the NRSV, the English word “rejoice” occurs 280 times. This number is reduced to 268 occurrences in the KJV. It is further reduced to 233 in the ESV. In the ESV, the word “rejoice” is used in the Psalms more than twice the number of times compared to the biblical book with the next most occurrences (i.e., Isaiah). The English word actually translates several different Hebrew terms, which partly explains why there is a difference in the number of occurrences of the word “rejoice” in English Bibles (i.e., versions differ in how consistently they render a given Hebrew word, or they consistently use a different English equivalent for a given Hebrew word). The Hebrew root underlying “rejoice” in Ps 2:11 is גיל (also, for those interested, the word nagila in the song “Hava Nagila” [i.e., “Let’s rejoice”] is derived from this same Hebrew root). This root itself occurs 19 times in the Psalms, which is the second most common root with a similar meaning in the Psalms (שׂמח, “be glad,” occurs more frequently). If you’re like me, and I suppose there are at least a goodly number, then the common use of a word may tend to diminish its power of expression. For me, this seems especially true for “rejoice.” Moreover, usages range from describing something your bones can feel (Ps 51:8) to describing something the earth/ground does (Ps 96:11), which seems to require some explanation.

Most of the time, when I hear the word “rejoice,” I think of something one does with their mouth. Maybe someone shouts in victory: “That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!” Or, maybe someone’s excitement bubbles over in uncontrollable laughter. Another image that comes to my mind is someone that appears to be in hysterics. They’ve won a contest. Anyone who sees them might say they’re “freakin’ out,” or something similar. In normal speech, however, we probably wouldn’t say in any of these cases that the people we observe are “rejoicing.” We would probably say “they’re excited,” “they’re giddy,” and “they’re freakin’ out,” respectively. So where does “rejoice” come in? In my experience, “rejoice” seems to be reserved for the religious sphere. Although I do occasionally read/hear “rejoice” in non-religious writing/speech, it often sounds out of place (at least to me). This brings me to my curiosity in the word as pertains to its meaning in biblical texts. I think it is a useful word because it seems to cover a broader range of meaning than some other words that we use in other contexts to convey excitement or happiness. (Or perhaps we can assign it a more nuanced meaning than other words we use more frequently in other aspects of life.) However, because it seems to occur less frequently in other spheres of life, we don’t have a clear referent from experience to direct our minds into what the biblical text may mean when the psalmist, for instance, commands the kings/judges of the earth to “rejoice with trembling.” So what does it mean?

To sum up the problem, on the one hand, we have the relatively common use of the word “rejoice” in biblical texts. On the other hand, using the word “rejoice” is seemingly reserved for religious talk. For me, these conditions make for an unclear meaning when I see the term in the Bible. Should I literally shout? Is it necessarily an external display? How can one’s bones do these things (as in Ps 51:8)?What is it to rejoice? As I’ve reflected on this, I think part of the problem is my own personal lack of capacity to “rejoice,” which I have created by limiting myself to small joys. Sadly, one of the things that most stirs me is cheering for my sports teams. It is a totally vacuous pursuit. However, I think the thrill of sports competition does provide a starting point for understanding what the Psalms mean when they say “rejoice.” I think the feeling of your team winning is a relatable experience to what biblical rejoicing feels like from the perspective of the Psalter, especially if you’re really invested in your team’s success. As I said, I wouldn’t refer to it as “rejoicing,” but I think it is close to what the biblical usage of “rejoice” may get at—at least when the Hebrew word גיל is used. Often in the Psalms the Hebrew word גיל is used in contexts where some sort of victory, or salvation, is in view. I don’t want to belabor the point by going through each occurrence of the word in the various psalms, but perhaps two will give a good sense of the contexts in which גיל is used.

“I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD. I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place.” (Ps 31:6-8 ESV)

“Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute on them the judgment written! This is honor for all his godly ones. Praise the LORD!” (Ps 149:2-9 ESV)

In Ps 31 there is deliverance from the enemy. In Ps 149 vengeance is dealt to the nations. The ones rejoicing are those who have been delivered by God, the King. The victory is much more significant than a sports match. The victors come away with their lives. It may seem savage, but that was their culture. Battles were common. When they defeated the enemy, there was reason to celebrate. That sort of life is difficult for many Westerners to imagine, which is why I think sports competition is a relatable analogy. If there is a particular team you hate, or for which you harbor a severe dislike, then the feeling of your team defeating them is remotely similar to victory in battle.

If “rejoicing” is generally done to celebrate a victory over the enemy, then what can we make of Ps 51:8: “Make me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you broke rejoice.” How can broken bones be made to rejoice? Are the bones overcoming anything? In a sense, yes. In v. 4, David confesses that he has been God’s enemy: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done evil in your sight, so that you are justified when you speak and blameless when you judge.” In Ps 38:3, also attributed to David, he describes the feeling of sin: “There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin” (ESV). In Ps 51:7-8, David is asking the Lord to give him victory over his sin. He desires the feeling of victory in his bones, which sin has sapped. He wants to overcome his sin, which he knows only God can do (v. 7, 9).

Rejoicing is indeed a feeling, but it’s a feeling that often produces words or actions of praise for its object. So when the psalmist tells the kings/judges of the nations to “rejoice with trembling” in Ps 2:11, he is inviting them to submit to the Lord who will ultimately be the victor so that they too can rejoice in the end. I find the adverbial phrase “with trembling” to be incredibly humbling. The kings and judges are invited to rejoice with Yahweh, the victor, but with the awareness that they were at one time his enemy. Rejoice! But you should also tremble because you were very nearly on the receiving end of God’s rod of judgment.