As a follow-up to my previous blog entry, I felt as though I should do an analysis of the most common Hebrew word that is translated with English words in the “joy,” “rejoice,” “be glad” family. That is, the Hebrew verb שׂמח (samach). I am again focusing on occurrences of the term in the Psalms, though I will also look outside the Psalter. The word occurs 52 times in the Psalms, and it is alternately translated with “rejoice” and “be glad.” Samach often occurs in parallel to גיל (gil), or “rejoice,” which we studied previously. There is some overlap in their meaning, but samach has a wider range of meaning, which makes sense because of its more frequent usage (think of the English word “take,” which is used all the time and has multiple nuanced meanings: “take a picture,” “how should I take his actions towards me,” etc.).
As with “rejoice” in the previous study, “be glad” seems to me to have a weak power of expression. To say someone is “glad” about something needs qualifying. There are different levels of gladness. I think that when we read the expression “be glad,” or “gladden,” in biblical texts, it needs filling out. For example, what lies behind the English in Ps 58:10 when it says, “The righteous will rejoice/be glad when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.” (ESV, modified and emphasis added)? Or in Ps 104:14-15, where samach is used in a much different context: “You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.” (ESV, emphasis added)? Is “rejoice,” or “be glad,” the best translation? I think the English expressions “be satisfied” and “relieve” (or “ease”) are more concrete English expressions of the Hebrew verb in these verses, respectively.
Translating samach this way does find support in other places in the Bible. One example is Isa 55:12:
“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (ESV, emphasis added).
“Joy” (i.e., samach) is parallel to “peace” (i.e., shalom) here. In Hebrew poetry, when terms occur in parallel, as they do in Isa 55:12, the terms are often similar in meaning. That is, Hebrew poetry restates the idea of the first line with slightly different language in the second line. Isa 55:12 provides some support for understanding samach as equivalent to “relieve,” or “ease,” here (i.e. “For you shall go out in ease . . . ,” or “For you shall go forth without anxiety . . . ,” or something similar).
Another example comes from Deut 14:26:
“[S]pend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household” (ESV, emphasis added).
“Rejoice” works, but the nuance of the usage suggests that they should eat a feast of thanksgiving and relax—they should put themselves at ease before the Lord.
My next example comes from Deut 24:5:
“When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken” (ESV, emphasis added).
Here samach occurs in parallel to “be free” (naqi), which suggests there is a sense of laxity, or relief. The man is released from public duties so that he can settle into his marriage.
My last supporting example comes from Judg 9:19:
“[I]f you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you” (ESV, emphasis added).
The backstory is that Abimelech persuaded the leaders of Shechem to make him king, which gave him the confidence and backing to go kill all his brothers (all 70 of the other sons of Jerubbaal, except Jotham, who had hidden during the massacre, and who is speaking in v. 19). Jotham is asking whether or not the leaders of Shechem dealt fairly with Jerubbaal and his house by installing Abimelech as king. If so, they should “rejoice” in Abimelech, and he in them. “Rejoice,” or “be glad,” works, but the connotation seems to be a question of whether or not they are satisfied, or content, with their choice of Abimelech.
The examples above are the strongest cases for the nuance of samach that I’m arguing for. Even if I’m right though, these usages don’t mean all cases of samach can be translated with the sense “be relieved,” or “be satisfied,” or something similar. This is clear from 1 Kgs 1:40. Here samach requires a translation like “celebrate,” or “rejoice” (there was so much celebrating that the “earth was split by their noise” ESV). Nevertheless, as discussed above, there is evidence that “relieve,” or “be satisfied,” or “put at ease,” is also included in samach‘s range of meaning.
Returning to Pss 58 and 104, mentioned above, if “relieve,” or “be satisfied,” or “put at ease,” are substituted for “be glad” in those verses, it makes good sense: “The righteous will be relieved/satisfied/put at ease when he sees vengeance”; “wine to relieve/satisfy/ease the human heart.” Sometimes “be glad,” or “make merry,” or something in the “rejoice” family of words is going to be the best translation; nevertheless, I think discussing this language will help to draw attention to how we think of “joy” and “gladness.”
For samach‘s usage elsewhere in the Psalms, I obviously can’t discuss each occurrence of שׂמח in this post, and nobody would want that, but a review of some other passages where my suggested translation (i.e., “relieve,” or “be satisfied,” or “put at ease,”) applies may help to make my point—the proof is in the pudding after all.
In Ps 46:1-7 we read,
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah (ESV, emphasis added).
“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” On the front side of this phrase in the verses above we find roaring waters. This is contrasted with the streams that make the city of God “glad.” How do streams make something glad? I’m reminded of the “still” or “quiet” waters of Ps 23. Roaring waters are fearful, but streams of water are more peaceful. They can be used for drinking, cooking, cleansing, and other necessities. The streams of the river flowing into the city of God are said to make the city “glad”; however, given the nuance of samach observed above, another possible translation might be that the streams “relieve” the city. The streams make the city glad by promoting peace: needs are met and the people don’t have to go outside the city, where the nations rage, to bring water back. The river is obviously a metaphor for the calm safety that the people of God enjoy within the city where God lives. The raging waters, on the other hand, represent the “raging,” or roaring (same Hebrew verb used of the waters and nations), nations outside of the city of God. There is a picture of peaceful cheer within the city despite the raging without because God lives in the city with his people.
My other example comes from Ps 67:4. Here we read,
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah (ESV, emphasis added).
Often in the Psalms the nations are said to be opposed to the Lord (e.g., Pss 2, 33:10, 44:2, 46), or the psalmists of the various psalms request the Lord to bring judgment upon the nations (e.g., Pss 9, 10, 79). On the other hand, praises are sung among the nations (e.g., 57, 96, 108), and there are calls for the nations to worship the Lord as we see here in Ps 67 (cf. also 2:11, 72:11). In Ps 67 the psalmist prays that the Lord will bless Israel so that his way may be known on the earth. That is, the psalmist wants God’s blessings upon Israel to be clearly visible to any nation that observes Israel. He also wants the nations to see and add their voices to the Israelites’ in praising God. This is in stark contrast to other mentions of the nations in the Psalter. In other instances where the nations are in view, they show themselves to be hostile (cf. e.g., Pss 9:15; 79:1, 10; 83:4). Their joining in the praises of Israel requires that they lay down their arms. Because of the hostility of the nations elsewhere in the Psalter, I think the picture in Ps 67:4 is one of relinquishment. The psalmist is praying that the nations will “be glad” and join in the praises of Israel to their God. “Rejoice,” or “be glad” is a good translation, but I do think it should be colored with a sense of submissive contentment, not necessarily festive celebration. This picture is observed also in Ps 2:10-12:
Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him (ESV, emphasis added).
In Ps 2:10-12 the kings and rulers of the nations are called to “rejoice with trembling.” This seems quite close to what Ps 67 means. The language of judgment and fear in Ps 67 (vv. 4 and 7) is thematically parallel to these verses from Ps 2. The nations, in Ps 67, should fear the Lord because of his righteous judgments, which they can be spared if they join in praising him as the just ruler of the world.
In conclusion, I want to make it clear that I am not saying that “be glad” and “rejoice” are wrong or bad translations, but I wanted to explore the different nuances of “be glad” and “rejoice.” For samach, I think we should allow for “relieve,” or “be satisfied,” or “put at ease,” or a similar expression; however, there are instances where this nuance is simply not the sense samach carries. This translation issue is important because it helps us understand how we should “be glad” or “rejoice.” The different senses of samach point us to different ways of expressing our gladness or joy. We should express our joy according to the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Joy does take different forms. We shouldn’t always walk around with a smile on our faces if we don’t feel like it. That’s called faking it. We can have a more deep-seated joy. One that can both feel the thrill of a victory (as discussed in part I), or one that can feel submissive contentment in God’s providence. Sometimes we don’t feel either, and we can only pray: “Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul” (Ps 86:4, ESV).
Brian P. Baucom 