Original Word: χαίρω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: chairó
Pronunciation: khah'-ee-ro
Phonetic Spelling: (khah'-ee-ro)
Definition: I rejoice, am glad; also a salutation: Hail.
Meaning: To rejoice, be glad, to delight in

Word Origin: A primary verb

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • H8055 שָׂמַח (samach): To rejoice, be glad
• H1523 גִּיל (gil): To rejoice, be glad
• H7442 רָנַן (ranan): To shout for joy, sing

These Hebrew terms reflect similar themes of joy and gladness found in the Old Testament, providing a rich background for understanding the New Testament usage of χαίρω. Together, they illustrate the continuity of joy as a central theme in the biblical narrative, from the rejoicing of Israel in God's deliverance to the joy of the early Christians in the salvation brought by Jesus Christ.

Usage: The verb χαίρω is used in the New Testament to express joy, gladness, or delight. It often conveys a sense of inner happiness or contentment, sometimes in response to a specific event or circumstance, and at other times as a general state of being.

Context: The Greek verb χαίρω (chairō) is a significant term in the New Testament, appearing frequently in various contexts to denote joy and rejoicing. This verb is foundational in understanding the Christian experience of joy, which is often depicted as a fruit of the Spirit and a response to the work of God in the life of believers.

χαίρω is used in both personal and communal contexts. For instance, in Philippians 4:4, Paul exhorts the believers, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (BSB). This command underscores the importance of joy as a continual and defining characteristic of the Christian life, rooted in the relationship with the Lord.

The term is also used in the context of greeting, as seen in James 1:1, where it is translated as "Greetings" (BSB). This usage reflects the cultural practice of expressing goodwill and joy upon meeting others.

χαίρω is not limited to positive circumstances; it is also used to describe the joy that believers can experience even in trials and suffering. In 1 Peter 4:13, believers are encouraged to "rejoice insofar as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory" (BSB). This highlights the paradoxical nature of Christian joy, which transcends external circumstances and is anchored in the hope of future glory.

Theologically, χαίρω is closely related to the concept of grace (χάρις, charis), as both share the same root. This connection emphasizes that Christian joy is a gift from God, enabled by His grace and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

5463 xaírō (from the root xar-, "favorably disposed, leaning towards" and cognate with 5485 /xáris, "grace") – properly, to delight in God's grace ("rejoice") – literally, to experience God's grace (favor), be conscious (glad) for His grace.

5463 /xaírō ("glad for grace") has a direct "etymological connection with xaris (grace)" (DNTT, 2, 356). S. Zodhiates (Dict, 1467) likewise comments that 5479 /xará ("joy") and 5485 /xáris ("grace") are cognate with 5463 /xaírō ("to rejoice"), i.e. all share the same root and therefore the same core (fundamental) meaning.

[The etymological link between 5463 /xaírō ("rejoice"), 5479 /xará ("joy") and 5485 /xáris ("grace") – i.e. that they are all cognates – is brought out by LS (p 1,976), Zod (Dict), CBL, Wigram's Englishman's Greek Concordance (Ed. Ralph Winters), Word Study Greek-English NT (Tyndale, Ed. Paul McReynolds); see also DNTT (2,356) and TDNT (9; 359,60).

TDNT likewise groups them as cognates, referring to 5479 (xará) as the noun-form (nomen actionis) and discussing them separately in terms of their distinctive connotations.]

Word Origin
a prim. verb
Definition
to rejoice, be glad
NASB Translation
am glad (1), glad (7), gladly (1), greeted* (1), greeting (2), greetings (4), hail (4), joyfully (1), make (1), rejoice (33), rejoiced (8), rejoices (2), rejoicing (10).

STRONGS NT 5463: χαίρω

χαίρω; imperfect ἔχαιρον; future χαρήσομαι (Luke 1:14; John 16:20, 22; Philippians 1:18, for the earlier form καιρήσω, cf. (Winers Grammar, 90 (86); Buttmann, 68 (60)); Alexander Buttmann (1873) Ausf. Spr. ii. 322f; Matthiae, § 255, under the word; Kühner, § 343 under the word; Krüger, § 40, under the word; (Veitch, under the word)), once χάρω (Revelation 11:10 Rec., a form occurring nowhere else); 2 aorist (passive as active) ἐχάρην (cf. συγχαίρω, at the beginning); from Homer down; the Sept. for שָׂמַח, גִּיל, שׂוּשׂ; to rejoice, be glad;

a. in the properly, and strict sense: (Mark 14:11); Luke 15:5,(32); ; John 4:36; John 8:56; John 20:20; Acts 5:41; Acts 8:39; Acts 11:23; Acts 13:48; 2 Cor. (); (some refer this to b. in the sense of farewell); Philippians 2:17, 28; Colossians 2:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:16; 1 Peter 4:13; 3 John 1:3; opposed to κλαίειν, Romans 12:15; 1 Corinthians 7:30; opposed to κλαίειν καί θρηνεῖν, John 16:20; opposed to λύπην ἔχειν, ibid. ; joined with ἀγαλλίασθαι, Matthew 5:12; Revelation 19:7; with σκιρταν, Luke 6:23; χαίρειν ἐν κυρίῳ (see ἐν, L 6 b, p. 211b middle (cf. Buttmann, 185 (161))), Philippians 3:1; Philippians 4:4, 10; χαίρειν χαράν μεγάλην (cf. χαρά, a.), to rejoice exceedingly, Matthew 2:10; also χαρά χαίρειν (Winers Grammar, § 54, 3; Buttmann, § 133, 22), John 3:29: ἡ χαρά ἡ χαίρομεν, 1 Thessalonians 3:9; χαίρειν ἐπί with a dative of the object, Matthew 18:13; Luke 1:14; Luke 13:17; Acts 15:31 Romans 16:19 L T Tr WH; 1 Corinthians 13:6; 1 Corinthians 16:17; 2 Corinthians 7:13; Revelation 11:10 (Xenophon, mem. 2, 6, 35; Cyril 8, 4, 12; Plato, legg. 5, p. 739 d.; cf. Kühner, § 425 Anm. 6; (Winers Grammar, § 33 a.; Buttmann, § 133, 23); in the Greek writings generally with a simple dative of the object as Proverbs 17:19); διά τί, John 3:29; διά τινα, John 11:15; 1 Thessalonians 3:9; ἐν τούτῳ, Philippians 1:18; (ἐν ταῖς παθήμασι μου, Colossians 1:24); with an accusative of the object, τό αὐτό, Philippians 2:18 (ταῦτα, Demosthenes, p. 323, 6; cf. Matthiae, § 414, p. 923; Krüger, § 46, 5, 9); τό ἐφ' ὑμῖν (see ὁ, II. 8, p. 436a), Romans 16:19 R G; ἀπό τίνος, equivalent to χαράν ἔχειν, to derive joy from one, 2 Corinthians 2:3; ἐχάρητε followed by ὅτι, John 14:28; 2 Corinthians 7:9, 16; 2 John 1:4; ἐν τούτῳ, Luke 10:20; with a dative of the cause: τῇ ἐλπίδι χαίροντες, let the hope of future blessedness give you joy, Romans 12:12 (yet cf. Winer's Grammar, § 31, 1 k., 7d.).

b. in a broader sense, to be well, to thrive; in salutations, the imperative χαῖρε, "Hail!" Latinsalve (so from Homer down): Matthew 26:49; Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:18; Luke 1:28; John 19:3; plural χαίρετε (A. V. all hail), Matthew 28:9; at the beginning of letters the infinitive χαίρειν (namely, λέγει or κελευει): Acts 15:23; Acts 23:26; James 1:1 (often in the books of Maccabees; cf. Grimm on 1 Macc. 10:18; Otto in the Jahrbb. f. deutsch. Theol. for 1867, p. 678ff; cf. Hilgenfeld, Galaterbrief, p. 99ff; Xenophon, Cyril 4, 5, 27; Aelian v. h. 1, 25); fully, χαίρειν λέγω, to give one greeting, salute, 2 John 1:10 (11). (Compare: συνχαίρω.)

farewell, be glad, God speed, rejoice.

A primary verb; to be "cheer"ful, i.e. Calmly happy or well-off; impersonally, especially as salutation (on meeting or parting), be well -- farewell, be glad, God speed, greeting, hall, joy(- fully), rejoice.

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