חָגַג
cha.gag (H2287)
to celebrate
AI Word Study
# The Hebrew Word חָגַג (chagag): Celebration in Ancient Israel The Hebrew verb חָגַג (chagag) carries the fundamental meaning "to celebrate," functioning as an action word that describes the practice of marking significant occasions with formal observance. With sixteen occurrences across the biblical text, this word appears with sufficient frequency to indicate it represents an established and important concept in ancient Israelite religious and social life. The verb's presence throughout the biblical corpus suggests that celebration—as a deliberate, structured activity—held meaningful value in the culture that produced these texts. The lexical data provided here establishes only the basic semantic range: chagag denotes the act of celebrating itself. Without access to specific contextual examples or grammatical variations, the full scope of how this celebration functioned—whether it involved feasting, dancing, pilgrimage, or other specific practices—remains beyond what this lexicon entry alone can demonstrate. What can be affirmed is that the biblical writers possessed a dedicated verb to express the concept of celebration, indicating this was a recognized and distinguishable human activity worthy of its own linguistic designation in ancient Hebrew.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’ ”
This day shall be a memorial for you. You shall keep it as a feast to Yahweh. You shall keep it as a feast throughout your generations by an ordinance forever.
“You shall observe a feast to me three times a year.
“ ‘So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruits of the land, you shall keep the feast of Yahweh seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest.
You shall keep it as a feast to Yahweh seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations. You shall keep it in the seventh month.
“ ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work. You shall keep a feast to Yahweh seven days.
You shall keep a feast to Yahweh your God seven days in the place which Yahweh chooses, because Yahweh your God will bless you in all your increase and in all the work of your hands, and you shall be altogether joyful.
When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread around over all the ground, eating, drinking, and dancing, because of all the great plunder that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to God’s house, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day.
They reel back and forth, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, Judah! Perform your vows, for the wicked one will no more pass through you. He is utterly cut off.
It will happen that everyone who is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Yahweh of Armies, and to keep the feast of booths.
If the family of Egypt doesn’t go up, and doesn’t come, neither will it rain on them. This will be the plague with which Yahweh will strike the nations that don’t go up to keep the feast of booths.
This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that don’t go up to keep the feast of booths.