חֶדְוָה
ched.vah (H2304)
joy
AI Word Study
# Hedvah: A Rare Hebrew Term for Joy The Hebrew word *hedvah* denotes joy or gladness and appears only twice in the biblical text. This scarcity makes it difficult to establish a comprehensive understanding of its semantic range based solely on frequency and distribution. The word belongs to the family of Hebrew joy terminology but represents one of the less common expressions for this emotional state in scripture. Because *hedvah* occurs only twice, its usage patterns cannot be definitively mapped from the available data. The limited attestation suggests it may have carried a specific nuance or been preferred in particular contexts, though the provided lexicon entry does not clarify what distinguished it from other joy-related terms in Hebrew. Its rarity in biblical literature indicates it was not among the most frequently employed words for expressing happiness or gladness, in contrast to more common alternatives that appear dozens or hundreds of times throughout the biblical corpus.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and gladness are in his place.
Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.”