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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Delight
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dē̇-lı̄t´ (verb, חפץ, hÌ£aÌ„pheÌ„c, רצה, raÌ„caÌ„h, ש××¢×¢, shā‛a‛; συνηÌδομαι, suneÌ„Ìdomai): “To delight†is most frequently expressed by hÌ£aÌ„pheÌ„c, which means originally “to bend†(compare , “He moveth his tailâ€), hence, “to incline to,†“take pleasure in.†It is used of God's pleasure in His people (; ; , etc.), and in righteousness, etc. (; ; , etc.), also of man's delight in God and His will (; ; the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American), “There is none upon earth that I desire besides theeâ€), and in other objects (; ; ; ); shā‛a‛, “to stroke,†“caress,†“be fond of,†occurs in , “Thy comforts delight my soulâ€; , , , “I will delight myself in thy statutes.†Similarly, Paul says (), “I delight (suneÌ„domai) in (margin, the Revised Version (British and American) “Greek withâ€) the law of God after the inward man.†This is the only occurrence of the word in the New Testament.
“To delight one's self†(in the Lord) is represented chiefly by ‛ānagh (; ; , ; ).
Delight (noun), chiefly hÌ£eÌ„phec (; ; ), raÌ„coÌ„n (, ; 12, 22; ), sha‛ăshū‛ı̄m (, , , , ; , ). the Revised Version (British and American) has “delight†for “desire†(; ; ), for “observe,†different reading (), “no delight in†for “smell in†(), “delightest in me†for “favorest me†(), “his delight shall be in†(m “Hebrew 'scent'â€) for “of quick understanding†().
The element of joy, of delight in God and His law and will, in the Hebrew religion is noteworthy as being something which we are apt to fall beneath even in the clearer light of Christianity.