Valorous

Joy - Fruit of the Spirit

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Season 2, episode 2, we talk all about the fruit of the Spirit quality of Joy.

The second fruit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 is joy. In this episode we deep dive into the Hebrew understanding of the fruit of the Spirit of joy, or sason. There are many words that can be used, but based on our study, this one seems to fit well!

Referenced Material:

The Rational Bible - Dennis Prager

Shem Tov, The Hebrew Gospel of Matthew - George Howard physical book 

Shem Tov Hebrew Gospel of Matthew free PDF download

Notes:

Sason, Simeach, and Rinah

(שָׂשׂוֹן, שָׂמַח, רִנָּה) 

‘Joy’

Though they look much the same in Strongs, the rabbinic sources generally understand simcha as ‘happiness’ and sason as ‘joy’

 

Strongs translates שָׂשׂוֹן as:

  • joy (15x), gladness (3x), mirth (3x), rejoicing (1x).
  • 1 gladness, joy, exultation, rejoicing
    • A) exultation, joy
  • Also associated with welcome and restoration, as שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן (“Oil of Gladness”) was used to anoint the bridegroom, but also promised as an end to mourning (Isaiah 61:3)
  • Rabbinic sources typically understand Sason as “Joy”

    • Strongs translates שָׂמַח as:

    • rejoice (95x), glad (45x), joy (5x), joyful (2x), merry (2x), miscellaneous (3x).
  • to rejoice, be glad
    • (Qal)
      • to rejoice
  • to rejoice (arrogantly), exult (at)
  • to rejoice (religiously)
  • (Piel) to cause to rejoice, gladden, make glad
  • (Hiphil) to cause to rejoice, gladden, make glad
  • Rabbinic sources typically understand Samach as “Happiness”
  • Related to the Assyrian “Samachu” meaning to flourish.

    • Strongs translates רִנָּה as:

    • cry (12x), singing (9x), rejoicing (3x), joy (3x), gladness (1x), proclamation (1x), shouting (1x), sing (1x), songs (1x), triumph (1x).
  • Rabbinic sources typically understand Rinah as a prayer, a cry, or a proclamation.
  • “the mountains y’RaNainu together — RiNah connotes prayer, as is written (1 Kings 8:28), ‘Hearken to the rinah and to the prayer.’” (Likutei Mohran 5:7) Yet turn, O LORD my God, to the prayer and supplication of Your servant, and hear the cry and prayer which Your servant offers before You this day. (1 Kings 8:28)
  • For this reason, even though many Bibles translate Rinah as singing, rejoicing, etc, we will focus our attention on Samach and Sason

    •  

    Sason and Samach – Twin Sisters?

     

    Apropos [Isaiah 12:3], the Gemara relates: There were these two heretics, one named Sason and one named Simḥa. Sason said to Simḥa: I am superior to you, as it is written: “They shall obtain joy [sason] and happiness [simḥa], and sorrow and sighing shall flee” (Isaiah 35:10). The verse mentions joy first. Simḥa said to Sason, On the contrary, I am superior to you, as it is written: “There was happiness [simḥa] and joy [sason] for the Jews” (Esther 8:17). Sason said to Simḥa: One day they will dismiss you and render you a messenger [parvanka], as it is written: “For you shall go out with happiness [simḥa]” (Isaiah 55:12). Simḥa said to Sason: One day they will dismiss you and draw water with you, as it is written: “With joy [sason] you shall draw water.” (Sukkah 48b)



    Usage and lessons of the word from scriptures:

    • First (and thematic) use of Samach:
      • Then the anger of Adonai was kindled against Moses, so He said, “In fact, Aaron the Levite is your brother. I know that he can speak well. Moreover, he is on his way to meet you! When he sees you, he will be samach in his heart. (Exodus 4:14) 
        • This means samach is a natural response to felicitous circumstances.
  • On the first day you are to take choice fruit of trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and rejoice before Adonai your God for seven days. (Leviticus 23:40) 
    • We are commanded to have gladdened hearts during Sukkoth. This suggests that samach is a feeling we can kindle in ourselves. A gratitude or joy that we choose to feel.
  • “There you and your households will eat before Adonai your God and rejoice in every undertaking of your hand, as Adonai your God has blessed you.” (Deuteronomy 12:7)
  • “So you will rejoice before Adonai your God in the place Adonai your God chooses to make His Name dwell…” (Deuteronomy 16:11)
  • References to samach abound throughout the Deuteronomy, either as promises that we will be samach, or commands to samach.  It seems that samach is connected to a conditional response or a choice.  
    • Usage in the Psalms: 
    • I will be glad and esmecha in Your (chesed), for You saw my affliction. You knew the troubles of my soul. (Psalm 31:7)
  • For I said: “Don’t let them yismechu over me or exalt themselves over me, when my foot slips.” (Psalm 38:16)
  • But the king will rejoice in God.
  • All who swear by Him will yismach, when the mouth speaking lies is shut. (Psalm 63:12

    •  

    • First (and thematic) use of Sason:
      • Root “sus” is seen as early as Deuteronomy:
  • “Now just as Adonai sas over you to do you good and to multiply you, so Adonai will yasis over you to ruin and destroy you; and you will be uprooted from the land that you are going in to possess.” (Deuteronomy 28:63)
    • “Adonai your God will make you prosper in all the work of your hand—in the fruit of your womb, and the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your soil—for good. For Adonai will again Lasus over you for good, as He sas over your fathers…” (Deuteronomy 30:9)
    • “…who are filled with gladness (hasmechim) and yasisu when finding the grave?” (Job 3:22) 
      • This suggests that sason is connected with things being in their right place, or fulfilled to a degree of finality or rest.
  • The form “sason” is seen later in the scriptures:
  • “Let me hear sason and simcha, so the bones You crushed may rejoice… Restore to me the sison of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:10, 14)
  • “…to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of sason for mourning,…” (Isaiah 61:3)
    • David seems to treat sason as a result of a fruitful search.  Joy as a result of obtaining or possessing a desired result or object. Most often as a man who has been satisfied in relation to the Lord. It is a natural outflow of joy, and it is bestowed by the Lord

    •  

    New Covenant 

      • “Sisu and simchu, for your reward in heaven is great! For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:12,) (Howard, 1995)
  • “chairo and agalliao, for your reward in heaven is great! For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:12)
    • Comparing Shem Tov’s Hebrew gospel of Matthew, we see that Matthew 5 is understood this way:
    • Sason = Chairo
    • Samach = Agalliasis 

     

    • “And you will have chairo and agalliasis, and many will rejoice at his birth.” (Luke 1:14)
  • “Day by day they continued with one mind, spending time at the Temple and breaking bread from house to house. They were sharing meals with agalliasis and sincerity of heart” (Acts 2:46)
  • “But the fruit of the Ruach (Spirit) is love, chairo, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control—against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Messiah have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galations 5:22-24)

    •  

    Reference Material

    Clark, M. (1999). Etymological dictionary of Biblical Hebrew. Jerusalem, Israel: Feldheim Publishers.

    Howard, G. (1995). Hebrew Gospel of Matthew. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.

    Schlimm, M. R. (2018). 70 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

    Strong, J. (2022, June 9). H2617 - ḥeseḏ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from Blue Letter Bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2617/kjv/wlc/ss0/0-1



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    ValorousBy Taharah Katherine
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