שָׂמַח sâmach — probably to brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome

pronounced saw-makh' · Strong's H8055 · 155 occurrences in the Hebrew Bible · 3 stems: Qal (Pa'al), Pi'el, Hiph'il

Translated in the KJV as cheer up, be glad, (have, make) joy, be merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice, × very.

a primitive root; probably to brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome.

sâmach in each stem

Qal (Pa'al) 127×

Simple · active — the plain action; the subject does it

Imperfect (yiqtol) 49Wayyiqtol 20Sequential perfect (weqatal) 12Imperative 12Perfect (qatal) 12Jussive 10Cohortative 7Infinitive construct 5

וְשָׂמַ֥ח Exod 4:14 Sequential perfect (weqatal), 3rd person masculine singular

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. (KJV)

וּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם Lev 23:40 Sequential perfect (weqatal), 2nd person masculine plural

And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. (KJV)

וּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם Deut 12:7 Sequential perfect (weqatal), 2nd person masculine plural

And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee. (KJV)

Pi'el 27×

Intensive · active — the action intensified, repeated or brought about; the subject does it

Imperfect (yiqtol) 10Perfect (qatal) 9Imperative 3Participle (active) 2Sequential perfect (weqatal) 1Infinitive absolute 1Wayyiqtol 1

וְשִׂמַּ֖ח Deut 24:5 Sequential perfect (weqatal), 3rd person masculine singular

When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken. (KJV)

הַֽמְשַׂמֵּ֥חַ Judg 9:13 Participle (active), masculine singular

And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? (KJV)

שִׂמְּחָ֥ם 2Chr 20:27 Perfect (qatal), 3rd person masculine singular

Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. (KJV)

Hiph'il 1×

Causative · active — causing someone or something to do the action; the subject does it

Perfect (qatal) 1

הִ֝שְׂמַ֗חְתָּ Ps 89:43 Perfect (qatal), 2nd person masculine singular

Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle. (KJV)

What the stems mean

A Hebrew verb is its root letters set into a pattern. The pattern — the binyan — is the grammar's way of saying three things at once: whether the action is simple, intensive or causative, and whether its subject is active, passive or reflexive. That is why one Hebrew word can need six English ones. All seven binyanim, explained ›

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In the app, tap any Hebrew verb while reading: its root, stem and form are named, the letters of the word itself are coloured to show which is which, and the stem's meaning is put in plain English. sâmach in the lexicon ›

Morphology from OpenScriptures MorphHB (CC BY 4.0); definitions from Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (public domain); text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex.

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