Cheer, Cheerfulness
Cheer, Cheerfulness
cher, cherfool-nes: The English word cheer meant (1) originally face, countenance (Greek , kara, head, through Old French, chere, face), (2) Then the expression on the face, especially (3) The expression of good spirits, and finally (4) good spirits, without any reference to the facial expression. The noun cheer in English Versions of the Bible is only found with adjective good (except 1 Esdras 9:54, great cheer), the word not having quite lost its earlier neutral character (any face expression, whether joyous or otherwise). In Old Testament, , tobh, is translated cheer, let thy heart cheer thee (see GOOD); , sameah, to rejoice is so translated in Deu 24:5, shall cheer his wife (the King James Version cheer up his wife), and Jdg 9:13, wine, which cheereth God (‘elohm) and man. The phrase of good cheer occurs in Old Testament in Job 9:27 (the King James Version comfort); in Apocrypha, 1 Esdras 9:54; The Wisdom of Solomon 18:6; Baruch 4:5, 30; Sirach 18:32 the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) luxury); in New Testament for Greek euthumeo, euthumos, in Act 27:22, Act 27:25, Act 27:36, and for tharseo in Mat 9:2, Mat 9:22. (the King James Version comfort); Mat 14:27; Mar 6:50; Mar 10:49 (RV; comfort in the King James Version); Joh 16:33; Act 23:11. Cheer as verb transitive occurs in Ecc 11:9; Deu 24:5; Jdg 9:13.
Cheerful occurs in Pro 15:13, Pro 15:15 (the King James Version merry); Zec 8:19; Zec 9:17 the King James Version; Sirach 30:25; 2Co 9:7.
Cheerfully, Act 24:10.
Cheerfulness, Rom 12:8.