What Does Luke 1:14 Mean in the King James?
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Greek ties “joy” and “rejoice” to one root, so joy is not only felt here, it moves outward among many.
THE MEANING
A life arriving can bring gladness beyond the household that welcomes it. The verse presents joy as something shared, before the child has achieved or proved anything.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It loosens the belief that joy must be earned through achievement: here, many rejoice simply because a child is born.
THE ROOT
χαρά
chara
GROWS FROM
χαιρ- (from χαίρω, chairō)
to rejoice, be glad
“joy / rejoice” in this verse is chara. English gives “joy” and “rejoice” different forms, but Greek χαρά (chara, joy) and χαρήσονται (charēsontai, they will rejoice) belong to the same word family. The root links the inward gladness to its outward expression, while “many” shows that expression spreading among people.
ALSO GROWS
chairō: to rejoice, be glad
χαίρω
The verb behind both the joy and the rejoicing in this verse joins the feeling to its expression.
synchairō: to rejoice with
συγχαίρω
The same root with “together” added appears when people share another’s joy, as in Luke 1:58.
chara: joy
χαρά
This noun names the joy that the related verb expresses as rejoicing.
THE PATTERN
Joy at new life or release can emerge through hardship and become shared recognition.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.THE THREAD
A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.The word “joy” here is χαρά (chara, joy), the same Greek word family as χαρά in Luke 1:14. Both verses join birth to joy, while John’s image shows that joy can follow a passage of anguish.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
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