The word ‘merry’ is mentioned 29 times in the KJV Bible and can mean many things depending upon the ancient Hebrew or Greek origin, and of course the Biblical context in which the word was used.
shakar: To be drunk, to become intoxicated.
hill: Praise, celebration.
towb: Good, pleasant, agreeable (etc).
yatab: To be good, to do good, to be pleasing, to make well.
sameach: Joyful, glad, merry, happy.
sachaq: To laugh, to play, to mock, to rejoice.
euphrainó: To rejoice, to be glad, to make merry.
euthumeó: To be of good cheer, cheerful, encouraged.
You may have seen this (or similar) post recently:
“In Anglo-Saxon, ‘merry’ originally meant something closer to ‘valiant,’ ‘illustrious,’ or ‘great,’ implying a sense of strength and courage rather than just simple cheerfulness; essentially, to be ‘merry’ was to be mighty or gallant.”
That’s all interesting, but remember this Anglo-Saxon influence came on the scene 500 years after Christ, that is, 400+ years after Greek manuscripts and thousands after Hebrew.
All that is to say we should be ‘extremely cautious’ in allowing the ‘modern’ Anglo-Saxon dictionary to ‘redefine’ the Ancient Greek and Hebrew texts. Newer is not always betters; sometimes it’s just newer. Honestly, when it comes to the Bible we should reject these Anglo-Saxon alterations entirely.
Merry Christmas!
He Dwells -- The B'log in My Eye 