plezh´ū́r ( חפץ , ḥēphec , רצון , rācōn ; εὐδοκία , eudokı́a , ἡδονή , hēdonḗ : "Pleasure" is the translation of various Hebrew words, chiefly of ḥēphec , "inclination," hence, "pleasure," "delight" ( Job 21:21 , "What pleasure hath he in his house?" the American Standard Revised Version "what careth he for"; Job 22:3 , "Is it any pleasure to the Almighty?"; Psalm 111:2; Ecclesiastes 5:4; Ecclesiastes 12:1; in Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 46:10; Isaiah 48:14; Isaiah 53:10 , it has the sense of will or purpose, "He shall perform all my pleasure," etc.); of rācōn , "delight," "acceptance," "good will" (Ezra 10:11; Nehemiah 9:37; Esther 1:8; Psalm 51:18; Psalm 103:21 , etc.); nephesh , "soul," "desire" is translated "pleasure" (Deuteronomy 23:24; Psalm 105:22; Jeremiah 34:16 ).
In the New Testament "pleasure" is the translation of eudokia , "good thought or will," "good pleasure" ( Luke 2:14 the Revised Version margin; Ephesians 1:5 , Ephesians 1:9; Philippians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:11 the Revised Version (British and American) "every desire of goodness," margin "Greek: 'good pleasure of goodness.' Compare Romans 10:1 ").
"To take pleasure or to have pleasure" is eudokéō ( 2 Corinthians 12:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:12; Hebrews 10:6 , Hebrews 10:8 , Hebrews 10:38 ); eudokeō is once translated "good pleasure" (Luke 12:32 , "It is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom"); the neuter participle of dokéō , "to think," etc. - meaning "it seems good to me" - tó dokoún , is translated "pleasure" (Hebrews 12:10 , "after their pleasure," the Revised Version (British and American) "as seemed good to them"); hēdonē , "sweetness," "pleasure," occurs in Luke 8:14; Titus 3:3; 2 Peter 2:13 (referring to the lower pleasures of life); thélēma , "wish," "will" (Revelation 4:11 , the Revised Version (British and American) "because of thy will"); cháris , "favor" (Acts 24:27; Acts 25:9 , the Revised Version (British and American) "favor"); spataláō "to live voluptuously" (1 Timothy 5:6 , the Revised Version (British and American) "she that giveth herself to pleasure"); suneudokéō , "to think well with," "to take pleasure with others" (Romans 1:32 , the Revised Version (British and American) "consent with"); trupháō , "to live luxuriously" (James 5:5 , the Revised Version (British and American) "lived delicately").
The verb "to pleasure" occurs in 2 Maccabees 2:27 as the translation of eucharistı́a , the Revised Version (British and American) "gratitude"; 12:11, ōphelḗsein , the Revised Version (British and American) "to help."
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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