Pleasure

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

PLEASURE. —Not passing pleasure but true happiness is to be sought by the disciple of Christ. Pleasure as such is transitory, but Christian joy and peace are continual and eternal. This life is a preparation for the fruition of eternal happiness, and not merely a series of opportunities for gratification to self and others ( Luke 12:37). In itself pleasure is not evil, for all things were made by God through His Son ( John 1:3). He sanctioned and sanctified social festivity in due season ( John 2:1-11), and said of Himself, in contrast with the ascetic John the Baptist, ‘The Son of Man came eating and drinking’ ( Matthew 11:19). But pleasures are not always expedient, and may work eternal mischief ( Luke 8:14). The days of Noah and Lot were days of pleasure and self-indulgence, when God’s visitation fell suddenly on the devotees of eating and drinking and marrying ( Luke 17:27-28). Such sensual pleasure absorbs too much of man’s limited effort to be truly profitable ( John 6:27). The sons of this world lead effortless lives ( Luke 20:34), but Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world ( John 18:36). The citizens of Christ the King must beware of careless indulgence in pleasure, being ready for His sudden presence ( Luke 21:34;  Luke 12:36). Yet, far more than all this, the pursuit of pleasures is disloyalty, because it is the following after will-o’-the-wisps (as it were) instead of the steadfast regard to the Light of the world ( John 8:12;  John 9:5). It is really a folly to accumulate the means of pleasure ( Luke 12:15;  Luke 12:19); but for the Christian it is treason to pursue pleasure instead of leaving all and following Him ( Luke 5:11). In return, the Lord has unfailing promises of blessedness here and hereafter ( Luke 18:29-30,  Mark 10:29-30); but the true disciple must renounce everything this world offers, to be counted worthy of the eternal joy ( Matthew 16:24,  Mark 8:34,  Luke 9:23). The sensuous or sensual life of the soul (ψυχή) must not be striven after ( Matthew 16:25;  Matthew 10:39,  Mark 8:35,  Luke 9:24;  Luke 17:33,  John 12:25). All the pleasure the world can afford will never compensate for what is lost in such a pursuit ( Matthew 16:26,  Mark 8:36,  Luke 9:25). In this comprehensive statement even intellectual and aesthetic forms of pleasure are included. The habit of daily self-denial is to be adopted ( Luke 9:23). No delight in business, however laudable in itself, must rival the call of Christ ( Luke 14:18). A dreadful reversal awaits the Dives who clings to the pleasures of this age ( Luke 16:25). Thus the rich are terribly handicapped in their heavenly course ( Matthew 19:24). The pleasures of this world may secure the horrors of hell ( Luke 6:25). No, the disciple must be as his Master ( Matthew 10:25). The Master’s prayer was always, ‘Not what I will, but what thou wilt’ ( Mark 14:36). The pleasures of popularity ( John 12:43) and of ostentation ( Matthew 6:1-18,  Luke 20:46) are to be avoided. Hand or eye may well be sacrificed for the sake of faithfulness to Christ in the hope of eternal salvation ( Matthew 5:29-30,  Mark 9:43;  Mark 9:47). The blessed are those who ‘hunger and thirst after righteousness,’ not after pleasure ( Matthew 5:6). The faithful disciple shall find tribulation rather than pleasure ( John 16:33), inward peace but an outward sword ( Matthew 10:34), joy rather than enjoyment ( John 15:11;  John 16:20-22;  John 17:13).

W. B. Frankland.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

A — 1: Ἡδονή (Strong'S #2237 — Noun Feminine — hedone — hay-don-ay' )

"pleasure," is used of the gratification of the natural desire or sinful desires (akin to hedomai, "to be glad," and hedeos, "gladly"),  Luke 8:14;  Titus 3:3;  James 4:1,3 , RV, "pleasures" (AV, "lusts"); in the singular,  2—Peter 2:13 . See Lust.

A — 2: Εὐδοκία (Strong'S #2107 — Noun Feminine — eudokia — yoo-dok-ee'-ah )

"good pleasure" (akin to eudokeo, Please No. 3),  Ephesians 1:5,9;  Philippians 2:13;  2—Thessalonians 1:11 . See Desire , A, No. 2.

A — 3: Ἀπόλαυσις (Strong'S #619 — Noun Feminine — apolausis — ap-ol'-ow-sis )

"enjoyment," is used with echo, "to have," and rendered "enjoy the pleasures" (lit., "pleasure") in  Hebrews 11:25 . See Enjoy.

 Revelation 4:11 Acts 24:27 25:9Favor

B — 1: Φιλήδονος (Strong'S #5369 — Adjective — philedonos — fil-ay'-don-os )

"loving pleasure" (philos, "loving," and A, No. 1), occurs in  2—Timothy 3:4 , RV, "lovers of pleasure" (AV, "... pleasures"). See Lover.

 1—Timothy 5:6

Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words

A. Noun.

Chêphets ( חֵפֶץ , Strong'S #2656), “pleasure; delight; desire; request; affair; thing.” None of the 39 occurrences of this word appear before First Samuel. All its occurrences are scattered through the rest of biblical literature.

This word often means “pleasure” or “delight”: “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?” (1 Sam. 15:22—the first occurrence). Thus “the preacher [writer of Ecclesiastes] sought to find out acceptable [ chêphets ] words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth” (Eccl. 12:10), words that were both true and aesthetically pleasing. A good wife works with “hands of delight,” or hands which delight in her work because of her love for her family; “she seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly [in delight] with her hands” (Prov. 31:13).

Chepes can mean not simply what one takes pleasure in or what gives someone delight but one’s wish or desire: “Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow” (2 Sam. 23:5). “To do one’s desire” is to grant a request (1 Kings 5:8). “Stones of desire” are precious stones (Isa. 54:12).

Third, chepes sometimes represents one’s affairs as that in which one takes delight: “… There is … a time to every purpose [literally, delight] under the heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). In Isa. 58:13 the first occurrence of this word means “pleasure” or “delight,” while the last occurrence indicates an affair or matter in which one delights: “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words.” Finally, in one passage this word means “affair” in the sense of a “thing” or “situation”: “If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter [NASB “sight”] …” (Eccl. 5:8).

B. Verb.

Châphêts ( חָפֵץ , Strong'S #2654), “to take pleasure in, take care of, desire, delight in, have delight in.” This verb, which occurs 72 times in biblical Hebrew has cognates in Arabic, Phoenician, Syriac, and Arabic. Châphêts means “to delight in” in 2 Sam. 15:26: “But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.”

C. Adjective.

Châphêts ( חָפֵץ , Strong'S #2655), “delighting in, having pleasure in.” This adjective appears 12 times in biblical Hebrew. The word is found in Ps. 35:27: “Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”

King James Dictionary

PLEASURE, n. plezh'ur.

1. The gratification of the senses or of the mind agreeable sensations or emotions the excitement, relish or happiness produced by enjoyment or the expectation of good opposed to pain. We receive pleasure from the indulgence of appetite from the view of a beautiful landscape from the harmony of sounds from agreeable society from the expectation of seeing an absent friend from the prospect of gain or success of any kind. Pleasure, bodily and mental, carnal and spiritual, constitutes the whole of positive happiness, as pain constitutes the whole of misery.

Pleasure is properly positive excitement of the passions or the mind but we give the name also to the absence of excitement, when that excitement is painful as when we cease to labor, or repose after fatigue, or when the mind is tranquilized after anxiety or agitation.

Pleasure is susceptible of increase to any degree but the word when unqualified, expresses less excitement or happiness than delight or joy.

2. Sensual or sexual gratification. 3. Approbation.

The Lord taketh pleasure in his people.  Psalms 147 .

and 149.

4. What the will dictates or prefers will choice purpose intention command as, use your pleasure.

Cyrus, he is my shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure.  Isaiah 44

My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure.

 Isaiah 46

5. A favor that which pleases.

Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul.  Acts 25

6. Arbitrary will or choice. He can vary his scheme at pleasure.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) Amusement; sport; diversion; self-indulgence; frivolous or dissipating enjoyment; hence, sensual gratification; - opposed to labor, service, duty, self-denial, etc.

(2): ( n.) What the will dictates or prefers as gratifying or satisfying; hence, will; choice; wish; purpose.

(3): ( n.) That which pleases; a favor; a gratification.

(4): ( v. t.) To give or afford pleasure to; to please; to gratify.

(5): ( v. i.) To take pleasure; to seek pursue pleasure; as, to go pleasuring.

(6): ( n.) The gratification of the senses or of the mind; agreeable sensations or emotions; the excitement, relish, or happiness produced by the expectation or the enjoyment of something good, delightful, or satisfying; - opposed to pain, sorrow, etc.

Charles Buck Theological Dictionary

The delight which arises in the mind from contemplation or enjoyment of something agreeable.

See Happiness

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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."

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

is the delight which arises in the mind from the contemplation or enjoyment of something agreeable, and is synonymous in expression with happiness (q.v.).