to rejoice
Chairo denotes rejoicing in response to persons, events, and hoped-for outcomes, and can also function as a greeting.
The verb predominantly describes rejoicing in response to encouraging news, persons, visible events, suffering, or anticipated good. In a smaller cluster it functions in direct address and letter openings as a greeting, including addresses rendered “Greetings” or “Hail” by the APB.
Senses in use
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Rejoicing in response to persons or events · dominant
The verb marks joy at a concrete occasion or object: in 1 Corinthians 16:17 the first-person present form occurs over the coming of named visitors, while in John 20:20 the disciples respond after seeing the Lord. It can also be commanded amid hardship or expectation: in 1 Peter 4:13 the plural forms occur with participating in sufferings and the future revelation of glory, and in Luke 10:20 the command contrasts rejoicing over spirits being subject with rejoicing over names written in heaven.
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Greeting in direct address or correspondence · occasional
Present active forms occur as conventional address rather than as a report of an emotional response. In Acts 15:23 and Acts 23:26, the infinitive appears in letter openings rendered “Greetings” by the APB; in Matthew 28:9 and Matthew 26:49, second-person forms address people directly.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the verb with “rejoice,” while some clauses use “glad” or “joy”; direct-address and letter contexts are rendered “Greetings” or “Hail.” Because the APB is a whole-verse translation, these renderings confirm the clauses' overall presentation rather than assigning a separate English equivalent in every instance.