'Happy' in the Bible
Then Leah said, “I am happy! For women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher (happy).
“Happy and blessed are you, O Israel;Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,The Shield of your help,And the Sword of your majesty!Your enemies will cringe before you,And you will tread on their high places [tramping down their idolatrous altars].”
How blessed (fortunate, happy) are your men! How blessed are these your servants who stand continually before you, hearing your wisdom!
Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now reign over Israel? Get up, eat food, and let your heart rejoice; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
Blessed and fortunate are your people, how blessed and fortunate are these servants of yours who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom!
“Behold, how happy and fortunate is the man whom God reproves,So do not despise or reject the discipline of the Almighty [subjecting you to trial and suffering].
“For when an ear heard [my name mentioned], it called me happy and fortunate;And when an eye saw [me], it testified for me [approvingly],
Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],Nor stand in the path of sinners,Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers).
Kiss (pay respect to) the Son, so that He does not become angry, and you perish in the way,For His wrath may soon be kindled and set aflame.How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] are all those who take refuge in Him!
Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, favored by God] is he whose transgression is forgiven,And whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute wickedness,And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the nation whose God is the Lord,The people whom He has chosen as His own inheritance.
O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good;How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who takes refuge in Him.
Mark the blameless man [who is spiritually complete], and behold the upright [who walks in moral integrity];There is a [good] future for the man of peace [because a life of honor blesses one’s descendants].
Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who makes the Lord his trust,And does not regard the proud nor those who lapse into lies.
Blessed [by God’s grace and compassion] is he who considers the helpless;The Lord will save him in the day of trouble.
Though while he lives he counts himself happy and prosperous—And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—
Blessed is the one whom You choose and bring nearTo dwell in Your courts.We will be filled with the goodness of Your house,Your holy temple.
Blessed and greatly favored are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence;They will be singing Your praises all the day long. Selah.
Blessed and greatly favored is the man whose strength is in You,In whose heart are the highways to Zion.
O Lord of hosts,How blessed and greatly favored is the man who trusts in You [believing in You, relying on You, and committing himself to You with confident hope and expectation].
Blessed and happy are the people who know the joyful sound [of the trumpet’s blast]!They walk, O Lord, in the light and favor of Your countenance!
Blessed [with wisdom and prosperity] is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord,And whom You teach from Your law,
Blessed are those who observe justice [by honoring God’s precepts],Who practice righteousness at all times.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who fears the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with obedience],Who delights greatly in His commandments.
How blessed and favored by God are those whose way is blameless [those with personal integrity, the upright, the guileless],Who walk in the law [and who are guided by the precepts and revealed will] of the Lord.
Blessed and favored by God are those who keep His testimonies,And who [consistently] seek Him and long for Him with all their heart.
How blessed [happy and fortunate] is the man whose quiver is filled with them;They will not be ashamedWhen they speak with their enemies [in gatherings] at the [city] gate.
Blessed [happy and sheltered by God’s favor] is everyone who fears the Lord [and worships Him with obedience],Who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments.
For you shall eat the fruit of [the labor of] your hands,You will be happy and blessed and it will be well with you.
O daughter of Babylon, you devastator,How blessed will be the oneWho repays you [with destruction] as you have repaid us.
How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little onesAgainst the rock.
How blessed and favored are the people in such circumstance;How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored] are the people whose God is the Lord!
How blessed and graciously favored is he whose help is the God of Jacob (Israel),Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom,And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God’s word and life’s experiences],
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,And happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is everyone who holds her tightly.
“Now therefore, O sons, listen to me,For blessed [happy, prosperous, to be admired] are they who keep my ways.
“Blessed [happy, prosperous, to be admired] is the man who listens to me,Watching daily at my gates,Waiting at my doorposts.
He who despises his neighbor sins [against God and his fellow man],But happy [blessed and favored by God] is he who is gracious and merciful to the poor.
He who pays attention to the word [of God] will find good,And blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who trusts [confidently] in the Lord.
A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing,But a broken spirit dries up the bones.
The righteous man who walks in integrity and lives life in accord with his [godly] beliefs—How blessed [happy and spiritually secure] are his children after him [who have his example to follow].
Blessed and favored by God is the man who fears [sin and its consequence] at all times,But he who hardens his heart [and is determined to sin] will fall into disaster.
Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained;But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].
Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired);Her husband also, and he praises her, saying,
Blessed [prosperous and admired] are you, O land, when your king is a man of noble birth, and your princes and officials feast at the proper time—for strength and not for drunkenness.
But my dove, my perfect one, stands alone [above them all];She is her mother’s only daughter;She is the pure child of the one who bore her.The maidens saw her and called her blessed and happy,The queens and the concubines also, and they praised her, saying,
Therefore the Lord waits [expectantly] and longs to be gracious to you,And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.For the Lord is a God of justice;Blessed (happy, fortunate) are all those who long for Him [since He will never fail them].
Blessed (happy, fortunate) are you who cast your seed upon all waters [when the river overflows its banks and irrigates the land],You who allow the ox and the donkey to roam freely.
“Blessed (happy, fortunate) is the man who does this,And the son of man who takes hold of it,Who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it,And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
How blessed [happy, fortunate, spiritually prosperous] and beloved is he who waits expectantly [enduring without wavering for the period of tribulation] and comes to the 1,335 days!
“All nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight,” says the Lord of hosts.
So now we call the arrogant happy and blessed. Evildoers are exalted and prosper; and when they test God, they escape [unpunished].’”
“Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].
“Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].
“Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the gentle [the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled], for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied.
“Blessed [content, sheltered by God’s promises] are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed [anticipating God’s presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God.
“Blessed [comforted by inner peace and God’s love] are those who are persecuted for doing that which is morally right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].
“Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me.
And blessed [joyful, favored by God] is he who does not take offense at Me [accepting Me as the Messiah and trusting confidently in My message of salvation].”
But blessed [spiritually aware, and favored by God] are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
Blessed is that [faithful] servant when his master returns and finds him doing so.
And blessed [spiritually fortunate and favored by God] is she who believed and confidently trusted that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her [by the angel sent] from the Lord.”
“For He has looked [with loving care] on the humble state of His maidservant;For behold, from now on all generations will count me blessed and happy and favored by God!
And looking toward His disciples, He began speaking: “Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are you who are poor [in spirit, those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for the kingdom of God is yours [both now and forever].
Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are you who hunger now [for righteousness, actively seeking right standing with God], for you will be [completely] satisfied. Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are you who weep now [over your sins and repent], for you will laugh [when the burden of sin is lifted].
Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people hate you, and exclude you [from their fellowship], and insult you, and scorn your name as evil because of [your association with] the Son of Man.
Blessed [joyful, spiritually favored] is he who does not take offense at Me.”
Then turning to His disciples, Jesus said privately, “Blessed [joyful, spiritually enlightened, and favored by God] are the eyes which see what you see,
Now while Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed (happy, favored by God) is the womb that gave birth to You and the breasts at which You nursed!”
But He said, “On the contrary, blessed (happy, favored by God) are those who hear the word of God and continually observe it.”
Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are those servants whom the master finds awake and watching when he arrives. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he will prepare himself to serve, and will have them recline at the table, and will come and wait on them.
Whether he comes in the second watch (before midnight), or even in the third (after midnight), and finds them so [prepared and ready], blessed are those servants.
Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is that servant whom his master finds so doing when he arrives.
and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (the just, the upright).”
When one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
And bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let us [invite everyone and] feast and celebrate;
But he said to his father, ‘Look! These many years I have served you, and I have never neglected or disobeyed your command. Yet you have never given me [so much as] a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;
For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not given birth, and the breasts that have never nursed.’
Your father Abraham [greatly] rejoiced to see My day (My incarnation). He saw it and was delighted.”
If you know these things, you are blessed [happy and favored by God] if you put them into practice [and faithfully do them].
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, do you now believe? Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, and favored by God] are they who did not see [Me] and yet believed [in Me].”
For David says of Him,‘I saw the Lord constantly before me;For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken [from my state of security].
“Blessed and happy and favored are those whose lawless acts have been forgiven,And whose sins have been covered up and completely buried.
“Blessed and happy and favored is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account nor charge against him.”
The faith which you have [that gives you freedom of choice], have as your own conviction before God [just keep it between yourself and God, seeking His will]. Happy is he who has no reason to condemn himself for what he approves.
Let each one of us [make it a practice to] please his neighbor for his good, to build him up spiritually.
so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and find rest in your company.
I rejoice because Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus have arrived, for they have made up for your absence.
I rejoice that in everything I have [perfect] confidence in you.
So then those who are people of faith [whether Jew or Gentile] are blessed and favored by God [and declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with Him] along with Abraham, the believer.
I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, that now at last you have renewed your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned about me before, but you had no opportunity to show it.
Cut through and make smooth, straight paths for your feet [that are safe and go in the right direction], so that the leg which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather may be healed.
Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor’s] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
You know we call those blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] who were steadfast and endured [difficult circumstances]. You have heard of the patient endurance of Job and you have seen the Lord’s outcome [how He richly blessed Job]. The Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness [though it is not certain that you will], you are still blessed [happy, to be admired and favored by God]. Do not be afraid of their intimidating threats, nor be troubled or disturbed [by their opposition].