Strong’s Greek 4640 pictures an exuberant, bodily expression of joy that breaks into visible movement. In the three New Testament references, that action becomes a vehicle for revelation, prophetic confirmation, and ethical exhortation.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Luke 1:41 – The unborn John responds to Mary’s greeting: “the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit”.
2. Luke 1:44 – Elizabeth testifies, “the baby in my womb leaped for joy”.
3. Luke 6:23 – Jesus tells the persecuted to “Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven”.

Contextual Significance in Luke’s Infancy Narrative

Luke twice places the verb in the intimate setting of Elizabeth’s womb, emphasizing that John’s prophetic ministry begins before birth. The Spirit-led leap authenticates the Messiah’s presence: the unborn forerunner recognizes the unborn Christ. This fulfills the angelic promise that John would be “filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15). The movement is therefore more than prenatal reflex; it is a Spirit-prompted witness that anchors the reliability of Luke’s narrative concerning Jesus’ divine identity.

Call to Rejoicing in Discipleship

In Luke 6:23 Jesus commands His followers to respond to persecution with the same physical joy. The imperative “leap for joy” links the believer’s present suffering with heaven’s future reward. The verb thus spans the entire Gospel: from prenatal acknowledgment of Christ to the lived ethic of His disciples. The disciples’ leap becomes an enacted eschatology—an anticipatory celebration of vindication at the resurrection.

Old Testament Echoes

The Septuagint uses the same verb for mountains “skipping like rams” (Psalm 114:4), calves leaping from their stalls (Malachi 4:2), and David dancing before the Ark (2 Samuel 6:16). Luke’s usage taps into this background of covenantal celebration. Where the Old Testament often pictures creation rejoicing before the LORD, Luke shows a prophet and later believers embodying that joy in response to the arrival of salvation.

Historical and Cultural Background

First-century Jewish culture expressed joy in bodily ways—dancing at weddings, processions during feasts, children playing in marketplaces (Matthew 11:17). Luke’s audience would have recognized leaping as a spontaneous, uninhibited sign of delight. By presenting both an unborn child and persecuted adults leaping, Luke frames joy as appropriate across life stages and circumstances whenever God’s redemptive work is perceived.

Theological Themes

• Spirit-empowered testimony: The leap in the womb is the first recorded human response to Jesus and is explicitly linked to the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41).
• Messianic recognition: John’s movement points to Jesus as Lord even before either is born, supporting Luke’s high Christology.
• Suffering and reward: Jesus’ command in Luke 6:23 roots joy not in circumstances but in the certainty of heavenly recompense.
• Continuity of revelation: From prenatal prophecy to ethical instruction, the same verb underscores the unified storyline of Scripture in announcing and responding to God’s salvation.

Application for Ministry Today

Pastoral proclamation can appeal to Strong’s 4640 when encouraging believers to adopt a posture of Spirit-formed joy. Whether in worship settings, testimony services, or counseling situations marked by persecution, leaders may remind congregations that Scripture validates demonstrative celebration. The command to “leap for joy” also guards against stoic resignation; it invites an affective response grounded in eschatological hope.

Worship and Liturgical Use

Throughout church history, texts containing Strong’s 4640 have appeared in Advent liturgies, baptismal teachings on prenatal grace, and sermons on the Beatitudes. Incorporating physical expressions—standing, clapping, or dance—during the reading of Luke 6:23 can help congregations embody the truth that joy ultimately flows from the accomplished and promised work of Christ.

Eschatological Horizon

The verb anticipates the final celebration of Revelation 19:7 where the redeemed cry, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory.” The leap for joy commanded now foreshadows the unrestrained praise of the coming kingdom, affirming that bodily resurrection will free believers to respond to God with perfected vigor.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 4640 threads through Scripture as a sign of Spirit-wrought, Christ-centered exuberance. From the unborn prophet’s first movement to the persecuted disciple’s commanded response, leaping for joy is portrayed as the fitting physical overflow of recognizing God’s saving presence and future reward.