Original Word: שַׁעְשֻׁעַ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: sha`shua`
Pronunciation: shah-ah-SHOO-eem
Phonetic Spelling: (shah-shoo'-ah)
KJV: delight, pleasure
NASB: delight, delightful
Word Origin: [from H8173 (שָׁעַע - To delight)]

1. enjoyment

delight, pleasure

From sha'a'; enjoyment -- delight, pleasure.

see HEBREW sha'a'

Word Origin
from shaa
Definition
a delight
NASB Translation
delight (7), delightful (2).

[שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים], שׁוּעִים- noun [masculine] plural intensive delight (Ba^{NB 206}); — absolute שׁוּעִים- Jeremiah 31:20; Proverbs 8:30; suffix שׁוּעָיו- Isaiah 5:7, usually שֻׁעַי- Proverbs 8:31; Psalm 119:24, שֻׁעָ֑י- Psalm 119:77 3t.; — delight, in phrase ׳נְטַע שׁ Isaiah 5:7 the planting of his delight (in which he took delight), so ׳יֶלֶד שׁ Jeremiah 31:20 ("" בֵּן יַקִּיר); אֶתֿ ׳שׁ Proverbs 8:31 my delight (was) with the sons of men; elsewhere = object of delight, of wisdom Proverbs 8:30; God's law, etc., Psalm 119:24; Psalm 119:77; Psalm 119:92; Psalm 119:143; Psalm 119:174.

Meaning and Motif

שַׁעֲשֻׁעַ speaks of that which brings deep pleasure, fascination, or cherished enjoyment. In Scripture the word gathers around two great poles: the delight the faithful find in God’s self-revelation, and the delight God Himself expresses toward His creation and covenant people. Each occurrence reinforces the reciprocal joy that binds the covenant relationship.

Distribution in the Canon

1. Devotional delight in the Torah – Psalm 119:24, 77, 92, 143, 174
2. Eternal delight within the Godhead – Proverbs 8:30
3. Joy shared with humanity – Proverbs 8:31
4. Divine disappointment over covenant breach – Isaiah 5:7
5. Paternal delight in a restored son – Jeremiah 31:20

Psalm 119: The Word as Delight

Five times the psalmist insists that the statutes of the LORD are his “delight”:

• “Your testimonies are indeed my delight; they are my counselors.” (Psalm 119:24)
• “If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction.” (Psalm 119:92)

Here delight is not mere sentiment; it is the life-preserving, wisdom-imparting power of Scripture. Affliction, distress, and the longing for salvation (verses 143, 174) all drive the believer deeper into joyous communion with the written word, anticipating the incarnate Word.

Proverbs 8: Trinitarian Resonance

Proverbs 8 personifies Wisdom speaking before creation:

• “Then I was a skilled craftsman at His side, and His delight day after day, rejoicing always in His presence.” (Proverbs 8:30)
• “Rejoicing in His whole world and delighting in mankind.” (Proverbs 8:31)

Wisdom is presented as the eternal companion of God, the object and agent of divine delight. Early Christian writers heard in these lines an echo of the pre-incarnate Son (John 1:1–3; Colossians 1:16-17), suggesting that the mutual delight of Father and Son overflows toward humanity.

Isaiah 5:7: Lost Delight

“For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant planting.” The same word that names God’s pleasure also intensifies His lament: injustice has replaced righteousness. The verse warns that divine delight can turn to judgment when covenant privileges are spurned.

Jeremiah 31:20: Restored Delight

“Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? … Therefore My heart yearns for him; surely I will have compassion on him, declares the LORD.” Even after discipline, paternal delight persists. The verse foreshadows the new covenant promise that follows (Jeremiah 31:31-34), culminating in the Gospel’s proclamation of reconciliation.

Theological Themes

• The Word as the believer’s chief pleasure: Genuine spiritual health is measured by the heart’s attraction to Scripture.
• Eternal joy within the Godhead: Divine delight predates creation, rooting Christian joy in the very being of God.
• Delight and holiness: Sin threatens the experience of delight, yet grace restores it.
• Covenant affection: God’s delight in His people is both elective and parental, urging repentance and assuring welcome.

Ministry Implications

1. Cultivate delight, not mere duty, in Bible intake; teach congregations to pray Psalm 119:77.
2. Model pastoral correction after Jeremiah 31:20—firm yet yearning.
3. Anchor worship in the intra-Trinitarian joy revealed in Proverbs 8; congregational praise mirrors eternal delight.
4. Address social injustice (Isaiah 5:7) as an affront to God’s pleasure, linking prophetic ethics with present mission.
5. Encourage believers in affliction to find sustaining joy in God’s precepts (Psalm 119:92), offering Scripture as both counselor and comfort.

Historical Reception

Rabbinic tradition linked שַׁעֲשׁוּעַ with the study of Torah as supreme joy. Patristic commentators read Proverbs 8 christologically, seeing the Father’s delight in the Son as the archetype of all holy joy. Reformers stressed Psalm 119 as the handbook of Scriptural spirituality, urging personal appropriation of divine delight. Modern evangelical expositors continue this line, viewing Jeremiah’s “delightful child” as a portrait of prodigal grace.

New Testament Echoes

Though the Hebrew term itself is absent, its themes reappear: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17), “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3), and believers “greatly rejoice with joy unspeakable” (1 Peter 1:8). The Old Testament delight finds its fulfillment in Christ and the Spirit’s gift of joy.

Summary

שַׁעֲשׁוּעַ gathers the threads of Scripture’s joy: God delights in His Son and His people; the righteous delight in God’s word; sin robs, but grace restores that delight. The term invites every generation to enter the reciprocal pleasure that lies at the heart of revelation, redemption, and eternal life.

וְ֝שַׁעֲשֻׁעַ֗י ושעשעי עשעים שַֽׁעֲשֻׁעָֽי׃ שַׁ֭עֲשֻׁעִים שַׁעֲשֻׁעִ֔ים שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֑י שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֗י שַׁעֲשֻׁעָֽי׃ שַׁעֲשׁוּעָ֑יו שעשועיו שעשעי שעשעי׃ שעשעים ‘ă·šu·‘îm ‘ăšu‘îm ashuim ša‘ăšū‘āw ša‘ăšu‘āy ša‘ăšu‘îm ša·‘ă·šū·‘āw ša·‘ă·šu·‘āy ša·‘ă·šu·‘îm shaashuAi shaashuAv shaashuIm veshaashuAi wə·ša·‘ă·šu·‘ay wəša‘ăšu‘ayInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts