# שְּׂמֵחִים או שְׂמָחוֹת



## Codinome Shlomo

Hello.

I don't understand what is the difference between שְּׂמֵחִים ושְׂמָחוֹת , especially in this context:
"הַשְּׂמֵחִים בּוֹ הֵם שִׂמְחָה מַשִּׂיגִים כִּי יוֹם שְׂמָחוֹת הוּא וּתְשַׂמְּחֵנִי"

Also, if you don't mind, could you please provide a literal translation of this verse?

Thank you!!


----------



## origumi

Those who are happy (שמחים) in it, happiness (שמחה) they get, because a day of happinesses (שמחות, plural of happiness) it is, and shall make me happy (תשמחני).


----------



## Drink

To clarify what origumi said:
שְׂמָחוֹת is the plural of the noun שִׂמְחָה
הַשְּׂמֵחִים is the masculine plural of adjective שָׂמֵחַ used as a noun to mean "those who are happy"


----------



## InfatigableLearner

Here is how I understand it:

הַשְּׂמֵחִים בּוֹ הֵם שִׂמְחָה מַשִּׂיגִים כִּי יוֹם שְׂמָחוֹת הוּא וּתְשַׂמְּחֵנִי
_Those who are happy on it obtain happiness, since it is a day of happiness and it_ _will gladden me_.

Parsing Information:
הַשְּׂמֵחִים (particle [הַ]: article + verb [שָׂמַח]: qal participle masculine plural of שׂמח)
= substantive use of the participle, thus, _the ones who are happy_ = _those who are happy_.

שִׂמְחָה (noun [שִׂמְחָה]: common feminine singular absolute) = _happiness_.

שְׂמָחוֹת (noun [שִׂמְחָה]: common feminine plural absolute) = literally, _happinesses_.

תְּשַׂמְּחֵנִי (verb [שִׂמַּח]: piel imperfect 3rd person feminine singular of שׂמח + suffix 1st person common singular)
= _she/it will gladden me_. יוֹם “day” is a masculine noun and is thus not the subject of this verb. The feminine verb has either the feminine noun שִׂמְחָה or שַׁבָּת “Sabbath” as subject. I may be wrong, but I think that שַׁבָּת is actually the implicit subject. Thus, “_and_ [the Sabbath] _will gladden me_.”

One might also be able to retain הֵם in English translation by translating as _As for those who are happy on it, they obtain happiness_, etc.

InfatigableLearner


----------



## Albert Schlef

InfatigableLearner said:


> תְּשַׂמְּחֵנִי [...] “_and_ [the Sabbath] _will gladden me_.”



I guess you're right.

Another possibility: I googled "ותשמחני" and very often it means "and [you God] will gladden me." So maybe in our song it's an allusion to this meaning.


----------



## Drink

Well yes, תשמחני could be either "you" (G-d) or "she" (shabbat), but in other parts of the song, G-d is referred to only in the third person ("he"), so I would stick with the meaning of "she" (shabbat). But I would prefer the phrase "will make me happy" rather than "will gladden me".


----------



## arielipi

Drink said:


> Well yes, תשמחני could be either "you" (G-d) or "she" (shabbat), but in other parts of the song, G-d is referred to only in the third person ("he"), so I would stick with the meaning of "she" (shabbat). But I would prefer the phrase "will make me happy" rather than "will gladden me".


or you as in you (from god to a person) -.-
and dont try to rephrase it please, its gladden, not happier.


----------



## Drink

arielipi said:


> or you as in you (from god to a person) -.-


That still does not work. G-d is consistently the third person in the song. For example: כִּי אֶשְׁמְרָה שַׁבָּת אֵ-ל יִשְׁמְרֵנִי



arielipi said:


> and dont try to rephrase it please, its gladden, not happier.


I'm not "rephrasing" anything. I just think "to make (someone) happy" is a better translation of לשמח than "to gladden (someone)".


----------



## arielipi

Drink said:


> That still does not work. G-d is consistently the third person in the song. For example: כִּי אֶשְׁמְרָה שַׁבָּת אֵ-ל יִשְׁמְרֵנִי
> 
> 
> I'm not "rephrasing" anything. I just think "to make (someone) happy" is a better translation of לשמח than "to gladden (someone)".


not in this construct, please stop contradicting natives. (less you are as well of course) because naturally we understand better.


----------



## Drink

arielipi said:


> not in this construct, please stop contradicting natives. (less you are as well of course) because naturally we understand better.



Or it is you who doesn't understand the difference in English between "gladden" and "make happy".


----------



## arielipi

Drink said:


> Or it is you who doesn't understand the difference in English between "gladden" and "make happy".


well played, perhaps, but here it is more of a joy/giddy than happiness, which leads me to think of glad and not happy.


----------



## Drink

arielipi said:


> well played, perhaps, but here it is more of a joy/giddy than happiness, which leads me to think of glad and not happy.



Glad refers to a more of a thankful happiness: "I'm glad you came." "It gladdens me to hear of your success."
Happy is more general and can really refer to any type of happiness.
You are right to say that "joy" and "giddy" are appropriate concepts here, but I think the word "happy" is really the best representation of the type of happiness that Shabbat brings, since it basically encompasses all of these concepts.


----------



## Codinome Shlomo

Thank you guys!!


----------



## Albert Schlef

Drink said:


> Albert Schlef said:
> 
> 
> 
> Another possibility: I googled "ותשמחני" and very often it means "and [you God] will gladden me." So maybe in our song it's an allusion to this meaning.
> 
> 
> 
> Well yes, תשמחני could be either "you" (G-d) or "she" (shabbat), but in other parts of the song, G-d is referred to only in the third person ("he"), so [...]
Click to expand...


I know. That's why I wrote "allusion".


----------



## Drink

Albert Schlef said:


> I know. That's why I wrote "allusion".



I highly doubt it's any more of an allusion to G-d than is already implied by discussing Shabbat.


----------

