Pleasure

Pleasure - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

PLEASURE, n. plezh'ur.

1. The gratification of the senses or of the mind; agreeable sensations or emotions; the excitement, relish or happiness produced by enjoyment or the expectation of good; opposed to pain. We receive pleasure from the indulgence of appetite; from the view of a beautiful landscape; from the harmony of sounds; from agreeable society; from the expectation of seeing an absent friend; from the prospect of gain or success of any kind. Pleasure, bodily and mental, carnal and spiritual, constitutes the whole of positive happiness, as pain constitutes the whole of misery.

Pleasure is properly positive excitement of the passions or the mind; but we give the name also to the absence of excitement, when that excitement is painful; as when we cease to labor, or repose after fatigue, or when the mind is tranquilized after anxiety or agitation.

Pleasure is susceptible of increase to any degree; but the word when unqualified, expresses less excitement or happiness than delight or joy.

2. Sensual or sexual gratification.

3. Approbation.

The Lord taketh pleasure in his people. Psa 147.

and 149.

4. What the will dictates or prefers; will; choice; purpose; intention; command; as, use your pleasure.

Cyrus, he is my shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure. Isa 44.

My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure.

Isa 46.

5. A favor; that which pleases.

Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul. Acts 25.

6. Arbitrary will or choice. He can vary his scheme at pleasure.

PLEAS'URE, v.t. plezh'ur. To give or afford pleasure to; to please; to gratify. [A word authorized by some good writers, but superfluous and not much used.]

plezh'-ur (chephets, ratson; eudokia, hedone: "Pleasure" is the translation of various Hebrew words, chiefly of chephets, "inclination," hence, "pleasure," "delight" (Job 21:21, "What pleasure hath he in his house?" the American Standard Revised Version "what careth he for"; Job 22:3, "Is it any pleasure to the Almighty?"; Ps 111:2; Ec 5:4; 12:1; in Isa 44:28; 46:10; 48:14; 53:10, it has the sense of will or purpose, "He shall perform all my pleasure," etc.); of ratson, "delight," "acceptance," "good will" (Ezr 10:11; Ne 9:37; Es 1:8; Ps 51:18; 103:21, etc.); nephesh, "soul," "desire" is translated "pleasure" (De 23:24; Ps 105:22; Jer 34:16).

In the New Testament "pleasure" is the translation of eudokia, "good thought or will," "good pleasure" (Lu 2:14 the Revised Version margin; Eph 1:5,9; Php 2:13; 2Th 1:11 the Revised Version (British and American) "every desire of goodness," margin "Greek: `good pleasure of goodness.' Compare Ro 10:1").

"To take pleasure or to have pleasure" is eudokeo (2Co 12:10; 2Th 2:12; Heb 10:6,8,38); eudokeo is once translated "good pleasure" (Lu 12:32, "It is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom"); the neuter participle of dokeo, "to think," etc.--meaning "it seems good to me"--to dokoun, is translated "pleasure" (Heb 12:10, "after their pleasure," the Revised Version (British and American) "as seemed good to them"); hedone, "sweetness," "pleasure," occurs in Lu 8:14; Tit 3:3; 2Pe 2:13 (referring to the lower pleasures of life); thelema, "wish," "will" (Re 4:11, the Revised Version (British and American) "because of thy will"); charis, "favor" (Ac 24:27; 25:9, the Revised Version (British and American) "favor"); spatalao "to live voluptuously" (1Ti 5:6, the Revised Version (British and American) "she that giveth herself to pleasure"); suneudokeo, "to think well with," "to take pleasure with others" (Ro 1:32, the Revised Version (British and American) "consent with"); truphao, "to live luxuriously" (Jas 5:5, the Revised Version (British and American) "lived delicately").

The verb "to pleasure" occurs in 2 Macc 2:27 as the translation of eucharistia, the Revised Version (British and American) "gratitude"; 12:11, ophelesein, the Revised Version (British and American) "to help."

W. L. Walker