### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **orchéomai**, represented by `{{G3738}}`, means **to dance**. According to its base definition, it describes a ranklike or regular motion. This specific term appears **6 times** across **4 unique verses** in the Bible, making its appearances notable and contextually significant.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{G3738}}` is used in two primary contexts. First, it describes a performance at a royal birthday feast, where the daughter of Herodias **danced** and **pleased** `{{G700}}` Herod ([[Matthew 14:6]], [[Mark 6:22]]). This act of dancing was so effective that it moved the king to make a great promise to her. Second, it appears in a parable-like saying about children in the marketplace who complain, "We have piped unto you, and ye have not **danced**; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept" ([[Luke 7:32]], [[Matthew 11:17]]). In this context, dancing is the expected joyful response that was inappropriately withheld.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help frame the meaning of `{{G3738}}` by providing context for either its cause or its opposite:
* `{{G832}}` **auléō** (to play the flute): This word describes the action, "piping," which is presented as the direct call for the response of dancing [[Matthew 11:17]].
* `{{G700}}` **aréskō** (to be agreeable... to seek to be so): This term is explicitly linked to the outcome of dancing in the court of Herod, where the performance successfully **pleased** the king [[Mark 6:22]].
* `{{G2354}}` **thrēnéō** (to bewail): This action is set up as the direct contrast to the celebratory context of dancing. The children's saying contrasts piping and dancing with mourning and lamenting [[Luke 7:32]].
### Theological Significance
The narrative weight of `{{G3738}}` is found in its specific, illustrative uses.
* **Expected Response:** Dancing is framed as the proper response to a joyful stimulus (piping). The failure to **dance** in the marketplace parable illustrates a generation’s refusal to respond appropriately to the calls they were given [[Matthew 11:17]].
* **Performance and Influence:** The term is used to describe a performance with a clear purpose. In the story of Herodias's daughter, the dance is a tool used to gain favor and influence, successfully pleasing Herod and his guests [[Matthew 14:6]].
* **Contrast between Joy and Grief:** The word is always placed in opposition to sorrow. The parallel structure "piped/danced" versus "mourned/lamented" [[Matthew 11:17]] establishes dancing as a key expression of celebration, distinct from acts of grief like bewailing `{{G2354}}` and weeping `{{G2799}}`.
### Summary
In summary, `{{G3738}}` is more than a general term for movement; it is a specific word for **dance** used to make sharp narrative and theological points. It appears in contexts of both royal performance and parabolic teaching. Through its usage, it defines a proper response to joy, stands as a stark counterpart to mourning, and demonstrates how a physical act can be used as a powerful tool of influence.
TRV