### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻêden**, represented by `{{H5730}}`, is a term for **pleasure** or **delight**. It appears **4 times** across **4 unique verses** in the Bible. The word's core meaning encompasses concepts of pleasure, delicates, and delight, often pointing to a source of enjoyment or satisfaction.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In scripture, `{{H5730}}` is used to describe various forms of pleasure. It can refer to the physical pleasure Sarah questions due to her old age [[Genesis 18:12]]. It is also used for material luxuries and finery, as when the daughters of Israel are told to weep for Saul, who provided them with scarlet clothing and other **delights** [[2 Samuel 1:24]]. On a spiritual level, it signifies the abundant satisfaction found in God's presence, where He gives His people drink from the "river of thy **pleasures**" [[Psalms 36:8]]. Conversely, the loss of such pleasures is a source of lament, as when Jerusalem is personified as being devoured by Babylon, which filled its belly with her **delicates** [[Jeremiah 51:34]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a fuller context for the concept of pleasure and delight:
* `{{H1880}}` **deshen** (fatness): This term signifies abundance and richness. It is used alongside `{{H5730}}` in [[Psalms 36:8]], where being satisfied with the **fatness** of God's house is directly connected to drinking from the river of His pleasures.
* `{{H1086}}` **bâlâh** (wax old): This word for decay or wearing out stands in direct contrast to pleasure. In [[Genesis 18:12]], Sarah questions if she can experience **pleasure** after she has "waxed old," linking the potential for delight to vitality.
* `{{H5716}}` **ʻădîy** (ornament): Denoting finery and adornment, this word specifies a type of material delight. In [[2 Samuel 1:24]], it is used in parallel with `{{H5730}}` to describe the luxurious lifestyle provided by Saul, which included **ornaments** of gold.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H5730}}` is demonstrated in its varied applications, highlighting different aspects of both divine and human experience.
* **Divine Abundance:** The word points to God as the ultimate source of spiritual satisfaction. The imagery of a "river of thy pleasures" in God's house illustrates an overflowing and unending source of delight that He provides for His people [[Psalms 36:8]].
* **Human Frailty:** `{{H5730}}` is used to explore the transient nature of physical pleasure. Sarah’s doubt about experiencing **pleasure** in her old age underscores the connection between delight and the limitations of the human condition [[Genesis 18:12]].
* **Material Blessings and Loss:** The term can describe tangible comforts and luxuries as a form of blessing. The loss of these **delights** or **delicates** becomes a metaphor for judgment and despoiling, a cause for deep mourning and lament ([[2 Samuel 1:24]], [[Jeremiah 51:34]]).
### Summary
In summary, `{{H5730}}` is a versatile term that captures pleasure in its many forms. It moves from the personal, physical experience of an individual like Sarah to the communal, material delights provided by a king, and ultimately to the profound, spiritual abundance that flows from God's own house. The word illustrates how scripture understands delight not as a single concept, but as a complex experience tied to the body, the material world, and the divine.
TRV